Senator WHISH-WILSON (Tasmania) (15:37): I move: That the Senate— (a) acknowledges the vertical fiscal imbalance in the Australian federal system and the impact this has on local government's ability to meet its expenditure responsibilities; (b) notes that Financial Assistance Grants to local government have been subject to an index freeze since the 2014-15 Federal Budget; and (c) calls on the Government to lift the freeze on indexation of the Financial Assistance Grants in the 2017-18 Federal Budget.