2016-04-19
Economy
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
When you assumed the role of Chief Minister, after rolling Terry Mills while he was in Tokyo, the Northern Territory economy was the envy of the nation. The recently released Deloitte Access Economics report paints a damning picture of the three years of failed policies under your leadership. The report states that house prices have stalled, residential rents are being trimmed, car sales have slumped, population gains have dropped right away, job levels are looking fragile and room occupancy rates have slumped. In short, Cinderella has marched back to the ball and handed in her slipper.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Opposition Leader might be able to pull the wool over the eyes of his Labor Party and union mates, but he cannot pull the wool over the eyes of Territorians.
The unemployment rate in the Northern Territory is 4%, the lowest in the country. If you want to talk about jobs, talk about the jobs being created by this government.
We came to government on 25 August 2014, and the number one issue was cost-of-living pressures. Have we driven down the cost of living? Absolutely. Have we driven down house prices and petrol prices? Absolutely. Have we moderated grocery prices? Absolutely. We set an agenda of lowering the cost of living in the Northern Territory. We set out to lower the cost of housing. We fought, and continue to fight, to keep petrol prices down. This is a positive thing. You want to increase cost-of-living pressures. I do not think Territorians are on board with Labor’s plan.
Talking about the economy, when we came to government there was one working project in the Territory, which was INPEX. You had shut Aboriginal communities down, taken the councils and houses away, killed the live cattle debate, and tourism was at its lowest in 10 years. There were 75 water licences under application which had been waiting to be processed since as far back as 2004. There is some red tape that could have been removed.
It is incorrect for you to discuss an economic agenda because you have nothing to put yourself behind. In contrast, we have diversified the economy with an economic plan which looks at agriculture, Defence, international education and the service and supply sector, with big projects like the shiplift, a $0.5bn project. It looks at mining, because we support mining, and at energy. We support a robust gas industry in the Northern Territory, supported by environmental regulation to protect our environment for many years to come.
For the Leader of the Opposition to talk about the economy and jobs – he has nothing to stand on. Labor gave us a one-shot-in-the-locker economy, which we have been working hard to diversify. He wants to put a wrecking ball through the Northern Territory economy and the cattle, horticulture, gas and mining industries. Who knows what he will do when he tries to kill the tourism industry.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Police Numbers
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Can you please update the House on the commitment of the Country Liberal government to fund the police positions previously paid for by the Commonwealth, which will give the NT Police Force more capacity to combat antisocial behaviour in the suburbs, such as Nightcliff?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. She has a significant level of concern in regard to crime in Palmerston, the Drysdale electorate and across the Territory, much like many of us in the Chamber.
When we came to government in 2012 we said we would put 120 extra police officers on the beat. When we came to government there were 1090 sworn police officers. In May there will be more than 1210 sworn police officers, which will fulfil our commitment to an additional 120 police officers. That is 120 more than Labor funded when in government.
The question was about the Metropolitan Patrol Group – 94 police officers funded by the federal government, with a specific responsibility to help to police the detention centre at Wickham Point, among other things. Many would remember that when the federal Labor government was in power it opened our borders and let asylum seekers come in willy-nilly. Detention centres in the Top End were full of asylum seekers, which created an issue from a policing point of view. The federal government gave us a contract for two years to employ an additional 94 police officers. That contract will expire in June this year because the federal Coalition government has closed our borders and the asylum seekers are not entering as much as they were. The police are not required as much for the detention centres.
The agreement will finish on 30 June. We have told the police officers who remain in the MPG that we will employ them. There are about 64 police officers because there has been some natural attrition. We will not sack them, as Labor would. We will employ them and they will fulfil part of our core sworn police officers. As I said, in May this year we will hit the 1210 …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. Are the additional 60 on top of the 120?
Madam SPEAKER: No, it is not a point of order. Sit down, please.
Mr GILES: It is answering the question very succinctly so everyone can understand what happened: Labor opened our borders; we were funded to put more police on; the Coalition has closed our borders; it does not need the police here; the agreement expires. We will continue to employ those 60 or so police officers who were in that group under that agreement. They will form part of our 1210-plus police officers once the recruitment squad graduates in May this year. It is great to see our additional 120 police on the beat, including the 20 in Alice Springs, who the member for Greatorex fought so hard for. It is great to see crime continuing to go down in the Northern Territory.
