Grievance Debate

Rate Capping

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (15:08): If anyone had any doubt about why we need rate capping, all they need do is to look at today's Advertiser. Ratepayers paying for a council CEO's golf membership is outrageous—this on top of payouts to Peter Smith, the Adelaide CEO who was paid almost $400,000 a year and who was awarded extra payments worth $15,000 linked to his Land Rover Discovery 4.

With regard to golf membership, the fact that the council did it in secret and that it was not disclosed on the register of interest is disturbing.

Members interjecting:

Mr BELL: A bit of protection, sir.

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright is warned for the second and final time.

Mr BELL: As John Houlahan, the former chair of the Onkaparinga Resident's Association said, and I quote:

It is out of control. The council is squandering money left right and centre. Someone has to be held to account.

Why do we need rate capping? Because people are hurting. This current government does not seem to care. People are suffering under this Labor government's continual tax grab. We have increases in the emergency services levy, increases in water rates and the most expensive, yet strangely the least reliable, electricity charges in the nation. What I find amazing is that we have CEOs on similar wages to those of the Premier and ministers of the Crown, yet these guys, funnily enough, are responsible for the entire state of South Australia.

I find it interesting to note that some of the loudest opponents of rate capping are those sitting on the other side of the chamber. In fact, a couple of them have been mayors themselves, so I decided to do a little bit of research. The member for Light presided over rate rises of 6.1 per cent on average, when inflation was only running at about 3 per cent. The member for Frome was also a mayor when rates rose 6.7 per cent on average, whilst inflation was only 3.1 per cent. These increases are unsustainable. No-one is standing up for the ratepayers and asking why rates are going up by so much.

I am here to tell you that the Liberal Party is listening to the people of South Australia and that we are prepared to make the tough calls. We are prepared to stand up for all South Australians whether they live in the CBD or whether they live in regional South Australia. The Liberal Party will be putting $90 million back into people's pockets by reversing the emergency services levy increases. The Liberal Party will be sorting out the power crisis that is crippling South Australia and cruelling businesses across this great state, and we will be capping council rates after 2018.

The SPEAKER: The Mayor of Onkaparinga, Lorraine Rosenberg, was a former member of this house. The memory of her political party escapes me at the moment.