2014-05-14
Budget 2014-15 – Effects on Territorians
Ms LAWRIE to TREASURER
Budget 2014-15 confirms you as the highest-taxing Treasurer in the Territory’s history. You are making it harder for Territorians to enter the housing market by cutting the eligibility for the First Home Owner Grant. You are attacking our pensioners by means testing the concession scheme. Your budget blames the Territory’s skyrocketing cost of living on your power price hikes and your increases to motor vehicle registration. Your mates in Canberra will now hit us twice a year with fuel price increases. Your dollar-a-day childcare subsidy does not ease the thousands of dollars’ worth of burdens you are heaping on Territory families and businesses. When will you stop putting your hands in the pockets of Territorians and making it harder for our businesses and families to survive?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Opposition Leader has no credibility whatsoever on this matter. The premise of the question is wrong. The budget handed down yesterday shaves $1.3bn off the projected debt, saving us $55m per year in interest repayments. It is interesting to hear the former Treasurer ask questions of this nature. I remind people that the former Treasurer projected debt to increase to $5.5bn – a $1.2bn budget deficit was projected for last financial year. This is the same person who left the Northern Territory in such a mess …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Whilst predictable, I will take you back to the question. When will you stop putting your hand into the pockets of Territorians and adding to their cost of living burden? You are the highest-taxing Treasurer in the Territory’s history.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, it is not a point of order.
Mr TOLLNER: The Opposition Leader knows she created the financial mess the Northern Territory government finds itself in. She is the one reason this government has had to make tough decisions, because of the financial mess left to us. This government has a plan to fix that mess and get out of the financial abyss left to us by the previous government. We are working to fix that mess.
I draw your attention to the Opposition Leader who crows and carries on with, ‘You can’t do this; you can’t do that.’ Not once has the Opposition Leader said, ‘Here’s a better way of doing things; here’s a policy government might want to consider.’ All the Opposition Leader does is complain about our efforts to fix the mess she created.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The Treasurer is refusing to answer the question.
Madam SPEAKER: That is not a point of order, sit down.
Mr TOLLNER: I have finished.
Labor Fiscal Management
Mr BARRETT to TREASURER
Following last night’s federal budget by the Abbott government, can the Treasurer see any correlation between the former federal Labor government and the former Territory Labor government’s fiscal management of the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. It is obvious to everybody he is interested in the financial position of the Northern Territory government as well as that of the Australian government.
Can I draw the House’s attention to the situation the former federal Labor government left Australia in. In his last budget, Wayne Swan predicted a wafer-thin budget surplus of $1bn at the end of his term. Upon handing down his final budget, that deficit, in his own words, had blown out by more than $20bn. Once the final numbers came in, we found that the budget deficit is closer to $50bn, left by the former federal Labor Treasurer, Wayne Swan.
The federal debt bequeathed to the Abbott government is $667bn. Is there any correlation between federal Labor and Territory Labor? In the context, on a per capita ratio, federal Labor was not as bad as our Territory Labor was.
They bequeathed us a projected debt of $5.5bn. Labor is very good at throwing money around like confetti. Federal Labor was especially good at that; they were mailing cheques to dead people and buying people televisions. We all got free insulation in our roofs, but what did that amount to? Now we have a federal roofing insulation inquiry, a whole range of things.
They were better off walking outside their Parliament House and lighting fire to several hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money. It goes to prove the old adage: Labor is very good at spending money and racking up debt. Unfortunately, it is left to conservative governments to clean up their mess.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr TOLLNER: When we clean up their mess, listen to the way they scream and interject and carry on in places like this. I put it to members in this place to point out one Labor government anywhere in Australia or in history that has left a surplus when it has left office.
Budget 2014-15 – Infrastructure Spending
Mr McCARTHY to CHIEF MINISTER
Your Treasurer said that building the north means growing our infrastructure, yet next year government agencies and Power and Water will spend less on infrastructure. Government departments will have a cash spend of only $566m in 2014-15 on capital works, much less than the $901m spent under Labor in 2011-12. More than half of health infrastructure spending is revoted from last year, so if you want to build the north you need to start building. You talk a big game, why are you sitting on the bench and letting the Territory go backwards?
ANSWER
Is that the best you have, Gerry? Why am I sitting on the bench? I am sitting on a chair, Gerry. Fair dinkum, is that the best question you have?
