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budget budget allocation capital works government spending justice and community safety public funding superannuation
Introduced by: The Hon Chris Steel MLA (ALP) — Minister , Minister for Heritage, Minister for Planning and Sustainable Development, Minister for Transport, Treasurer
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Chris Steel ALP
“I move: That this bill be agreed to in principle. Mr Speaker, I acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, the traditional custodians of the land on which we are meeting today and recognise other First Nations people and families who have connections to the lands that we are meeting on. The 2025-26 budget invests in our growing city and delivers on our commitments to Canberrans.”
Leanne Castley IND
“It is an incredible honour and privilege to address the Assembly this evening to offer a budget-in-reply speech as Leader of the Opposition. I am not your typical politician. I did not go to ANU.”
Shane Rattenbury GRN
“This ACT budget misses the mark. It has missed the mark on where money is being spent and where money is being generated from. This is ACT Labor’s first solo budget in more than a decade and it gives us a pretty clear insight into what their real priorities look like.”
Andrew Braddock GRN
“I will use a road user hierarchy to structure my speech today. For the information of members, the road user hierarchy is the safety principle that places users who pose the most harm to others at the bottom, requiring them to take extra care.”
Jo Clay GRN
“The Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment’s Close to the edge report found that “government spending on the environment at all jurisdictional levels is meagre and demonstrably inadequate”. Her report also found that a lack of reform is “tacit acceptance of and contribution to the biodiversity crisis”. She said that it was locking in year-on-year degradation.”
Andrew Barr ALP
“I am speaking this evening on the government’s infrastructure program and our commitment to the ongoing delivery of projects outlined in the 2019 infrastructure plan that was updated at the five-year mark through seven sector updates in 2024.”
“The ACT government, as the Chief Minister said, continues to invest in modern, accessible health infrastructure to meet the growing needs of our community, reflecting our commitment to deliver high-quality care closer to home.”
Marisa Paterson ALP
“I am proud to stand today to provide an update on the ACT government’s continued investment in emergency services infrastructure—an investment that reflects our unwavering commitment to the safety, wellbeing and resilience of our growing community.”
“I am pleased to rise and speak in support of the investment we are making in the Canberra Institute of Technology as part of my skills, training and industrial relations portfolio. CIT is the heart of our vocational training system in the ACT. We recognise the central role it plays in teaching the in-demand skills our city needs as it continues to grow.”
Ed Cocks LIB
“I wanted to rise briefly to mention the esteem with which we hold our vocational education sector and the CIT, which is at the heart of that sector in the ACT. I went to the opening of the Woden CIT—a welcome return to Woden for CIT after some years since the original Woden CIT campus was closed.”
Fiona Carrick IND
“I also support thriving town centres and entertainment precincts. I welcome the Woden CIT, but there has been no attempt to integrate it into the local area. The CIT enterprises are open only for very short hours during the school term. They are not activating the local area. The new Youth Foyer, which ofcourse wealso support, has blankwalls ontothecourt ofWoden.Theplanning is non-existent.”
Tara Cheyne ALP
“Legal Aid ACT is a vital part of our justice system, providing vulnerable and disadvantaged Canberrans with access to justice through a range of legal aid services. In this budget, the ACT government is continuing to invest in legal aid through recurrent fundingand additional investment andresources.”
Jeremy Hanson LIB
“I have an excellent speech here, written by my staff. There has been a lot said about Legal Aid of late. I spoke about it in this debate under JACS; we had a motion as well. I will hold the minister to the comments that she made during the debate. She has recognised the important work of Legal Aid.”