The ACT Greens will not support Labor’s budget proposal of a $250 health levy on everyday Canberrans.

The Greens hold the balance of power in the Legislative Assembly and have effectively sunk the contentious and unpopular surprise announced in Treasurer Chris Steel’s debt-ridden budget debut on Tuesday.

“Not only is this levy unfair, but it passes on the failures of both territory and federal Labor to create a truly universal healthcare system,” said ACT Greens Leader, Shane Rattenbury.

“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. It will unfairly impact a lot of people in our community.

“Many Canberrans are already struggling, and even those on decent incomes are feeling the pinch.

“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.

“A good Budget raises revenue from those who can afford it, like big corporations, before passing the bill on to everyday people.

“The Greens put forward a proposal for a Big Corporations Tax that would introduce a new, higher tax threshold for big corporations like the supermarkets, banks and airlines.

“Companies that operate in our city and make billions in profits, like Qantas and Wesfarmers, should be paying their fair share of tax. But instead, they’re raking in massive profits while Canberrans struggle with the cost of living.

“Not only is a Big Corporations Tax a significantly fairer way to generate revenue, it also generates more than double the amount the government will receive from every day Canberrans through the proposed health levy.

“So the ACT Greens will not be supporting the $250 levy in the Appropriation Bill and we call on the government to go back to the drawing board and come up with something fairer.

“The Greens recognise that we need to raise enough revenue to deliver the services that our community needs, but this is not the way to do it,” said Rattenbury.

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