Government Policies
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
The Deloitte Access report states that the Territory’s rate of population growth over the past year was the weakest in the nation. Yes, lower than Tasmania’s.
Since the CLP came to office, your policies have driven over 8000 more Territorians out of the Territory than have arrived. Not only have your failed policies damaged our retail, construction, real estate and manufacturing sectors, but we are now seeing the further blow of declining GST revenues due to the population exodus you have created.
When will you finally admit that your government’s policies, your arrogance and your constant infighting have caused serious damage for Territory families and businesses? Will you now back Labor’s jobs plan and start repairing the damage your government has done?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have just heard an oxymoron. Labor does not have a jobs plan. There is no such thing, apart from putting a wrecking ball through our economy.
Look at history. When we came to government the tourism industry was on its knees after 10 years of failure. It is only just getting growth back into it now.
We all know they closed the cattle industry. We can see what is happening with the gas industry – 6300 jobs in an industry that is already highly regulated environmentally, and we have committed to increasing the regulatory environment in that regard. Plus now they want to cancel water licences so we do not support the horticulture industry and other areas within the agribusiness sector. This is Labor’s wrecking-ball approach to job creation and economic development in the Northern Territory. They could not be trusted with the economy last time and they cannot be trusted this time.
If you want to talk about population, the population in Australia …
Mr Gunner: You failed so badly on the economy you needed a stimulus package for your own failed policies.
Mr GILES: You have asked a question, Leader for the Opposition. I know you are a bit wet behind the ears but it would pay to listen.
The national population increased by 1.3%; the Northern Territory population increased by 0.3%. It was not the highest increase but the population did increase. We are still building houses and units and seeing people come into the Northern Territory.
The biggest issue we have in regard to population growth in the Northern Territory is, one, balancing it right so we do not impact Territorians too much, and, two, stopping Labor talking the Territory down. Every time you pick up a piece of media it is Labor talking the place down. Here we have the highest growth rate for the economy in the country, at 10.5% last year, and Labor talks it down. In the first question of the day they were talking about job losses.
We have the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. We have the highest labour force participation rate – the highest number of people working, training or looking for work. We have the highest participation and the lowest unemployment rate. That is a double win. As to why the population is growing more in Tasmania than the Northern Territory, maybe people in Tasmania have more time to increase the population because people in the Territory are busy working.
I suggest you stop talking the place down. You have removed the bipartisan approach on the gas and horticultural industries, creating sovereign risk. Cattle farmers are scared to death that Labor will get in because you will kill the cattle industry again. Who knows what you will do when you close all the Aboriginal communities again.
Economy – Diversification
Mr CONLAN to TREASURER
On the back of the one from the Leader of the Opposition, perhaps the Treasurer can counter some of those allegations. Can you please tell the House about the report by Deloitte Access Economics and explain to us how it confirms that the Country Liberals government is doing the right thing to diversify the economy in the Territory, and are you aware of any alternative plans?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for the question. It is an important question. I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition has been reading the same report everybody else has, and why he continually wants to talk the Territory down.
The Deloitte Access Economics report reinforces what this government is doing. It demonstrates that we have the second-highest economic growth in the country, at 3.2%. The Northern Territory is also expected to have the highest growth in private consumption of all jurisdictions. It does not sound like this jurisdiction is struggling when we have the highest consumption projected across the Northern Territory. We have the lowest unemployment, at 4%, in the nation. The big one is that we have the lowest CPI growth in the country.
When we came to government, courtesy of that mob across the other side the debt was projected to increase to $5.5bn. We had a budget deficit of $1.1bn. We were not living within our means to the tune of $1.1bn. When we came to government the Territory was almost bankrupt and we had some major problems to deal with. We said we would deal with three things. Firstly, we would immediately address Labor’s debt and deficit legacy. As past budgets show, we have done a pretty good job of cutting Labor’s projected debt.
