JLN Independent Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie has called on all Liberal members of parliament to support her call to unfreeze the Federal Assistance Grants to local governments - so that Tasmanian ratepayers won't get slugged with unfair rate rises.
"I would like Tasmanian members of parliament like Brett Whiteley MP and newly appointed Turnbull cabinet minister Senator Colbeck to muscle up, put their state first and place pressure on the Liberal government, to unfreeze the indexation on local government's federal assistance grants," said Senator Lambie.
"Are your rates too high? The federal government provided Assistance Grants for 41 years to every council in Australia - which kept our rates lower.
But the Liberal Government decided to freeze the indexation on those grants. They say it will save the Federal Government $925M. This is at the same time the government will spend $830M resettling Syrian and Iraqi refugees.