ACT Greens Reject Proposed Health Levy in ACT Budget

Labor's budget plans have been thrown into doubt with the ACT Greens announcing they will not support a key proposed revenue-raising measure.

ACT Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury said his party would not support the proposed $250 health levy for all ratepayers which he called an 'unfair and regressive tax'.

The proposed levy is expected to raise about $50 million per year for four years.

The government is in minority and Labor needs either the support of the Liberals or the Greens to pass budget items through the Legislative Assembly.

ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury said the levy was unfair and the budget 'missed the mark'.

'A flat levy does not take into account a person's ability to pay and does not reflect the type of city we want to build,' he said. 'It will unfairly impact a lot of people in our community.'

Mr Rattenbury said there was definitely a need to raise revenue to be able to pay for services — especially healthcare — but the levy would have a negative impact upon health.

'The irony is that this additional levy might be the difference between someone being able to buy essential medicine or healthy food — both key to maintaining good health — in order to fork out for the government's health bill,' he said.

Mr Rattenbury said his party would try to be constructive. 'We're certainly not voting down the whole budget,' he said. 'We hope to negotiate with the Labor Party on the budget.'

Mr Rattenbury said the Greens' proposed Big Corporations Tax was a fairer way to raise government revenue. Under the idea, a new, higher tax threshold would be introduced for big corporations like supermarkets, banks, and airlines.

'We call on the Government to go back to the drawing board and come up with something fairer,' he said.

Mr Rattenbury also said the Greens would oppose the $8 million subsidy for the horseracing industry included in the budget.

According to the source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation.