2001-11-27
Northern Territory Budget - Deficit
Mr BURKE to TREASURER
Treasurer, table 2.1 in Budget Paper No 3 identifies your mini-budget has a bottom line deficit of $126m. Treasurer, if the Territory’s finances are as unsustainable as you claim with your alleged deficit of $106m, how can we afford a real deficit of $127m?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. First, I would like to say that I think that the former Chief Minister and the former Treasurer have really forfeited any rights to ask questions about budget matters - any right. It is a very serious issue and if the opposition does not understand the seriousness of what I am saying, then they simply deserve a very long time in opposition. The deceit that was perpetrated on Territorians in their last budget paper …
Mr DUNHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I am not sure if it offends standing orders for the Chief Minister to be talking about deceit in answer to this question.
Madam SPEAKER: I think in the context of the statement, it was okay. The Chief Minister has been told not to direct ‘deceit’ against individual members.
Ms MARTIN: I am saying it against the opposition, Madam Speaker. This is a very serious issue. Today, we have presented a mini-budget that has integrity, and honesty within the numbers that have been presented. The last budget that was presented in this House had no honesty and no integrity. I think that, in a parliamentary sense, the member for Brennan, the now Leader of the Opposition, has forfeited any rights to ask questions about forward estimates, about deficits, because we saw what the last budget contained. It was a dishonest budget - a dishonest budget that tried to pretend in the run-up to an election that Territorians were only facing a $12m deficit for the coming financial year, the 2001-02 year.
I was Treasurer for less than a week before Treasury came to me and said: ‘That is not the figure, that figure is way over $100m ...
Mr Dunham: You are deceitful.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker. I ask the member to withdraw the comment directed at the Chief Minister that she is deceitful.
Mr Dunham: It has been allowed, ‘Deceit’ is allowed.
Madam SPEAKER: No. I said not when it is attributed to an individual member. You are saying: ‘You are deceitful’, so I want you to withdraw.
Mr DUNHAM: I withdraw the word ‘deceitful’ in relation to the Chief Minister.
Ms MARTIN: In less than a week after coming to office, this new government found out that the $12m figure was simply rubbish. It was simply a distortion. It was dishonest and, I believe, it was cheating Territorians. And then to find out that, not only that, but budget figures had been misrepresented, had been presented fraudulently in the budget paper to try to make it look as though in one instance Territory Health Services had had an increase in its funding. It just shows the levels to which the former administration would stoop, the absolute levels to which the former administration would stoop.
Mr Burke: Why is it now $126m deficit?
Ms MARTIN: I will answer the question. I should not answer this question because your dishonesty about budget papers has been fully exposed and you have no credibility when it talks about budgets ...
Mr Burke: $106m is unsustainable?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: $107m, not $106m. No wonder you were never Treasurer. $107m was the number that Percy Allan identified when we brought him in for his expert second opinion. The important thing about managing any forward estimates process and growing the Territory, is that we see a budget reduction, and we see deficit management over time. This is what this paper is about. These are honest numbers as opposed to the numbers we saw in the last documents to come in here, which the Treasurer purported to be budget documents. This is how one balances spending - which is something you previously never managed - the appropriate spending for the future, and also making savings. That is what this is about.
Not only was the budget $107m in deficit, but we have seen extra demands on that budget in the interim - demands that were never recognised. You gave appropriations to agencies that had no growth within them, at a time when growth was happening over 6%. Year after year, you allowed CEOs to come back, put their hand out and say: ‘I need more money’. You gave inappropriate allocations that did not reflect the growth, and we have had to make those variations since coming into government.
I am very sad to say to Territorians that we have a deficit this year of $126m. We are very sad to say that. It was larger because of the incompetence of the previous administration - the absolute incompetence and deceit of the previous administration. If you can read your budget papers, what we have is a very successful deficit reduction over the next three years. I say that in the year 2004-05 this Territory, under the Labor Martin government, will be in surplus.
Northern Territory Budget - Deficit
Mr KIELY to TREASURER
Chief Minister, how does the mini-budget address the unsustainable financial deficit left by the previous CLP government?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do not know whether the now opposition have actually read the budget papers. I hope they have because there are honest numbers in here and they confirm that the previous administration - the CLP government who had been there for nearly 27 years - left the Territory with an unsustainable financial situation and a ballooning deficit.
Mr Reed: Rhubarb!
Ms MARTIN: Again, the man who has lost any right to make comments on the budget says, ‘Rhubarb’. Within a week of coming into government, your own former Treasury told me the position was unsustainable - unsustainable! We get an expert opinion in and it says unsustainable.
