QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Dr SCAMPS (Mackellar) (14:18): My question is to the Treasurer. Today, all of Australia's councils undertook the extraordinary step of writing to every federal parliamentarian to warn of the funding crisis affecting local governments across the country. Due to the lack of untied federal funding, councils are struggling to deliver essential services and infrastructure and are resorting to large rate rises, including in my electorate of Mackellar.

Councils are asking that the financial assistance grants be restored to one per cent of federal taxation. Will the government consider this?