We have come out with the best budget the Territory has seen. We knew yesterday you had nothing when you started talking about smoke and mirrors. You could not point to one policy or program yesterday. We watched the news and thought, ‘Right, these guys have nothing’, and you come in with your second question leading like that. It is terrible. I challenge anybody to grab hold of Budget Paper No 4 and Budget Paper No 3 to see what is happening in each agency and what we are doing. Check the road funding - the biggest commitment to road funding the Territory has ever seen.
Ms Lawrie: Thank you, Anthony Albanese, thank you, Labor.
Mr GILES: No, you can talk as much as you want, but it is the biggest contribution by the Territory government in the Territory’s history. We are building roads and bridges across the Territory and opening the country up.
We have the biggest spend in education infrastructure in the Territory’s history; we are rolling it out. We will build classrooms and facilities, but we will not build little basketball shelters or outdoor stadiums. We will build facilities which can teach kids and give them an education, to ensure the smartest kids are coming out of our schools and taking the jobs of the future.
Look at road, education and health funding, the Palmerston Regional Hospital and what we are spending at Royal Darwin Hospital. Look at what is happening in land release: $135m, $50m of which is commercial and $85m which is residential. There are 6500 new lots coming out; it is the biggest land release campaign ever in the Territory’s history. What is happening with the Opposition? Yesterday was D-day for Labor, because from now it is on a downward spiral. There is nothing for you to talk about.
I look forward to your carping, whining and whingeing, which will occur at 11 am for a good 40 minutes, where it will go on and on. It is like an old crank on a car, whining and whining. There is nothing for you to talk about. You do not have any policies. We look at the $5.5bn debt legacy you left us …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Do you have anything of substance to say about infrastructure instead of attacking?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order, sit down.
Mr GILES: There is $5.5bn worth of Labor debt. Do you know the biggest thing about that $5.5bn worth of debt you left us? What did you leave us with? Nothing. Apart from debt interest of 400 and something million dollars a year that we pay, what did we get for our $5.5bn worth of debt?
What we now get, with the Country Liberals repaying your debt and fixing your deficit, is roads, schools, bridges, land release and hospitals. It is family friendly, reducing the cost of living, so to lead with your chin with an appalling question - yesterday was D-Day, today you are on a downward spiral.
Budget 2014-15 – Indigenous Education
Mr HIGGINS to MINISTER for EDUCATION
Much has been said about the gap between educational outcomes for Aboriginal secondary students in remote areas when compared with their non-Aboriginal urban counterparts. Are there any measures in this budget to improve access to secondary education in a tangible and practical way?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question, he is especially interested in education in our remote areas.
The simple answer to that is yes. There is money in this year’s budget to start dealing with some of the issues that Indigenous students face in our remote areas. I face the problem of having more support around the country for what we are trying to do than from those opposite in this Chamber.
They will not accept the umpire’s call that their approach to education – probably well intended – has not delivered the results. I have sent the results to the third umpire and they came back the same. Your approach was a failure; you did not score a try.
We are trying to take a new approach. I visited north Queensland a few weeks ago to look at what they are doing in Cape York. They are building a solid foundation in the primary years, building resilience in these children and then sending them to boarding facilities where they have access to a quality secondary education. It is a far better way of delivering quality education for children, to give them every opportunity they deserve, just like students in our urban environments.
The problem is that we have a huge Northern Territory and, as I said before, the former government’s approach was perhaps well-intended. I do not believe that anyone in this room wants a different outcome, because we all want to see improved educational outcomes. It does not matter which side of the Chamber we are on, we all want the same thing. However, if you look at the statistics and the results we see today, we try to spread the glue too thinly. Nothing was sticking. Last year, we had eight children in remote schools, out of a possible 500, who passed. That is not good enough, but it is the approach that has been taken before.
There is a better way, but, unlike the former government, we want to challenge convention. We want to find different ways to do it. I have had many sleepless nights, because until recently, I did not know what that approach would be.
It is okay to have the mantra, ‘Let us do it differently’. What we have done up until now has not gotten us to where we have to be. We have to do it differently, but what is the approach?
For the first time, I see the future that could be the Northern Territory’s; give every student, no matter where they live in the Northern Territory, the best opportunities to succeed in this great world.
Fuel Excise
Ms LAWRIE to TREASURER:
You have just been praising the federal budget, the fact we will lose $80bn from our schools and hospitals and that when we go to the doctor or the hospital we will have to pay. How much will Territorians have to pay on the twice-a-year hit as a result of the fuel excise increase by your mates in Canberra, which will hit us on freight and every time we get in our car? How much will that fuel excise that you have just been praising cost Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I again reject the premise of this question. I was not standing here praising the federal government. I do not know where the Opposition Leader gets that from. I was comparing federal Labor to Territory Labor. If you want to think that is praising the federal government — what I said is that I have a lot of sympathy for the situation Joe Hockey finds himself in. Why do I have a bit of sympathy for Joe Hockey? Because we find ourselves in the same position.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. How much will Territorians have to pay for the fuel excise that your mates in Canberra will hit us with twice a year?