You had no strategy, that is your problem. Year after year, this previous administration overspent. We saw that - unrealistic agency appropriations, not recognising the growth that was happening, sometimes no growth within those agencies, and agencies coming back towards the end of the year saying: ‘I need more money’. ‘Need more money’, like Oliver wanting more food.
Every year, the former CLP administration blew the budget and seemed to think that there would be no end to their reign. That is the real reason for this. ‘We will be in government forever’, said the CLP, ‘and it doesn’t matter, we can make up the figures. And we do, we can make up the figures’. They never thought they would be caught out. Do you know what? You have been caught out and you have no credibility!
The Auditor-General’s report tabled today also further confirms the recklessness of the CLP in their approach to spending money, and heaping on Territorians - and this is the bottom line, the real stinky bottom line that you are heaping on Territorians - an unsustainable debt. You can think of yourselves: ‘Oh, this is just fiddling with budget papers’, but this is about the Territory and our future, and you are lumping debt, year after year, in an unsustainable way.
Now we have the Leader of the Opposition calling on this government to spend, spend, spend!
Mr Burke: You just borrowed $100m. What do you call that?
Ms MARTIN: This is the grasp that the now Leader of the Opposition has about Treasury matters. He says: ‘Spend, spend, spend’, but where is the money coming from? Where is the money coming from? The bottom line is that this approach could not go on forever. Territorians were saved from this mob by an election on the 18 August. The only line he had was: ‘Spend, spend, spend’.
This government is not interested in changing budget numbers. These are honest numbers, unlike your previous numbers. This whole mini-budget is about the fact that you perpetrated a deceit on Territorians with your last budget papers. The last budget papers perpetrated a deceit - an absolute deceit - and we are now left dealing with the unsustainable budget position that you bequeathed to Territorians. The fact is that we are being up-front and truthful with Territorians. We have done this since we came to government three months ago. We did it at the Economic Development Summit, which was a great success in this place, and we did it today again in the mini-budget. The government’s deficit reduction strategy - something that never occurred to the previous mob - is a very important component of today’s mini-budget.
Under the mini-budget, the Territory now has an achievable, realistic deficit reduction strategy to get the budget back in the black. The budget will be balanced by 2003-04 and will be back in surplus, albeit a small surplus, by 2004-05. This has been achieved by a balanced approach, including some revenue measures. The strategy is carefully crafted so that the majority of the load is carried by expenditure initiatives. Critical services such as schools, police, emergency services and hospitals have been largely quarantined. Expenditure is being slowed, not slashed. Revenue measures will raise $42m over four years. These measures have been imposed in a way to share the load across the community.
The Temporary Budget Improvement Levy has only been imposed for as long as it is needed to help repair the budget bequeathed to Territorians by the CLP. Under this realistic deficit reduction strategy, the budget will be in surplus by 2004-05. At that time, the Territory’s debt will start to reduce. These are the actions of a responsible government.
Northern Territory Budget - Deficit
Mr BURKE to TREASURER
On top of the increase in deficit to $126m, the uniform presentation for the total public sector contained in Budget Paper No 3, table 6.1, shows net domestic and overseas borrowings rising from a figure of $62m in the May budget to $162m under your mini-budget. Treasurer, as an Opposition Leader - when you occupied that position - who railed against the increase in debt, I thought your government was getting debt under control?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, deficit reduction strategy is what we are all about here. I know the previous administration had absolutely no concept of deficit reduction strategy, but this is what it is about. On one hand, we have the Leader of the Opposition saying: ‘Spend, spend, spend’. ‘Spend, spend, spend’, on one hand. We know the Territory …
Mr Burke interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: The example of your hypocrisy is the fact that you left the capital works budget with no funds in road repairs or minor new works. You left capital works areas without funds. We know there are more dollars out there in the capital works area than before, with the major projects, but no funds in those areas to support our smaller contractors - none at all.
We have done the balancing. We have found the funds in that very important area. I do not mind saying in here, yes, we have to spend. I know where the money is coming from and I know where the deficit reduction strategy is leading us. Unlike the previous administration who just spent and then lied about it. They spent and they lied about it.
We are honest with our figures. We have a debt reduction strategy. We will be back in a surplus by 2004-05. The question, I think, demonstrates that the Leader of the Opposition simply does not understand Treasury.
Northern Territory Budget – Response from Community
Ms LAWRIE to TREASURER
Will the Chief Minister outline the response from the community to the challenges facing the Territory, brought about by the way the former government left the Territory’s government finances?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I imagine some of this comment is finally filtering through to the opposition, because the more Territorians understand about Burke and Reed’s black hole and what was bequeathed to Territorians …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: It is not actually a laughing matter. It is not a laughing matter, what you bequeathed to Territorians, and the dishonesty of that - is not a laughing matter. An unsustainable budget situation is the best you could bequeath to Territorians after nearly 27 years in power.