Secondly, we said we would grow and diversify the economy. Without doubt the Giles government has done exactly that. We have worked hard on industries outside INPEX – the agricultural, mining, tourism and education industries, and a range of other areas, trying to get more industry and private investment into the Northern Territory.
The third thing we said we would do was work to cut the cost of living. Without doubt a CPI sitting at the lowest in the nation – I call members’ attention to December last year when NATSEM produced its report saying we had the lowest cost of living in the country. The policies of this government are working. We have a plan and we are sticking to it. We are paying back Labor debt, driving economic growth and making sure the cost of living stays low.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Fracking
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
A pastoralist from Wyoming has visited Darwin and Katherine and talked about his firsthand experience of the fracking industry in Wyoming. The water and land are contaminated, and he talked about health effects on children and himself. He talked about the fly-in fly-out workforce that works in fracking gas fields, rather than local jobs that are promised by the industry. A visitor from Queensland told similar stories about the effects on her farming.
Put the question to Territorians on whether the Territory accepts a fracking industry, and listen to what they say. Will you hold a referendum in the July or August poll?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the answer to that is yes. On 27 August this year there will be a referendum, called the Territory election. It will be a referendum on jobs in the gas, cattle, agribusiness, horticulture and tourism industries, which are all industries that you failed in – 6300 jobs in the gas industry in the Territory.
This person comes in here tongue in cheek, a former deputy leader of a Labor government, along with all her colleagues on the other side. The former Labor government brought INPEX to town, which fracks rock to get gas out of it and has an onshore gas licence to frack. Labor brought that to town.
We continue to avoid sovereign risk, support bipartisanship and see job growth. You brought INPEX to town and it is drilling onshore gas. Gas for the lights in this parliament comes from a well owned by Eni, the largest state-owned company in Italy. It is the number-one company in Italy that is owned by the Italian government.
The gas comes from drilling into the rock …
Ms Lawrie: This is not about gas; it is about fracking. Get on to it.
Mr GILES: Member for Karama, if you ask a question I will give you a very detailed answer.
You never signed up for a local jobs plan so the traditional owners at Wadeye would get jobs. You never signed up for jobs for Territorians from Eni. You never created a local jobs plan for INPEX. You never signed up for carbon abatement for the INPEX project so it cannot walk away from its environmental requirements, and you brought it onshore for drilling. You now say, ‘Nothing to see here’.
Ninety-six per cent of the Northern Territory was under lease, or under application for gas leases. When you were ministers, in government, in Cabinet, in parliament, and when you were advisers you had your hands all over it. Coming up to an election – ‘Nothing to see here’. A cattle farmer from Wyoming, who has lost his goose, is tromping around the Territory selling some story.
We need to be mature and responsible, and have the right regulations to protect our environment and grow jobs in the Northern Territory.
You do not mind the price of fuel coming down. Let me tell you why the price of fuel has come down in the Northern Territory. The fracking industry in the US has created a supply and demand equation where the US now exports oil and gas rather than imports it. That is why the price of fuel is down in Australia, around the world and in the Northern Territory.
Madam Speaker, I will continue to support an industry with a robust regulatory environment that creates jobs for all Territorians.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Fracking
Fracking
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Hundreds of peer-reviewed science papers have been issued since the Hawke report was researched. Most of them point to proven negative impacts on water, air quality and health. The Department of Mines and Energy has not reviewed these papers, while the gas industry is trying to sweep the science under the table. Will you initiate an independent review …
Mr Tollner: Rubbish! We have done that.
Ms LAWRIE: You have not peer reviewed Stanford. There is water contamination. The water and land is poisoned, and, tragically, people are being poisoned. Is this the legacy you want to leave the Territory? Will you initiate independent studies and reviews?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the legacy I want to leave is one that reduces carbon emissions. I want to see the transition from coal being used worldwide, to gas. That is my personal opinion because I know that gas has less emission than coal.
At the same time as I am trying to pursue that as one of my goals implemented through government policy, we support gas through a regulated environment. Labor says it does not support gas, after it started the industry …
Ms Lawrie: Your legacy is you do not want to have a look.
Mr GILES: Member for Karama, it would pay you to listen. After you started the industry, we are continuing it. The Labor Premier in Queensland approved the biggest coal mine in Australia to export coal to India, which will see more emission than if we exported our gas and created jobs for Territorians.
