Select Committee on the Fiscal Sustainability of the ACT

That:

1. this Assembly agrees to establish a select committee to examine the fiscal sustainability of the ACT;
2. this select committee shall be given funds provided by the Assembly to permit the engagement of external expertise to work with the committee to facilitate an independent review of the Territory’s finances, similar to the review undertaken into the finances of the State of Tasmania and suitably dissimilar to the review of the ACT Budget already undertaken by the Select Committee on Estimates 2025-2026;
3. this review must be published by the Select Committee on its public website;
4. the select committee will call on a broad base of expert witnesses to:

   a. evaluate the fiscal position and sustainability of the ACT Budget;

   b. assess the performance of the Government at seeking and obtaining Commonwealth Government sourced revenue, with particular focus on health, housing and infrastructure;

   c. assess the impact of the Commonwealths Grants Commission process regarding the adjustments made to the allocations to states and territories due to the constitutional inability of states and territories to tax the Commonwealth Government;

   d. assess effectiveness and fairness of own source revenue, including investigating new revenue sources;

   e. review the costs associated with managing and delivering government services;

   f. analyse the current and proposed capital works pipeline and its alignment to Government’s overall strategic priorities;

   g. assess the effectiveness of the wellbeing framework at delivering on its intended objectives; and

   h. any other matter related to the financial management of the ACT;

5. the select committee will produce an interim report on initial findings by 24 March 2026, with full findings published by 28 August 2026;
6. the select committee be comprised of four members, as follows:

   a. one ACT Greens MLA, who shall be the chair;

   b. one Canberra Liberals MLA, who shall be the deputy chair;

   c. one ACT Labor MLA; and

   d. one Independent MLA; and

7. Members shall be nominated to the Speaker by 4 pm on this sitting day.

4 December 2025

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Committees may make statements to the Assembly under Standing Order 246A in relation to matters under their resolution of establishment or inquiries being undertaken by the Committee.

Statements to the Assembly are generally provided by the Committee Chair on behalf of the Committee.

Below is a list of statements and discussion papers presented to the Assembly by the Select Committee on Caretaker Conventions during the Eleventh Assembly.