I have been delighted with the mature and realistic approach taken by Territorians to the mess we inherited. Territorians have every right to be very angry with the former administration and let me tell you, many are. Many Territorians are very angry with the kind of deceit perpetrated. Many business people, many of whom I would say honestly have not been supporters of ours, have expressed to me dismay at what they now know about what the CLP did in government. Instead of wallowing in anger, most Territorians, including business leaders - and I have just returned from a lunch to outline the budget strategy to a whole range of business community, and I thank the Chamber of Commerce for that opportunity - have adopted a realistic approach of having to get on with things.
Business, on the whole, have made it clear that they expect this mini-budget to bring in revenue measures. They made it clear that business should not bear the brunt of these measures, and that is exactly what this government has delivered. Business knows you cannot keep spending money you do not have. You cannot put everything on the credit card forever, that is unsustainable. But we know the previous administration just ran up the credit card. Ran up the credit card for a current expenditure. Ran up the credit card for recurrent expenditure, so agency wages and agency operationals were on the credit card.
Compare the attitude of business, who understand you cannot keep putting it on the credit card; who understand that you cannot keep running up deficits. Compare this with the kind of childish contribution we get from the opposition. The Leader of the Opposition has a ‘money tree’ approach. He leaves Territorians with a massive hole in the budget, but then plays childish politics. Even on Saturday, he was quoted as saying: ‘There is no reason to raise charges’. How do you think it works? How do you think it works? On one hand spend, spend, spend, then there is no need to raise revenue. Have you any understanding of economics? Perhaps this is the reason that you let the then Treasurer do what he did. You looked so aghast when we presented that audit trail from Treasury showing that he had fudged the budget figures. I do not think you knew anything about it.
Now we have the Leader of the Opposition scaremongering. That is the best he can do. First he says: ‘Spend, spend, spend’, then he says: ‘You do not have to raise any revenue. Then he says: ‘They’ll slash the public sector’, and does not listen to what is being said. He is trying to get out there and scaremonger. If the Leader of the Opposition had any honour, what he would be doing is saying: ‘We will work in a bipartisan way to overcome the problems we have. We will work together with government to make sure that we can move to a sustainable future’. But, no, we have him scaremongering, making the most ridiculous comments and, again, demonstrating he has no understanding of budgets.
Northern Territory Budget - Additional Taxes
Mr REED to TREASURER
Isn’t it the case that the tax slug delivered in your mini-budget was required to cover the $100m additional Territory borrowings which will be used to pay for your election promises that you were told would be unsustainable in the lead-up to the election campaign, rather than what your mini-budget is suggesting is a deficit reduction strategy?
ANSWER
It is important that I again state that this man has no credibility in asking questions about the budgets. This is the man who thinks budgets are so important that you can fiddle with the figures. You can cheat Territorians, you can be dishonest with Territorians and that is just fine. So, what credibility does he have in asking any questions?
There is only one simple answer, and it is obviously beyond the comprehension of the opposition. This mini-budget is all about dealing with the unsustainable budget situation left by the former administration. If we had not had to deal with that, we would not have had to have a mini-budget. Even though he probably tried to pore over our Access Economics document in the run-up to the election, it was a balanced document; it was one that was achievable. We did not need a mini-budget to put that in place. What we need a mini-budget for is to deal with the nine times blow-out in the deficit, that you failed to tell Territorians about and cheated on the budget papers. That is the bottom line.
Northern Territory Budget - Temporary Budget Improvement Levy
Mr WOOD to TREASURER
Treasurer, in the budget you have announced a levy of $90 per vehicle under your Temporary Budget Improvement Levy and there is an allowance for a levy of $45 for pensioners. What does the government expect to raise from that charge to pensioners? Would the government consider exempting pensioners from this type of levy on their first car, considering the levy is supposed to raise $24m over three years? Does this levy also apply to contractors with, say, a one tonne ute used predominately for work?
ANSWER
I thank the member for Nelson for his question. The Temporary Budget Improvement Levy is an important revenue-raising measure for this government. It is welcomed by business in that it has a sunset clause. This is a budget measure that is directly related to the unsustainable position left by the previous administration. It will raise dollars to tackle that, and in three years time, according to the legislation, it will go away. In three years time, we will have raised money to be able to put the budget back into surplus and deliver important services for Territorians. The levy is set at $90 per annum and it is intended for the three years to raise $24m.
The measure will apply across the community, and I fully understand that it will cause some financial pain. In the best of worlds, we would not have to deal with the dishonesty that we were left with by the previous administration. This government knows it will not be greatly popular. What revenue measure like this is? But it is an important revenue measure and we simply cannot follow the budgetary guidelines set out by the Leader of the Opposition, which on one hand says spend, spend, spend but do not raise any charges. I do not know how you work out budgets. This is the member for Katherine’s school of managing the budget, you passed it onto your mate.