All the royalties will go to VET and higher education to help Territorians become smarter through education.
Tourism Industry Rebound
Mr KURRUPUWU to MINISTER for TOURISM
As we know, tourism is rebounding under the Country Liberals, with increased visitor numbers and spending by the government to help the industry develop new products. Can the minister explain how this agenda will ensure tourism can help grow the economy and create more opportunities for tourism and Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I reaffirm the last point of my last answer. Every dollar of gas royalties will go towards making it easier for Territorians to go through VET and higher education. That is anticipated to be up to $1bn between 2020 and 2040. Not only will we have 6300 new jobs, we will have up to an additional billion dollars, in gas royalties, going into VET and higher education to make it easier for Territorians to get an education.
In regard to the question from the member for Arafura, who was quite excited to see the cruise ship come through the Tiwi Islands a couple of months ago – one of the best sights I have seen. Tourism is another industry that the Michael Gunner wrecking ball will harm.
For 10 years of Labor we saw a deterioration of tourism numbers. We have been working hard to rebuild that. We have put an extra $8m into marketing. We have the domestic campaign of Do the NT, and our international campaign is seeing significant rises, particularly in the US, the UK and China. We have put $10m into product development through three programs: $500 000 then $4.75m and $5m towards supporting tourism operators to develop new products and to renew and redevelop so, as a former Tourism minister in the Northern Territory said, we are creating new rides all the time.
Our performance is improving fantastically. We are getting great results. We have the best numbers internationally and domestically in a decade. The latest stats show that internationally and domestically we are up 20% to 1.6 m on the previous 12 months. We set a bold target several years ago when the member for Greatorex was the Minister for Tourism. He said he wanted to see a $2.2bn tourism industry by 2020. Many thought it could not be done. Here we are in April 2016 and we are already at a $2bn industry in the Northern Territory.
I have just come back from Uluru and seen it at 100% occupancy in April, and it has been since February, which is unheard of in the low season. In Alice Springs we are seeing up to 100% in room rates. I had an accommodation dinner with the AHA accommodation providers on Sunday night. They told me that in the last five months their occupancy rates have been driving up and their room rates have started to creep, and their forward bookings are looking fantastic.
We host events such as the Million Dollar Fish to drive tourist numbers through the low season and make sure we have more events coming and going. We put money into Hidden Valley racetrack to get the best V8 round we can. We continue to invest in tourism. It is not just about sharing our story, but having the best events, whether that is the Beer Can Regatta, the Henley on Todd, the V8s, the Darwin Festival or the Million Dollar Fish. All these things add to the culture of the Northern Territory and our marketability.
For eleven-and-a-half years under Labor, tourist numbers went down domestically, internationally and intrastate. That will happen again if Territorians elect a Labor government on 27 August …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Business Confidence
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
The Deloitte Access Economics report paints a damning picture of your economic and jobs policy failures. The Sensis business report for March paints an equally bleak picture of how you are viewed by the business community, with confidence in your policies plunging to -7%. That is a direct rejection by business of your policies.
When will you admit your policies are crushing economic confidence and start listening to Territory businesses, which are crying out for a government that will support them? Will you now support Labor’s jobs plan, back Territory business and start to fix the enormous damage your failed policies have caused?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition can say it as much as he wants but nobody believes him.
The most recent small business confidence index saw a rise in confidence in the Territory of 35%, and that is before we put out our $100m boost package. I do not know what numbers you are reading or how you can say you have a jobs plan when you have already committed to killing industry. You have already committed to closing down industries. The only ones to get money from a Labor government will be unions.
Look at what we saw at the federal level. The Transport Workers Union is trying to increase the cost of living by putting pressure on wages for truck drivers and eroding small businesses in the Northern Territory. Ninety-five per cent of businesses in the Territory are small businesses. How many truck drivers own their own business, yet you and your mate, Bill Shorten, were telling truck drivers they had to increase wages, which would increase costs, which would mean grocery prices would increase. It is not hard to see grocery prices would increase because of you.
