ACT Government drops the ball on critical GST carve-up submission

In an embarrassing admission, ACT Deputy Chief Minister and Treasurer Andrew Barr MLA has been forced to admit that his department has missed the deadline for a critical submission on the distribution of GST funds.

This is serious for the ACT and for all our residents. The ACT carries a significant expense in maintenance of the nation's capital, supposedly in a somewhat higher standard than you might expect of other cities. (Although these days you have to wonder about that being achieved!)

The situation is compounded by the way costs are carried for many thousands of NSW residents who commute across our border every day.

All of this contributes to the reality that the ACT budget is essentially unsustainable.

And in turn it means that it is critical that the GST carve-up always recognises these additional cost burdens on the ACT. But instead our share has been slashed by many millions of dollars over recent years.

So when the ACT Treasury staff don't get their act together and get a quality submission in on time, you have to wonder about their priorities.

Andrew Barr should hunting bureaucratic scalp.