I think an important fact of this budget levy is that it is applied to all of us in here and it is applied to all of those who work for government. We have reduced the impact, all government workers will pay this. If they drive private-plated vehicles, they will pay the levy as well. With pensioners, we have reduced it to 50%. It is a measure that we are saying is right across the board, and it will only be applied for as long as we need to have it applied. So, I recognise the pain, but the pain is directly attributable to the fact that the previous administration left the Territory with an unsustainable budget situation. Territorians will welcome the fact that we are turning that position around.
Northern Territory Budget - Deficit
Mr BONSON to TREASURER
How does the mini-budget address the unsustainable financial deficit left by the previous CLP government?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! I think the member for Millner is on his feet and has the floor. I hope we are not going to have a lot of repetitious questions. Could you please ask your question, and Chief Minister, perhaps, keep your answer short.
ANSWER
One of the ways we are going to tackle the unsustainable debt left by the previous administration is to assist our construction industry. We all recognise how important the construction industry is for the Territory’s future. The construction industry is a key industry. It feeds many other sectors and it is critical to our economy. The Economic Development Summit made that point very clearly, and it is one that this side of the House also understands very clearly.
Let us look at some of the initiatives we have put in place to address the needs of the construction sector. Last week, this government announced the calling of expressions of interest for government office space. We have identified the needs over the next two years for government office rentals, and that is now put out on the market, clearly put out on the market, 90002m. Building owners and developers can then understand what the need is and calculate that into their future developments, and the needs they have within their own buildings - something we never saw from the previous administration. This is the end of the deal making and it has been welcomed by our developers and our building owners.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister will you resume your seat. We are getting interjections from both sides and I am quite sure people listening to this broadcast have no idea what the answer is. So, could we ask both sides to restrain.
Ms MARTIN: Thank you. We have put out the needs for office rental space for the next two years, something that was never done under the previous administration. This is open, accountable, fair government at work - take note.
Today’s mini-budget provides welcome assistance for the construction industry. A further $8.7m has been allocated for capital works. An additional $6m for repairs and maintenance expenditure has been allocated as well. We made those announcements a few weeks ago, formalised today in the budget, because we were to be confronted with the spend that was to happen between November and June within the transport and works area in the repairs and maintenance and minor new works, when there was nothing, zero. Zero across those categories for the rest of the year, left by the previous administration. Of course, we were going to tackle the problem, it is a major problem. It is tackled, and that $15m extra will make a substantial difference right across the Territory. These initiatives will be good news for construction in the Territory, both small and big operators.
Another initiative in today’s mini-budget is that the government has reinstated QuickStart II from tomorrow.
Mr Reed: Good CLP initiative, that one.
Ms MARTIN: I say to the former Treasurer, when it was introduced back earlier this year, I welcomed it …
Mr Reed: You rubbished it!
Ms MARTIN: I supported it wholeheartedly. I said I would like it extended, but I supported you wholeheartedly. Such was the state of the then Treasurer’s blinkers, he could not even listen to the response coming from the then opposition.
QuickStart II will operate under the same guidelines as previously, and will continue until 31 January 2002. The extension of the scheme will be welcomed by potential home builders and by the construction industry. So, one of the ways to tackle our current unsustainable deficit situation is to support construction and to support the intrinsic role that construction plays in building the Territory economy.
Northern Territory Budget - Capital Works Program
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
The Chief Minister has just made mention of the capital works program, and I would like to ask this simple question. Why is there no capital works program contained in this mini-budget? What comfort is the absence of a capital works program to Territory contractors who are already suffering from a drop-off in government work? Give us the detail of the programs.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for his question. I am surprised, actually, that he said there is no allocation for capital works program.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, the minister has the floor!
Mr VATSKALIS: If you have a look around we have got major capital works happening. I agree the previous government started it, and we are continuing, we are not stopping any of them. However …
A member: Give us a list.
Mr VATSKALIS: Do I have to mention the railway? Do I have to mention the Port? Do I have to mention the Alice Springs Hospital? They are all progressing, and some of them are going to be completed before the due date. Some of them are going to be ready as early as April 2002, and I congratulate them for that.
At the same time, I cannot help but feel very, very angry because the minor works program was totally abandoned. There was no money after November for work to be done. We had contractors talking to us, I had people talking to me, I had contractors coming to me complaining about the lack of any work. We had to meet urgently and make further allocation for these people to continue to have work, because these people will have a bleak Christmas …
Mr Reed: Careful you do not mislead the House.
