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1. What was proposedJo ClayGreens · Crossbench
   Read the original wording (530 words)

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) the Commonwealth Government collects most taxes, but states and territories provide most services; (b) ACT expenses are increasing but our ability to raise new taxes is limited; (c) Commonwealth employees attract no payroll tax and account for a quarter of the ACT’s workforce compared to under 2 percent elsewhere, with the Australia Institute estimating lost ACT revenue over $500 million annually; (d) the Australian Bureau of Statistics undercounted the ACT population and Treasury estimates this lost revenue of $550 million between 2016-2017 and 2022-2023; (e) of the ACT’s 148 infrastructure projects, questioning indicated only a handful received 50:50 Commonwealth funding and, while other projects may get funding, 50:50 funding is largely for roads, excluding many ACT priority projects; (f) the ACT inherited a $100 million+ housing debt to the Commonwealth and that similar debts were waived for Tasmania and South Australia; (g) if Canberra Health Services had achieved the National Efficient Price (NEP) our Budget would be $473 million better off in 2025-2026; (h) in December 2023, National Cabinet agreed the Commonwealth would contribute 45 percent of state and territory health costs but contributions to the ACT are currently 33.4 percent and Treasury estimates the funding gap is $116 million in 2025-2026 and increasing; and (i) delays in hospital discharge related to aged care and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support represent poor patient care and poor ACT budgetary outcomes; (2) further notes that: (a) the GST was pitched as a growth tax but is declining as a share of national income and Australia Institute models cumulative losses from 2023-2024 to 2033-2034 at over $600 billion; and (b) most Australians support a fossil fuel tax, as called for by the Greens, the Australia Institute and others; (3) calls on the ACT Government to seek to increase Commonwealth revenue through a fossil fuel tax by writing to: (a) state and territory counterparts, seeking a collective position on this tax by 1 November 2025; and (b) the Commonwealth Government seeking next steps to model and introduce this tax during 2026; (4) additionally calls on the ACT Government to seek a fair share of Commonwealth funding by: (a) seeking minimum 50:50 Commonwealth funding on all ACT infrastructure projects where total project costs exceed $5 million and publicly reporting which projects sought Commonwealth funding, how much was sought and granted; (b) writing to the Commonwealth Government seeking reimbursement of the $550 million backpay due to population undercounting; (c) writing to the Commonwealth Government seeking a waiver on our historic housing debt; (d) employing new health analysts in Treasury to assist Health directorates achieve the NEP or small jurisdiction equivalent and reporting progress in annual reports; (e) writing to the Commonwealth Government seeking a fairer allocation in lieu of Commonwealth public servant payroll tax; and (f) completing aged care assessments and NDIS applications for hospitalised patients within a week of first admission and lobbying the Commonwealth for sufficient home care packages and residential places; and (5) further calls on the ACT Government to table all modelling, letters, responses and updates arising from this motion in the Assembly by 3 December 2025. Debate ensued.

2. Proposed changeChris SteelLabor · Minister3 September 2025

   Reworded the note on 50:50 funding, removed support for GST and fossil fuel tax changes and the related letters, and added advocacy on population counts. Our summary, review in progress

   Before

   (e) of the ACT’s 148 infrastructure projects, questioning indicated only a handful received 50:50 Commonwealth funding and, while other projects may get funding, 50:50 funding is largely for roads, excluding many ACT priority projects

   After this change

   (e) the Commonwealth has been providing 50:50 funding to many ACT infrastructure projects, including to all major road projects in the ACT, but does not provide funding to many other ACT infrastructure projects;

   The exact wording of this change

   together: 1. Omit paragraph (1)(e), substitute: “(e) the Commonwealth has been providing 50:50 funding to many ACT infrastructure projects, including to all major road projects in the ACT, but does not provide funding to many other ACT infrastructure projects;”. 2. Omit paragraphs (2) and (3). 3. Insert after paragraph (4)(b): “(c) advocating to the Commonwealth for a better and fairer counting of the ACT’s population which is directly impacting the Territory budget.”. Debate continued. Ordered—That the question be divided.

   Partly agreed in a recorded vote, 16 to 6. Its wording is in the final text.

   Ayes 16

   • Andrew Barr, Suzanne Orr, Yvette Berry, Michael Pettersson, Chris Steel, Rachel Stephen-Smith, Tara Cheyne, Caitlin Tough, Taimus Werner-Gibbings
   • Chiaka Barry, Mark Parton, Peter Cain, Leanne Castley, Ed Cocks, Elizabeth Lee, James Milligan

   Noes 6

   • Andrew Braddock, Jo Clay, Laura Nuttall, Shane Rattenbury
   • Fiona Carrick, Thomas Emerson

   Corrected by hand: The question on these amendments was divided. The recorded vote of 16–6 was on amendment No 2, not on the final motion. (Minutes of Proceedings, 3 September 2025.)

3. What the Assembly decidedAgreed

   Decided on the voices: no individual votes were recorded, so this doesn’t show that every MLA agreed.