The union will benefit under Labor, not Territorians. There is no plan for jobs, tourism or agriculture. The plan for gas is to kill that industry. There is no environmental plan. The only plan Labor has is to copy ours. It is a plan of plagiarism. ‘We have a local jobs plan’, and it is copied from the Country Liberals. I am pretty sure that is how it works, through many prisms.
Let us look at an old Labor plan. I was asking my colleagues on this side of the Chamber if they remember when Labor said, for eleven-and-a-half years, it would build the Palmerston hospital. Did anybody see that come to fruition? Labor never built it. Not only have we only been in for three-and-a-half years, paid back Labor debt, reduced deficit and diversified the economy, we have managed to start building the Palmerston hospital and budget for its operations.
History tells a very important lesson. Not only did they kill industries when in government, but their plans never came to fruition.
I know I only have a couple of seconds left, but keep asking me these questions. I love this game.
Open Territory – Government Initiative
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE to MINISTER for BUSINESS
More and more under this government, the NT is being recognised as a place of opportunity. This government, like no other, is recognised for leading the way in showcasing those opportunities. The Country Liberal government’s latest initiative to create opportunities for local business, Open Territory, has attracted a large program of events that began in March and will run through to May 2016. Indeed, today there are about 100 international and interstate investors holding talks and site visits to explore the opportunities on offer in the Territory.
Can you please update the House on the success of Open Territory to date, and how this program of diverse events demonstrates to the rest of Australia and the world what the Territory is about and what our businesses, suppliers and industries have to offer.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine for his question.
You continually hear from the Giles government about diversifying the economy. To do that you need to understand how business works. Sadly, the Leader of the Opposition does not appear to understand how it happens, judging by what he says in the media and here. You need to build relationships.
The Territory government, through the Department of Business in collaboration with a number of government agencies, industry bodies and private businesses is hosting Open Territory, which includes more than 120 business events. So far, 66 events have been delivered, attracting a total of almost 21 000 attendees. That is an amazing number already this month.
The government’s Open Territory initiative has been welcomed by the NT business community as a new platform to profile its capabilities and capacity, and to showcase trade and investment opportunities. Further, the government’s Open Territory initiative has been welcomed by investors. Feedback from them has been fantastic.
On the weekend just gone, the first ever Territory Taste Festival attracted over 8500 people. It successfully showcased the NT’s unique produce, our hospitality industry and the massive potential for food tourism in the Territory. The community was left salivating for more after watching local chefs cook up a storm alongside celebrity chef Matt Moran. Further, organisers are taking feedback into account and the event will be bigger and better next year.
Hundreds more turned out for the inaugural Filipino Masterchef competition at Marrara on Saturday. What a fantastic and well-attended event that was.
The Red Carpet Investors Forum, which is concluding today, has attracted investors from Asia and across Australia. In that room is a net worth of about $3bn to invest, all with a specific interest in investing in the Northern Territory.
Further, the focus on Asian engagement and trade continues with the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area – also known as BIMP-EAGA – ministerial meeting being hosted in Darwin on Wednesday next week.
That will be followed by the Regional Australia-Asia Chambers Forum, organised by the NT Chamber of Commerce with support from the Northern Territory government. It will convene Chamber of Commerce representatives from across the nation and Asia in Darwin to talk about real business opportunities.
That event coincides with the two-day Territory Expo next week on Friday and Saturday, which will not only offer Territory businesses the opportunity to showcase locally, but also raise their interstate and international profiles.
Madam Speaker, the Country Liberal government is committed to supporting local businesses to start, run and grow, as well as to raise their profiles locally, interstate and internationally. I congratulate those in the Department of Business who were responsible for organising this.
First Home Owner Grant
Mrs LAMBLEY to CHIEF MINISTER
Since the government changed the guidelines to the First Home Owner Grant to not include existing homes in Alice Springs, the rate of take-up of the First Home Owner Grant has dropped dramatically. In 2014 233 First Home Owner Grants were paid in Alice Springs. In 2015 just 13 grants were paid under the new guidelines. This is a dramatic drop of 220 homes. This government policy is not working. The impact on Alice Springs businesses across the board is profound. People are not staying in Alice Springs. They cannot afford to live or buy a home in Alice Springs.