Mr VATSKALIS: … thank you very much to the ex-Treasurer, the member for Katherine.
Mr BURKE: A supplementary question, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: No, no supplementary. I think he has answered it.
Reduction in Number of Ministers
Ms SCRYMGOUR to CHIEF MINISTER
Has the government delivered on its commitment to reduce – not add, but reduce - the number of ministers? What savings for taxpayers has been produced?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an important question. In terms of reducing the number of ministers, it was a commitment we made in the run-up to the election and a commitment we have kept. Last year, the financial cost to taxpayers of the nine - I was going to say hardworking, but it is a bit of an extravagant description – ministers in the previous administration was $9.9m, just over $1m for each minister. Labor recognised that we had ministers who were really sitting around not doing a lot. What we decided was, that if other jurisdictions can work with seven ministers so can we. We can save $2m-plus a year in doing so.
It was an initiative that was introduced from day one, and the savings are flowing. I know that the Country Liberal Party passionately opposes this savings measure. They want to defend, forever, the fact that they had nine underachieving ministers. Certainly, when you look at the budget capacity of the former Chief Minister and the former Treasurer you know that they did not understand much.
Mr Burke: At least we read what was put in front of us. At least we knew when we were pinching people’s houses, that we read it first!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: It is interesting that the Leader of the Opposition now says that it is wrong to make ministers work harder. You precious little pup! This is a Leader of the Opposition who thinks it is a bit rough to make ministers work harder. Let me tell you, I am proud of the work capacity of the ministers in this new government. They have worked hard and I think that this document today, and all the other achievements in just three months since we were sworn in - and it has only been three months to the day - is an indication of how much work has been done.
The opposition’s stance is exactly the wrong signal for the Territory public sector workers and the broader community, this business about ‘don’t work too hard, you’ll over strain yourself’. The Territory faces a huge challenge to rebuild and repair the damage caused by the CLP’s unsustainable financial situation that they left us. Your financial management really is just an indictment on the way that you ended your term in government.
We all have to share this load. I am very pleased that this savings measure is working, that we have saved more than $2m, and that these ministers here in this House work very hard and, I say, very effectively.
Northern Territory Budget - Capital Works Program
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Madam Speaker, I remind the minister that there is no detail in the mini-budget on the capital works program, notwithstanding the fact your Chief Minister has said there will be $15m extra provided for parts of the capital works program, $6m extra for repairs and maintenance and $4m extra for minor new works. None of that detail is in the budget.
On behalf of period contractors who undertake essential road and culvert maintenance to ensure our roads are safe for the travelling public: are you aware that these contractors have experienced a rapid reduction of work since the election of the Labor government, so much so that some contractors may be out of business by Christmas unless work is forthcoming?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I again thank the member for Brennan for bringing to the House’s attention their inability, inefficiency - somebody mentioned skulduggery - about the funding program. Let me tell you, Madam Speaker, and the members opposite …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: ... that insufficient cash was allocated for period contracts. There was not enough cash to attend to other problems when they arose, like the floods. They took money from one bucket to put in another and, as a result, the period contractors were left out there in the lurch. Contractors were coming to us until yesterday and complaining about the lack of work, because there was not enough money to do the work that is required for road maintenance and repairs. We had to find money to allocate for period contracts for these people to start working.
As for the capital works programs, I am referring to page 65, 66 and 67 of the Budget Paper No 3. You can have a very close look at what we are actually doing.
School-Based Constables
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
Can the minister inform the Assembly about proposals to review and expand the services provided by school-based constables?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question, because there is quite a bit of talk out in the community about school-based constables, and quite a deal of speculation that this government is about to move them. Let me put that to rest right at the outset. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I joined with the member for Blain at the stage 2 opening of Bakewell Primary School last week. Two school-based constables were there and I took the opportunity to speak with them, as I did with the school council chairperson. The member for Blain himself indicated that it was a concern within the school council and the school community overall, so it was an opportunity to raise with them the concerns and this government’s views.
I also took the opportunity at the Duke of Edinburgh Awards at Nhulunbuy High School, where the school council chairperson and a number of school councillors, as well as the parents of the awardees of the Duke of Edinburgh Certificates were gathered for morning tea, as was the school-based constable, Ian Williams, who does a great job there. I was able to put his mind, individually, and the school staff, students, parents, the lot, that we simply are not about to abolish or remove the school-based constables. In fact, we appreciate the job that they do, as indeed does the entire community. I need to make that very, very clear, that we appreciate the work that they do. It was a good program instituted by our predecessors many years ago.