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, please be seated. The minister has three minutes to answer the question.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, the Opposition Leader knows that was not the question. There was a big long preamble, banging on about all sorts of nonsense which I am responding to. There are some concerns with the federal budget. Clearly if you want to develop the north, putting an indexation on fuel excise will not help that. I will be taking that matter up with Mr Hockey, and I imagine the Chief Minister will take that matter up with the Prime Minister in his north Australian development discussions. We now learn that federal Labor government debt is $667bn.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. You were specifically asked how much the fuel excise will cost Territorians. Twice a year we will get the hit from your mates in Canberra. You are the Treasurer, how much will the fuel excise cost?
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Opposition Leader. Treasurer, you have the call.
Mr TOLLNER: I have answered the question. I have said we are not very happy about the indexation of fuel excise.
We are a bit concerned about the lower indexation of health funding, and we think the GST estimates are overly positive. We have some concerns with the federal budget. It seems that Stronger Futures money has been protected, which is significant in the Northern Territory because of our large Indigenous and remote population. That Stronger Futures money is very important to see the Northern Territory develop. The other thing we are very impressed with is that Students First, which Labor called ‘Gonski’, has been extended to 2017-18. That will be a big boost for education in the Northern Territory, so it is not all bad. There is a correlation between the federal budget and the Territory budget …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. How much will the fuel excise cost Territorians, hitting us twice a year?
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, please be seated. You have used that time and time again. Minister, answer the question.
Mr TOLLNER: The fact is we can clearly see what happens when you elect a Labor government. We rack up debt, spend money like drunken sailors and leave it to conservative governments to fix your mess.
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. You had three minutes to answer the question and have 20 seconds left. Will the Treasurer answer the question? What will the cost be to Territorians on fuel excise?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, please be seated.
Mr TOLLNER: I have finished, Madam Speaker.
Budget 2014-15 –
Analysis by Credit Ratings Agencies
Analysis by Credit Ratings Agencies
Ms FINOCCHIARO to TREASURER
Is the Treasurer aware of any analysis of the budget he delivered yesterday by credit ratings agencies?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale. It is a great contrast to hear relevant questions coming from this side when the other side has nothing; they have petered out and do not have a policy to bring to this House. They have nothing constructive to say except to pour scorn on the government trying to fix their mess. Moody’s immediately responded positively to the budget yesterday.
This has been big concern for the Northern Territory government. Members will remember that last year there was a threat we would receive a downgrade in our credit rating when it was put on a negative outlook. The reasons for that, fundamentally, were the size of the debt and the deficit created by the former Labor government and the financial unsustainability of Power and Water Corporation. It was noted by Moody’s as the biggest drag on the Territory economy.
I have a Moody’s Investors Service’s statement here. I draw your attention to the last paragraph:
- As part of Moody's normal monitoring process, we will conduct an in-depth analysis of the Northern Territory's budget and its medium-term impact on its financial and debt profile. Moody's will focus on the Territory's commitment to lower current expenditure and improve the performance of its Power and Water Corporation. Both factors are critical to easing its debt burden.
This government has been making tough decisions in relation to the Power and Water Corporation, but what is Labor’s response to that? They oppose it. Do they have any other ideas on how to fix it or how they deal with the situation? No, they do not; they want the status quo to remain. Again, it is a demonstration they have nothing in their locker. They have no policy, direction or clue as to how to get us out of the financial mess they created.
We are receiving plaudits from all around the Territory and Australia for the budget this government delivered yesterday. I pay tribute to all of my colleagues in Cabinet and on the backbench for doing the hard yards, looking at areas where we can save money, cut waste and find efficiencies, because this is a great budget and it is all about securing our children’s future.
Budget 2014-15 – Debt and Deficit
Mr WOOD to TREASURER
You are supposed to know far more than me about the financial mysteries of the Territory budget papers, so I am sure you will answer these questions in a simple and straightforward manner without too much extraneous political backpacking. My question relates to deficits and debts; we know these terms get mixed up, but I understand a deficit applies to one year, and debt is accumulated deficits.
