The ACT Greens say the final Fiscal Sustainability Report released by Saul Eslake confirms what many Canberrans already know: Labor at both levels are making political choices that are letting down Canberrans.
"This year's Federal Labor Budget cut $37.8 billion from the NDIS and offered a mere $4.81 a week to people doing it tough in a cost-of-living crisis - and they won't even see it until 2028," said ACT Greens Leader Jo Clay.
"Federal Labor are building homes for American and British troops as part of the dodgy AUKUS defence pact, while ACT Labor allow 3,500 households to sit on the public housing waitlist.
"Federal Labor are making sweeping cuts to their Climate and Environment Department while leaving $17 billion on the table by refusing to tax Australia's gas exports. And ACT Labor don't even have a climate strategy.
"It's clear that Federal Labor have little regard for Canberra - and ACT Labor are not doing enough to stick up for us.
"Today's Eslake report shows Canberrans are missing out on their fair share of federal funding, particularly when it comes to GST revenue and the major cross-border health and education services we provide to surrounding NSW communities.
"We know there are challenges when it comes to revenue generation in the ACT, however there are clear measures the ACT Labor Government could implement that they are simply ignoring. Last year, Labor imposed the unfair health levy on every household. The Greens came up with the big corporations tax instead to make corporations like PwC, Coles, Woolworths and the airlines pay their fair share. And we have told Labor they need to get rid of the last of that unfair household health levy this budget.
"We need more progressive ideas that don't hurt everyday Canberrans.
"The ACT Labor Government should be fighting for fairer funding arrangements and looking at long-term structural changes to revenue - like getting our fair share of GST revenue, recovering the full cost of cross-border services, and pushing Federal Labor to abolish our historical public housing debt.
"Instead, Federal Labor's spending growth in the ACT has slowed by more than 30 per cent - and ACT Labor has simply borrowed more to make up the difference. Canberra is being squeezed from both sides.
"This report should be a wake-up call for the ACT Labor Government to fight for a better deal for Canberrans. It's simply not good enough to say there are tough decisions to be made and cut important community and environmental services without looking at all possible solutions.
"The upcoming ACT Budget is an opportunity to do things differently - and the Greens will be holding Labor to account on every line of it. That means stronger funding for the community sector, real investment in climate and environmental action, a genuine fight for fairer federal funding, and a plan to deliver the homes and services Canberrans need during a period of growing economic pressure."