What is, in fact, being looked at is the role of the school-based constables. We are looking with a view to enhancing and strengthening both the role of the school-based constables and their interaction with schools, and their ability to get around and visit schools. A big part of the workload of school-based constables at the moment is in the delivery of the DARE program, the drug awareness program, to students. We are looking very closely at their role in the delivery of that. The questions are being asked: are they the most appropriate people in the community to deliver that, given that their primary role is to develop a positive image of the police force? They interact with the students and form these relationships with young people so that the young students themselves see police as leaders in the community. They then develop this positive, healthy, interaction with police officers on that positive level, so that the first and subsequent times that they are having interaction with a school-based constable, it is not because they are in trouble, it is first and foremost on a positive level.
The issues that are dealt with by school-based constables are road safety, crime prevention, crime reduction, the investigation of those matters within the school community, the assistance with diversionary programs, victim/offender conferencing, the whole question of addressing juvenile crime issues within the community and assisting schools to deal with suspected crimes. They are what we see as the core role, the core function of school-based constables, and that is what we want to see them getting back to.
We think if we can look at a reduction in the workload of school-based constables, upfront actively delivering the DARE program, there is a greater ability for them to focus on these other roles that they have. We are also interested in increasing the service of the school-based constables to rural and remote schools which do not see them, in some cases at all and, in many other cases very, very infrequently.
There may be some changes to the role, but what changes do come about from this review will be from a point of view of enhancing and strengthening their role. I note a press release earlier today from the President of the Police Association, Vince Kelly, asking the question and putting it out there in the public arena again, and calling on the government to consult with school-based constables in the review and look at how they deliver services and, in fact, what they do deliver. I make this commitment on behalf of government: we will consult. We will consult with the 20 school-based constables. We will consult with the Police Commissioner and police management in this operation, to ensure that they have an opportunity to put their views - and important views because they are the people out there doing the work - and those views will be taken into account in our review of just where we go with the entire program.
Northern Territory Budget - Period Road Maintenance Contracts
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
I predicate this question by this statement: You have been in government since August. It is now 26 November, and there are period contractors in Darwin who have not received work because the money has not been flowing. I have asked you where is the detail in your mini-budget to show that the additional money will flow and how these period contractors will get some comfort that they will get additional work. Will the minister provide to the House the amount of work done under period contracts for road maintenance in the Darwin, urban and rural area during the period August and November last year, and the same period this year? I refer to bitumen repairs, line marking, road sealing, grading and drainage, road signage maintenance and verge mowing and rubbish removal. Minister, these are just some of the areas where contractors are losing work and the government is failing, not only in its duty of care to the general public, but these people are likely to be out of business by Christmas.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am going to repeat my answer. The reason that period contracts have not been awarded is because the previous government did not leave us enough money. You heard it before: there was no money after November. People were coming to us complaining. The answer was, there was no money. We have had to add $6m additional funding for these people to start working again for the simple reason you took money from one bucket, you put it to another to address some urgent issues like flood repairs on the roads, when it happened, because you did not allocate it enough money.
We found the money, we start flowing the money to the contracts and the work will start happening again. There is no promise there are going to be so many contracts for a year, but we are trying to help these people out because you did not do it.
Medical Freecall Advice Service
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
This government is committed to introducing a freecall advice service for medical assistance. Can the minister advise the Assembly when this initiative will be implemented?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura. This initiative will be introduced in the year 2003-04. We had hoped to introduce it next year, in 2002-03, but we have been left with such an appalling situation with the budget that we have had to put back further commitments, so that this can only be introduced the year later. We are disappointed that this is the case, but we will be definitely introducing this in that year.
Weddell Land Acquisition
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
In reference to Middle Arm in Weddell, and remembering the recent debacle about the proposed land acquisition on the Middle Arm Road, will the minister put on hold the acquisition of land; a moratorium on extractive mining; a halt to the building of a road through the mangroves to Wickham Point - that incidentally Phillips Petroleum said they do not actually need at the present time - until there is a firm policy on the following: a Darwin Harbour national conservation park; a study of alternative sites for gas and gas associated industries outside of the harbour; an environmental study to allow an appropriate design for the road to Wickham Point when it is needed; future proposed aquaculture sites; and a series of new innovative designs showing the future city of Weddell? Does the minister agree that unless this is done, unless the public, professionals, councils and planners are not involved in any new design, then the only thing we are going to plan for is an embarrassing disaster?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank to the member for Nelson for his question. I agree on many things with the member for Nelson, but these are some of the things we disagree totally on. I have to say to him that we are not putting a hold to the acquisition of land, I will not put a moratorium on extractive mining, I will not put on hold the building of the road, and I will work very hard to bring the gas industry to Darwin.
During the Economic Development Summit the industry and business community in Darwin urged the government to show leadership and to bring the gas to Darwin. I believe this had bipartisan support and the Leader of the Opposition and the members of the opposition, support us fully in this issue. I am not going to review sites, I am not going to go back, I am not going to start from scratch. We want this gas industry in Darwin, we are going to do it. We are going to put infrastructure in place to show the gas industry we are ready and prepared to have the gas industry in Darwin.
With regards to the harbour, as the member for Nelson is aware, we are drawing up a plan of management for Darwin Harbour. I will advise the House in the near future of what is happening there. I have also ordered a review of the Planning Act, and will address some of the issues that the member for Nelson is concerned about. Of course, with regards to the agricultural, I discussed that issue with officers from my department, and also with the industry itself. We want the industry to progress in the Territory because we consider it a benefit for all Territorians.
With regards to Weddell, it is something that we have to think very carefully about. I am happy to take on board the comments from the member of Nelson, and I am prepared to sit down with him and discuss it further, and also with members of the community. I have said before, we are here to develop the Territory. Especially with the gas, I am very happy to have bipartisan support. We are going to continue this way, we are not going to review sites. I am very sorry that he is not going to be satisfied with my answer, but there is no way back.
Northern Territory Budget - Period Road Maintenance Contracts
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Madam Speaker, I remind the minister that in the mini-budget release there are tens of millions of dollars of expenditure forecast in that mini-budget, only less than a quarter of which will go towards economic activity that will drive jobs, particularly amongst contractors and those involved in essential road maintenance in the Northern Territory, out of duty of care for Territorians.
As he is either unable or unwilling to admit to the situation that exists in reality out there, I table, minister, for your information, a table showing the work undertaken by just one period contractor responsible for urban bituminous repair and maintenance. Are you aware that for the period August to November 2000, under a terrible CLP government - so says by you - he undertook that particular period contract work totalling $270 863? Under a Labor government, for the same period this year, he has only received work totalling $81 466. Minister, that is a drop in period contract work of nearly 70%. That is the problem out there. That is why staff are being laid off, that is why businesses like him are going out of business. Minister, I ask you, will you please detail where the additional money will go and make sure that money flows to those period contractors? I table that table for your information.
Mr Stirling: Why don’t you ask your Treasurer why he never put any money in those programs? You never put any money in programs, that is what happened!
Mr BURKE: We spent it last year, you haven’t. You have been in since August. Start spending some money.
Mr Stirling: It is coming through now. Ask your mate from Katherine.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Have we finished? Would you like a little more? Let’s stop it!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan, again, for his question. Yes, I am aware of the problem. Yes, I am also aware the problem was created because of their mismanagement. The reason there was no money is because they blew the budget out, not because in three months we managed to ruin the economy of the Territory. They were 26 years here. Every time the department went back for more money: ‘Here is the money’. When the money was required for the port or wharf, there was no money.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: It would be lovely if we could print money and start spending the amount. But we are a responsible government, we are not going to increase our deficit and, certainly, we are not going to lie about our deficit - from $12m deficit to $107m. Now we know that was blown even further. We are aware of the problem with the business community. We are aware of the problems with the period contracts, and we are addressing it.
QuickStart II Program
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
Can the minister please advise whether the QuickStart II program is expected to have a good uptake?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. Yes, it was a CLP initiative. I was very pleased to hear that one when it happened, because a lot of people out there were suffering and the then opposition, and now government, fully supported it. I hope that the opposition supports our new initiative, QuickStart II, because this QuickStart II is going to provide work for people who are actually suffering out there, people who are facing a bleak Christmas.
Mr Burke: They will need some jobs first.
Mr VATSKALIS: To go back in history, I had forewarned the member for Brennan, on many occasions, about the plea of the construction industry. I happen to remember the dates, because they are the dates when they turned up to some of the Greek community national days. That was the time they bothered to turn up, because it was a photo opportunity. On 28 October 1999, I forewarned him about it - he didn’t want to know. 25 March 2000, I forewarned him - his answer was: ‘I didn’t tell them to build units, all of them’. That was his concern about the building industry. I find it very hypocritical now for them to speak about the plea of the business industry. There is a problem out there. There was a problem out there, QuickStart II is one way to address it. We are addressing it. We are also aware there is going to be some land released, and the combination of the QuickStart II with the Commonwealth funding initiative will drive people to build new houses. It will, of course, provide the impetus for the construction industry. They will be very happy to hear about that today.
One more thing I wish to comment on is that, during the speech of the President of the Chamber of Commerce during the Economic Development Summit, he said clearly that he wanted the government to address the budget problem. The Chamber of Commerce has identified that there was a problem with the budget. The opposition still refuse to identify this problem.