In the 2013 mini-budget, your government said net debt was $2.7m. What do you estimate the debt will be this financial year? Can you also advise what the deficit for the last financial year was and what you forecast it will be this year?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. Finally there is a good question about the budget and something we are prepared to answer. As I said in the budget speech, net debt is due to drop to $4.2bn - a cut of $1.3bn - saving us $55m in interest repayments alone. That $55m could be better spent in the member for Nelson’s electorate, building a rural swimming pool or other things, rather than paying back interest.
This is a serious point. The member for Nelson can see the benefits of reducing Territory debt, because it gives the government more capacity to deliver much-needed services for Territorians rather than spending money on dead interest repayments. I think $55m would more than cover a swimming pool in the rural area, something the previous …
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: I remind people in this House of something the previous government promised but failed to deliver. I do not even think they so much as dug a hole in the end. I appreciate the member for Nelson asking this question. This government has had to make some tough decisions; we have had to do some hard yards looking across every aspect of government, into every nook and cranny, finding those little savings and efficiencies, all of those rats and mice which add up to some big numbers.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Budget Paper No 2, page 6, net debt increased from $3.4bn last year to $4bn this year …
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, that is not a point of order. It is not a time for statements.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The other part of my question was about the deficit. I asked about the deficit last year and what the deficit would be this year, as distinct from the debt. There were two parts to the question.
Mr TOLLNER: I have finished.
Budget 2014-15 – Education
Ms LAWRIE to TREASURER
You call this a family-focused budget, and I have to agree. You focus on squeezing Territory families until they cannot take anymore. You are now the highest-taxing government in Territory history, hurting families who also have to cope with paying for the federal government’s litany of broken promises. They will pay at the doctor, the petrol station and, in a cruel cut, they will pay with their jobs and slashed services, cuts of $80bn from schools and hospitals across the nation. Budget 2014-15, which you have called ‘Securing our Children’s Future’, sees Territory education cuts of $28m and $8m taken out of Children and Families programs. Why are you instead stealing our children’s future with these cruel cuts?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the question was clearly wrong. All of those ‘facts’ the Opposition Leader threw out are nonsense. It goes to show that the Opposition Leader is not good for much other than whingeing, whining and carping. She will not come in with a decent question or a policy. She complains every time government makes a move to fix her financial mess.
This budget, as I said at the outset, is about securing our children’s future. It is about looking at our prosperity today and ensuring our children have the same opportunities and prosperity in the future. The biggest part of that is we do not want to hand over what they call intergenerational debt. It is an accumulated debt, projected to be $5.5bn, and in the previous government they had no clue how that money would be paid back. The forward estimates saw the debt continue to increase.
This government has found efficiencies and cut waste to reduce spending and debt levels. This has been the biggest priority. The other priority we have is making sure our children get a fair go. This budget has been like no other in the history of the Northern Territory or anywhere in Australia. We have extended the Sport Voucher Scheme from $75 to $200 per person, a big increase. This is $200 which directly impacts and saves families money on their children’s outdoor recreation and keeps kids active. It has also been expanded so it is not only for sports; it is for music lessons, dance classes, swimming lessons and Scouts or Girl Guides. There is a range of opportunities children have in the Northern Territory, which this budget focuses on.
The Back to School Payment Scheme has been maintained and we have increased our subsidy for childcare, but also expanded it to include Family Day Care. This picks up to an extra 1000 children into the system whose families would otherwise not receive that subsidy. This is the most family friendly budget in the Territory’s history, and there is no other government in this country providing the same support to families that the Giles Country Liberals government is.
Budget 2014-15 – Sporting and Entertainment Events
Mr BARRETT to MINISTER for SPORT, RECREATION and RACING
The Country Liberals government is delivering more top-class sporting and entertainment events across the Territory. Can you please explain to the House how Budget 2013-14 ensures all Territorians can enjoy our great lifestyle?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Northern Territory government is delivering more first-class sporting events to the Northern Territory than ever before. This year we will see the historic Port Adelaide and Melbourne Demons game in Alice Springs. It is a significant investment and moment for the Territory, and for the people of Alice Springs to realise an AFL premiership game for points - round 11, the Indigenous round. It is a fantastic event. That is 31 May 2014, and I encourage all to attend.
We have recently seen the Chairman’s XI cricket match in Alice Springs. That gave the Northern Territory global exposure as we saw the Chairman’s XI versus the touring Ashes side. To have the English Ashes side in the Territory, playing a two-day game of cricket in Alice on this occasion, was exposure money cannot buy.
The Parramatta Eels deal has been a great success, and I am pleased to see the team has won more games thus far in 2014 than it did for the whole of last season. It is punching above its weight and is a fantastic ambassador for the Northern Territory.