   Final agreed wording, with changes marked

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) the Commonwealth Government collects most taxes, but states and territories provide most services; (b) ACT expenses are increasing but our ability to raise new taxes is limited; (c) Commonwealth employees attract no payroll tax and account for a quarter of the ACT’s workforce compared to under 2 percent elsewhere, with the Australia Institute estimating lost ACT revenue over $500 million annually; (d) the Australian Bureau of Statistics undercounted the ACT population and Treasury estimates this lost revenue of $550 million between 2016-2017 and 2022-2023; (e) the Commonwealth has been providing 50:50 funding to many ACT infrastructure projects, including to all major road projects in the ACT, but does not provide funding to many other ACT infrastructure projectsSteel; (f) the ACT inherited a $100 million+ housing debt to the Commonwealth and that similar debts were waived for Tasmania and South Australia; (g) if Canberra Health Services had achieved the National Efficient Price (NEP) our Budget would be $473 million better off in 2025-2026; (h) in December 2023, National Cabinet agreed the Commonwealth would contribute 45 percent of state and territory health costs but contributions to the ACT are currently 33.4 percent and Treasury estimates the funding gap is $116 million in 2025-2026 and increasing; and (i) delays in hospital discharge related to aged care and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support represent poor patient care and poor ACT budgetary outcomes; (2) calls on the ACT Government to seek a fair share of Commonwealth funding by: (a) seeking minimum 50:50 Commonwealth funding on all ACT infrastructure projects where total project costs exceed $5 million and publicly reporting which projects sought Commonwealth funding, how much was sought and granted; (b) writing to the Commonwealth Government seeking reimbursement of the $550 million backpay due to population undercounting; (c) advocating to the Commonwealth for a better and fairer counting of the ACT’s population which is directly impacting the Territory budgetSteel; (d) writing to the Commonwealth Government seeking a waiver on our historic housing debt; (e) employing new health analysts in Treasury to assist Health directorates achieve the NEP or small jurisdiction equivalent and reporting progress in annual reports; (f) writing to the Commonwealth Government seeking a fairer allocation in lieu of Commonwealth public servant payroll tax; and (g) completing aged care assessments and NDIS applications for hospitalised patients within a week of first admission and lobbying the Commonwealth for sufficient home care packages and residential places; and (3) further calls on the ACT Government to table all modelling, letters, responses and updates arising from this motion in the Assembly by 3 December 2025.

   Original and final wording compared

   taken out put in

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) the Commonwealth Government collects most taxes, but states and territories provide most services; (b) ACT expenses are increasing but our ability to raise new taxes is limited; (c) Commonwealth employees attract no payroll tax and account for a quarter of the ACT’s workforce compared to under 2 percent elsewhere, with the Australia Institute estimating lost ACT revenue over $500 million annually; (d) the Australian Bureau of Statistics undercounted the ACT population and Treasury estimates this lost revenue of $550 million between 2016-2017 and 2022-2023; (e) [taken out: of]the [taken out: ACT’s 148 infrastructure projects, questioning indicated only a handful received 50:50]Commonwealth [put in: has been providing 50:50]funding [taken out: and, while other][put in: to many ACT infrastructure]projects, [taken out: may get funding, 50:50][put in: including to all major road projects in the ACT, but does not provide]funding [taken out: is largely for roads, excluding][put in: to]many [put in: other]ACT [taken out: priority][put in: infrastructure]projects; (f) the ACT inherited a $100 million+ housing debt to the Commonwealth and that similar debts were waived for Tasmania and South Australia; (g) if Canberra Health Services had achieved the National Efficient Price (NEP) our Budget would be $473 million better off in 2025-2026; (h) in December 2023, National Cabinet agreed the Commonwealth would contribute 45 percent of state and territory health costs but contributions to the ACT are currently 33.4 percent and Treasury estimates the funding gap is $116 million in 2025-2026 and increasing; and (i) delays in hospital discharge related to aged care and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support represent poor patient care and poor ACT budgetary outcomes; (2) [taken out: further notes that: (a) the GST was pitched as a growth tax but is declining as a share of national income and Australia Institute models cumulative losses from 2023-2024 to 2033-2034 at over $600 billion; and (b) most Australians support a fossil fuel tax, as called for by the Greens, the Australia Institute and others; (3)]calls on the ACT Government to seek [taken out: to increase Commonwealth revenue through]a [taken out: fossil fuel tax by writing to: (a) state and territory counterparts, seeking a collective position on this tax by 1 November 2025; and (b) the Commonwealth Government seeking next steps to model and introduce this tax during 2026; (4) additionally calls on the ACT Government to seek a]fair share of Commonwealth funding by: (a) seeking minimum 50:50 Commonwealth funding on all ACT infrastructure projects where total project costs exceed $5 million and publicly reporting which projects sought Commonwealth funding, how much was sought and granted; (b) writing to the Commonwealth Government seeking reimbursement of the $550 million backpay due to population undercounting; (c) [put in: advocating to the Commonwealth for a better and fairer counting of the ACT’s population which is directly impacting the Territory budget; (d)]writing to the Commonwealth Government seeking a waiver on our historic housing debt; [taken out: (d)][put in: (e)]employing new health analysts in Treasury to assist Health directorates achieve the NEP or small jurisdiction equivalent and reporting progress in annual reports; [taken out: (e)][put in: (f)]writing to the Commonwealth Government seeking a fairer allocation in lieu of Commonwealth public servant payroll tax; and [taken out: (f)][put in: (g)]completing aged care assessments and NDIS applications for hospitalised patients within a week of first admission and lobbying the Commonwealth for sufficient home care packages and residential places; and [taken out: (5)][put in: (3)]further calls on the ACT Government to table all modelling, letters, responses and updates arising from this motion in the Assembly by 3 December 2025. [taken out: Debate ensued.]

   Compared word by word by computer, ignoring punctuation. It shows what differs, not which change made each difference; the steps above show that.