Reduction in Number of Ministers
Mr REED to TREASURER
Madam Speaker, a few moments ago, the Treasurer told us that in cutting the ministry from nine to seven that she was going to save $2m this financial year, and ongoing. Can she explain the difference between her claim that she will be saving $2m this year, and what appears as the saving in her budget document released today - page 22, Budget Paper No 2 - wherein it says that savings as a result of reduction of minister’s from nine to seven is less, indeed, than half of $2m. In fact, it is $800 000. Has the Treasurer, by the information provided in her own documentation, and in the comments that she provided here today, misled the House?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, again, I say to the Deputy Opposition Leader and the former Treasurer in this House, he does not have any credibility in asking budget questions. He simply …
Mr REED: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was nothing to do with credibility. People listening to this broadcast want the Treasurer to answer the question - did she mislead the House in relation to her assertions or not?
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order but the Chief Minister knows that she should make her answers relevant to the question.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, I take your point but it is important to add a context. This is an important day for this House. It is the mini-budget that sets the Territory back on a sustainable economic way. It has to be reminded every time there is the nerve of either the current Opposition Leader or the Deputy Opposition Leader, that they cheated on Territorians through the last budget papers. I make that very clear.
It is a simple point about saving money, reducing ministries - $9.9m a cost and we can reduce nearly over $2m. The sum you are looking at, in fact, is one that incorporates other figures. What it does is incorporates a payout to members of the staff that were formerly employed by you. That amount was a very seriously hefty one. So, from the savings we were intending to save, we have had to spend some money. We had to spend some funds in being able to meet the contractual obligations that you had put Territorians in.
Crime Prevention Strategy
Dr BURNS to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
After 26 years in office, the previous government did not have a comprehensive or effective strategy on crime prevention. Can the minister advise the House what action has been taken in this vital area?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I very much thank the member for that question because, indeed, it is a very important area of our government programs. In fact, it is one of the four cornerstones of what we want to achieve in government over the next four years.
It is very interesting to see the CLP members currently drawing together forums, and really talking up the levels of crime and the problems that they are having. Three months ago, we were told in debates in this House how good the programs were that they were running, how effective they all were, the wonderful police out there and, ‘Everything is under control, don’t worry, trust us’. Now we have them going around, inflaming situations.
Let us have a look at what we are actually doing about this. We have an excellent new Police Commissioner coming in, Paul White, who has a very good background in the real ways of going about reducing crime rates, particularly in his work against drug dealing and motor cycle gangs in South Australia. I think we may now look forward to seeing some really strong concerted action aimed at some of the areas of criminal activity that fuels 40% of the property crime in the Northern Territory. We have to get into that focal point if we are going to make inroads on house break-ins and property crimes, the very areas that are feeding into the drug activities in the Northern Territory.
Mr Burke: Minuscule!
Dr TOYNE: This was the problem that you said did not exist. The member for Brennan over here says: ‘Minuscule’. Well, it is not minuscule – there are 400 000 needles-plus in the needle exchanges. It is out there, it is affecting property crime throughout the Northern Territory urban areas. We are going to deal with it, and we have the Police Commissioner who can deal with it for us.
In terms of the overall crime prevention, we announced, very strongly through the election campaign, that we were going to apply a whole-of-government approach to crime prevention. That will be done through the Office of Crime Prevention under my portfolio, and I am very privileged to be the minister with carriage of that initiative on behalf of our government. That will, for the first time, provide a comprehensive approach, through all government departments, to the antecedents of crime and to the prevention of crime and to the dealing with offensive offending.
Mr Dunham: So, how come it’s going up? Hendo reckons it’s going up.
Dr TOYNE: Well, if it is going up, it is because of 26 years of your crime prevention policies, or lack of them.
Moving to other areas that are going to be highlighted in our crime prevention activities on crime, we are going to look after victims. We are not just going to come in here with the rhetoric. We are going to put out real resources to VOCAL and to the Victim Support Unit, to allow victims to repair their situation after they have had their houses broken into and trashed. We are putting $30 000 in there for the rest of this year, $50 000 every year, to provide for locks to be replaced after break-ins, windows to be repaired and, generally, for the houses of victims to be restored back to a liveable standard. That is how we are going to help victims. Very practical, very immediate, when they need the help. Not coming into the House spouting facile comments about how much you care about them, then do absolutely nothing in terms of public policy.
We are also going to introduce, early next year, a package of legislation and policies aimed at drug manufacturers and distributors. You were not even prepared to talk about that. We are going to legislate. We are going to target drug manufacturing and distribution. We are going to require offenders to undergo drug rehabilitation and treatment programs. We are going to educate our youth on the impact of illicit drugs, and we are going to prevent the ongoing abuse of prescription drugs such as morphine. We are out there doing something, after 26 years of inaction on the other side of the House.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016