It is more about playing games of football for the Eels, it is about community engagement, coaching programs and putting the Northern Territory on the map. We have activated our marketing sponsorship with the Parramatta Eels, so wherever you see the Eels you will also see the NT Tourism brolga logo, ‘Do the NT’ or whichever marketing activation we want to tap into that game.
You may have also seen the NT logo on the Parramatta jumper. With their great success this year, it is putting the team front and centre.
Adelaide United is another partner the Northern Territory government has signed up with. The team had a fantastic season in 2013-14, a bit better than the previous year, so those guys are on the climb up the A-League ladder. This exposes the Northern Territory brand to hundreds of thousands of A-League soccer fans across the country every Friday night. We are putting the brand out there in partnering with these clubs. We are gaining a lot more than a football game, a lot more than just soccer and cricket. It is putting the Northern Territory on the map and leveraging community engagement through those programs.
We are very pleased with what we have achieved; there is a hell of a lot more to do and we will continue our negotiations with our sporting partners and beyond to continue bringing more first-class sporting events to the Northern Territory. It is a great part of the Territory lifestyle; Territorians expect it and we are more than happy to deliver it.
Budget 2014-15 – Bush Funding
Ms LEE to TREASURER
Why has the NT bush been virtually left out of this budget? All observers of the Northern Territory budget have made comments about the complete marginalisation of the bush and Aboriginal communities with respect to new projects and government services.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, again, I do not accept the premise of the question from the opposition. This budget provides more for the bush than ever before. There has never been a more pro-bush government in the history of the Northern Territory than the Giles Country Liberals government.
In this regard, our drive into the bush and regional areas has largely been undertaken by the Chief Minister. It is a passion of his and has been since day one. He stood for the electorate of Lingiari in the federal election a few years ago, and his passion for the bush has not waned at all …
Mr McCarthy: He flies in private jets. He does not drive anywhere, Dave. He is a frequent flyer.
Mr TOLLNER: … to the point where he has been all throughout Asia – I will pick up on the interjection from the member for Barkly, who took a cheap shot at the Chief Minister flying overseas. The member for Barkly knows the biggest market for our rural and remote produce is to our north.
This government, in this budget, has demonstrated beyond doubt that we are focused on developing regional and remote communities and economies. There is more money than ever being poured into tourism marketing, primary industries, mines and energy …
Ms LEE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The marginalisation of people in the bush - have you looked at your budget? There is nothing for them.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, 86% of the Housing budget is going into regional and remote communities. More than 40% of the infrastructure budget is going into remote areas; $106m in road funding into bush roads, including the Outback Highway and the Savannah Way in the member for Arnhem’s electorate – $30m in strategic economic roads in the bush. This is an enormous amount of funding going into the bush, and I take offence at people who suggest we are ignoring the bush.
As I say, there has never been a more proactive government in relation to the bush. Look at our reforms in local government. It is this government restoring the voice of the bush, creating local authorities and giving them money to spend in their local communities. Any way you cut it, this budget is a good budget. It is about securing our children’s future, building and diversifying our economy, and ensuring the next generation can enjoy the same benefits we have today.
Budget 2014-15 – Youth Justice
Ms FINOCCHIARO to ATTORNEY-GENERAL and MINISTER for JUSTICE
Can you please inform the House about funding in Budget 2014-15 for youth justice?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. She and I often discuss matters of justice in the Northern Territory. I am always grateful for her input and insight. She is a fine representative of the people of her electorate.
It is a sad fact and a sad truth that so many parents in our community are disengaged with their children. I was watching something on Channel 9 the other night where some kids were running amok in a shop in the northern suburbs, basically terrorising the shopkeeper. Largely, that is the fault of disengaged, disinterested and careless parents, and the starting position of any community should be to say to parents, ‘You should do your job’. Sadly, some parents do not come up to the mark and it is up to government to try to fill the gap.
Governments as parents do not traditionally have good outcomes. We have seen that repeated again and again, and the former Labor ministers have articulated that themselves. Nevertheless, we have to get involved in that space and, as a consequence of that, we have. This government is strident in developing policies which will attend to youth justice issues in the Northern Territory in a fashion that they have never been attended to before.
Whilst I hear the Leader of the Opposition complaining, this is a focal point of government. It annoys me that the same surnames I have in custody as the minister for Child Protection ultimately become the same surnames I have in custody in juvenile detention and, sadly, into the adult environment.
We have introduced a system of boot camps, and we will continue to roll them out with funding to accommodate them. We will see detention-focused boot camps and intervention-focused boot camps operating in the Northern Territory.
We are interested in early intervention and we will respond on the ground with government departments working locally with NGOs. I have made it abundantly clear that …
Ms Lawrie: You have slashed the NGO budgets.
Mr ELFERINK: Do you stay silent, at any stage? Do you ever be quiet? All I hear is the Leader of the Opposition making excuses for her failures in government. She despises the fact that somebody might have more passion and fire in the belly than she or any of her government ministers ever had in this important area. We will and are achieving results; property crime is down and it will not be long before you find that crimes against people are coming down substantially in the NT, a product of the work of this government.
Budget 2014-15 – Police
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
You have cut community safety, crime prevention, general policing, crime detection and investigation and prosecution in the Police budget by $14.5m. As President of the Northern Territory Police Association, Vince Kelly, said, you have broken your promise to deliver 120 extra police. Territorians will have fewer police on the street, less follow-up of crimes and longer wait times for police to respond to their calls because of your decision to cut police resources in this area. Last year, 2013, was the most violent year in the Territory’s history. Why have you responded to the increase in violent crime by cutting frontline police and their services in the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, what an opportunity to talk about the lowest crime figures in 14 years, lower than the whole time you were in government for eleven-and-a-half years. They are the lowest property crime figures we have seen, the lowest motor vehicle thefts and the lowest assaults and the lowest wholesale alcohol consumption. Member for Nhulunbuy, who cannot keep quiet during Question Time – 11% reduction in wholesale alcohol supply in Nhulunbuy, 7% in Alice Springs, 4% across the Territory, the same in Tennant Creek and Katherine.
How well are we doing in crime? Keep rolling up spinner, member for Fannie Bay, it is always good to talk about it.
Let us talk about the March quarter 2014 and the assault figures: 19% fewer assaults Territory-wide assaults. March 2014 versus March 2013. They are down 13% in Palmerston. The members for Drysdale, Brennan and Blain will be very happy about that. The members for Araluen, Greatorex and I, as member for Braitling, are very happy with a 32% reduction in Alice Springs. Member for Katherine – there has been a 21% decrease. There was a 39% decrease in Tennant Creek, member for Barkly; surely you are happy with that, and 16% less in the balance of the NT.
You want to talk about crime statistics …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Why has the Chief Minister decided to cut frontline police and frontline police services by $14.5m in this budget?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: Let us look around this Chamber. We have Labor and the Country Liberals. Who went to the last election committing 120 extra police? We did. Who has been filling those positions? We have.
The member for Barkly likes to talk about private charters. Who flew back, at his own political expense, from Vietnam to Darwin, to sign a $48m agreement and get 94 additional police based in Darwin to work with Darwin Metropolitan Command to respond to the detention centre facilities and support the needs of Territorians in the Top End? We did – I did. We are building the Northern Territory Police. We are investing in solutions to crime and the justice system – work in a job in the prison system. We have our mandatory alcohol treatment system. It is working across the board and all the responses we are providing …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question was specifically asking the Chief Minister why $14.5m has been cut from the Police budget.
No point of order, member for Port Darwin, you can probably sit down.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, you are on a warning.
Mr Tollner: He said there was an extra $48m.
Mr GILES: That is right, Treasurer, there is an extra $48m coming from the feds for a two-year agreement, and we will continue to recruit more police. It is fantastic to see 14-year lows in criminal activity across the Territory, whether it is assaults, property break-ins, motor vehicle crimes, crimes against a person, sexual assaults or domestic violence, these are all coming down and we are seeing success in what we are doing. All you want to do is cast aspersions on the hard-working police force and the justice system which operates so effectively in the Northern Territory.
Budget 2014-15 – Sport Voucher Scheme
Ms FINOCCHIARO to MINISTER for SPORT, RECREATION and RACING
The Country Liberals government’s successful Sport Voucher Scheme is being expanded to provide more opportunities for our children to live active and healthy lives. Can you please outline to the House how yesterday’s $5m boost for the scheme in the 2014 budget will help prevent drowning in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. The Northern Territory is leading the way in preventing drowning. We are setting national benchmarks and punching above our weight when it comes to this. We had a pretty rough start to 2014, with six children drowning and one tragic death of a toddler, so it is timely that the government steps up and invests in drowning prevention measures, which is where the focus is with our Sport Voucher Scheme.
Any child aged zero to five who is not yet enrolled in pre-school or school will be eligible for vouchers to use on learn to swim lessons only. The toddlers must have first completed the government’s free Water Safety Awareness program to be eligible for those new vouchers. It was a scheme introduced by the previous government in 2003, a very good scheme which has been warmly received, and we have now added to that, bolted on this great new scheme to the tune of around $5m with the Sport Voucher Scheme.
The Water Safety Awareness program provides five free water safety lessons for children aged zero to five. Since the program began, more than 9000 children under five have completed the scheme. Once they have completed the scheme, they are eligible for Learn to Swim Vouchers. Under the new scheme, toddlers and parents will be able to claim the $100 voucher twice a year if their child completes the Water Safety Awareness program.
Parents can apply each year for the vouchers until their child turns five or is enrolled in pre-school or school, after which they will be eligible for the Sport Voucher Scheme, which they can still use. For example, if they are five and are still not at school, they are eligible for the Sport Voucher Scheme, which they can roll into learn to swim programs.
It will kick in from 1 July 2014. The Northern Territory is leading the way with our drowning prevention measures. There have been 14 drowning deaths in the Northern Territory this financial year, with six in the first seven weeks of 2014, so it is a serious problem. Drowning is silent and, as parents, you would all know that if you turn your back for a second, it is very easy for your kids to get into trouble.
The new $200 Learn to Swim Vouchers will ease the financial burden on families. It is all part of easing the cost of living for Northern Territorians in the budget handed down by the Treasurer yesterday.
I urge all parents, if you have not put your kids through the Water Safety Awareness program, do so, then you can tap into the brand new Learn to Swim Vouchers.
Budget 2014-15 –
Non-Financial Public Sector
Non-Financial Public Sector
Mr McCARTHY to TREASURER
I refer to Budget Paper No 2, page 83, the ‘Public Non-Financial Corporation Sector Comprehensive Operating Statement’, and I seek leave to table a copy of that page.
Leave is granted.
Mr McCARTHY: Please explain what delivers the $322m improvement, described as:
- Other economic flows - other comprehensive income
and
- COMPREHENSIVE RESULT - total change in net worth before transactions with owners in their capacity as owners.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his question. He will have an enormous opportunity in a couple of weeks when we go through the estimates process, but I thank him for the question. There are savings all through this budget. There is no aspect of government that we have left alone.
Trying to cut waste and find efficiencies in the system has been an incredibly difficult task. I pay tribute to all ministers in this government, chief executives of agencies and senior managers in departments, because we have gone through every nook and cranny of government spending to find those areas of waste.
As I said, it has been an exercise in rats and mice, but those rats and mice add up to big savings over the forward estimates.
We have done a very good job in this budget of reducing Labor’s debt, reducing the deficit and delivering a secure future for our children.
Alcohol Mandatory Treatment – Investment
Mr HIGGINS to MINISTER for ALCOHOL REHABILITATION
Can you inform the Assembly about how the $28m investment in alcohol mandatory treatment across the Territory will support individuals to tackle their drinking problems?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. He is very concerned about the alcohol issues throughout the Territory and in his electorate.
Yes, we have committed a further $28m to the further roll-out of alcohol mandatory treatment services across the Territory. This program is making a real difference to people’s lives. I would like to share with people a case study which demonstrates how this has, and will continue to, turn around the lives of people affected by alcohol in the Northern Territory.
I refer to a case study of a 44-year-old Aboriginal gentleman who has lived most of his life in Central Australia. He was the second person to come into alcohol mandatory treatment at CAAAPU in Alice Springs. Prior to entering alcohol mandatory treatment, I believe he presented to the Emergency Department 35 times in a period of 12 months, with one hospital admission. At all of those presentations he was intoxicated. He was sent to alcohol mandatory treatment for assessment, placed on the 12-week mandatory treatment order, sent to CAAAPU, and he completed his order on 15 November. He had a bit of a relapse and the next day, 16 November, he spent the night in the Alice Springs watch house. I am pleased to say that since that date five months ago, he has not been into the Alice Springs watch house. When he has presented at the Emergency Department of the Alice Springs hospital, he has not been drunk. That is a good story: five months sober and out of trouble. He is off the cycle of being intoxicated, ending up in the justice system and needing those essential medical services that you need when you have a severe problem.
We are continuing to roll out alcohol mandatory treatment services across the Northern Territory in Katherine, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, and there will be changes to services in Nhulunbuy. The member for Nhulunbuy is concerned. There has not been a significant demand for alcohol mandatory treatment in Nhulunbuy; only four people required alcohol mandatory treatment in Nhulunbuy over the last nine months. There will be changes to how we go about configuring alcohol and other drugs services in Nhulunbuy. Labor did not have a plan. This government has been in power for about 20 months. We have turned the ship around and are addressing some serious alcohol problems in the Northern Territory.
___________________________
DISTINGUISHED VISITOR
Mr Stephen Dunham
Mr Stephen Dunham
Madam SPEAKER: I draw honourable members’ attention to the presence in the gallery of a former Member of the Legislative Assembly, and minister, Mr Stephen Dunham. Welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
_____________________________
Knuckey Lagoon Utilities
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for HEALTH
Late last year the Top End Women’s Legal Service wrote to you about water concession rates under the NT Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme. The letter highlighted a problem that elderly tenants at the Knuckey Lagoon Aboriginal community have with water rates. The problem is their clients are not entitled to concession rates for water, and NTPCCS states that only homeowners are entitled to concession water rates. There is little chance of pensioners at Knuckey Lagoon ever owning their own houses. It should be noted that when it comes to electricity charges, homeowners and tenants are entitled to a concession.
Have you investigated this matter? If not, why not, and, after five months, why have you not replied to this letter?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is a good question; I do not know anything about this case. I am not sure why the letter has not been responded to. It is a curious situation that the people you refer to are requesting assistance with their water rates, but are not entitled to that under the NT Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme. I will look into it and ensure a response is crafted as soon as possible.
Port Keats All-Weather Road
Mr HIGGINS to MINISTER for TRANSPORT
Can you please provide an update to the House on plans to provide an all-weather road to Port Keats, and expand on the Australian government’s budget announcement on Territory road infrastructure?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for the question. He is very keen and a great advocate for the bush. In relation to regional spending, I will address the issue about the Port Keats road. The member for Daly is very passionate about the communities in his electorate, as he is in other areas of the bush. He is continually knocking on our door, ensuring we are investing in the bush. As you have heard from the Chief Minister and the Treasurer, we are delivering in the bush. It is a fantastic budget for the bush.
The Regional Roads Productivity Package is a $106m bush deal. It is a funding package for regional roads, jointly funded by the Australian and Northern Territory governments. On this list there are six priority roads; one is the upgrade of Port Keats Road at a projected cost of $20m. I am pleased to announce that we have received an additional $77m in federal funding, again negotiated between the Northern Territory and Australian governments. This new Territory roads package will see $77m in Australian government funding allocated over the next three years, with $27m in 2014, $27m in 2015 and $23m in 2016-17.
The 2014 Australian government budget allocation will provide funding for a number of shovel-ready projects identified in the bush. Sections of the Stuart, Barkly and Victoria highways will be improved through strengthening weakened pavements and widening existing pavements. Safety fatigue management will also be a top priority in the Northern Territory government. We take driver safety very seriously. Funding from this allocation will contribute towards line-marking and installation of audio tactile marking, guardrails, improved signposting and a range of things. Port Keats Road will be going to tender next month to be sealed, which will be fantastic for the people in those communities in the Daly.
In relation to the extra money we are spending and the projects we can do in regional, rural and remote Australia, we are focused on that. Projects will include Port Keats Road, raising the road embankment through the floodplains – an issue for the constituents there – upgrading various floodways and crossings throughout that plain, improving the road geometry and, therefore, improving road safety, new gravel pavement and installation of protective works. This is clearly demonstrating what the Treasurer and the Chief Minister have articulated, that we are spending money in the bush.
There are so many other good news stories about regional spending. Sadly, we only have three minutes to enlighten this House of those initiatives.
Utilities Network Tariffs – Increase
Ms MANISON to TREASURER
Under the recent Utilities Commission’s Network Price Determination, the revenue requirement for power networks for 2014-19 was around $1bn. There is additional revenue required to cover the approved network tariff increase of around 30%. How will you fund this requirement? Will any additional revenue be raised by power price increases for Territory families and businesses? If there is not a tariff increase, where in the budget do we find the additional borrowings or CSO payment?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the first thing I should say to the member for Wanguri - apart from thank you for the question - is come and get a briefing. I am more than happy to speak to you about the Network Price Determination. The Utilities Commission recommended a 39% increase in network tariffs over the next five years …
Ms Lawrie: Determined.
Mr TOLLNER: That is right, Opposition Leader, it determined it. As shareholding minister, I can inform the House I am not of the view that the government should accept this. We accept that the Power and Water Corporation is still an inefficient organisation and efficiency measures need to be put through the organisation. I do not want to go on any further because I intend to provide a direction to the Power and Water Corporation on network pricing. I will table that direction in this parliament at an appropriate time.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016