Would your government reconsider providing some level of first home owner assistance to the people of Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen for the question. I will not dispute her on the numbers. They sound accurate from what I have seen. No doubt the number of First Home Owner Grants would dramatically reduce because we only have them on newly-constructed homes, not existing homes. The data does not present, to me, any new challenges.
I understand the point about the $26 000 to help people get into a new home; that presents an opportunity to support people. In the majority of areas in the Northern Territory we have seen a downward pressure on housing prices, which has helped reduce the cost-of-living pressure.
One of the challenges with a grant – we would be the only jurisdiction in the country if we were to provide a grant to first home buyers for existing homes – is that it increases the cost of housing. By removing it the cost of housing is reduced. It is harder for a first home buyer to come up with a deposit; I understand that, but reducing the cost of housing reduces the loan amount. Reducing the loan amount on the principal reduces the amount a person has to repay and the amount of interest over a 25- or 30-year loan, depending on the term of the agreement.
There is a balance in this equation. I appreciate the sentiment of your question, but the principle comes back to – by removing the $26 000 on established homes are we reducing the cost of housing and reducing the interest-free payments by $100 000 to $300 000? They are big numbers, and you also reduce the principal, which is up to the individual; they can shorten the term of the loan if that is what happens.
We are seeing a lot of evidence of that in the Top End. You are right; in Central Australia it has not changed as much. I was at an inspection of a property on the weekend; I think it was 32 Lackman Terrace. There were reams of people going through, including first home buyers. Our data shows that first home buyers on established homes are coming back across the Territory, not just in the Top End.
It has also shown that First Home Owner grants in the newly-constructed …
Mrs LAMBLEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. My question was, would the Chief Minister consider providing some level of first home owner assistance, not necessarily going back to the $25 000 previously in place for existing homes?
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, I am getting to the point of the question. Our data suggests that the number of first home owners in the newly-constructed market is increasing like we have never seen before. It is increasing in established homes, but government is considering what it can do in regard to options. We are not ruling anything in or out.
Real Estate Sector – Government Policies
Mr GUNNER to TREASURER
Last year, despite warnings from industry and the real estate sector, you scrapped the First Home Owner Grant for existing properties. That led to a 37% reduction in first home owner applications for finance over the last 12 months. Not only has your arrogant mistake crushed the home ownership dream of Territorians and their families in the last year, it has brought the real estate sector to a grinding halt. Will you now admit that your arrogant refusal to listen to advice has done serious damage to the real estate sector and made it harder for first home buyers to enter the market?
The Chief Minister just refused to rule anything in or out, but will you adopt Labor’s policy and restore the First Home Owner Grant for existing properties and begin to repair the damage your incompetence has caused first home buyers and the real estate sector?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I assure the Leader of the Opposition that we will not be implementing Labor’s policy. Let us understand Labor policy. The best way is to look at Labor last time it was in government. Its housing policy saw the highest cost of housing in the nation here in the Territory and the most unaffordable rents in the country. In fact, those who have been here longer than three years might recall that when Labor was in government we had the worst housing crisis in the Territory’s history. Housing was completely unaffordable. For the first 18 months of the Country Liberals coming to government the Opposition Leader and members on the other side said, ‘You’re the government. What are you doing about the unaffordable rents in the Territory? What are you doing about the unaffordable housing in the Territory?’ That was a problem your policy created.
I assure Territorians we will not go back to Labor’s housing policy, because it was one of the things that drove the cost of living in the Territory through the roof.
Today the Opposition Leader has tried to belt us around the ears with the Access Economics report, but it outlines that we now have the lowest CPI in the country. That is another issue Labor belted us around the ears with: ‘What are you doing about the cost of living? How are you making it more affordable for Territorians to live in the Territory?’ This government acted; we listened and heard the concerns of parents whose children found it unaffordable to get into the housing market, of people on low incomes who could not afford it, and we released the most land release in the history of the Northern Territory, compliments of my good friend the member for Brennan. He released a lot of land.
We also removed the First Home Owner Grant on existing properties. We knew it was inflationary and that while we had the grant on existing properties, rent and house prices would continue to increase.
In short, Opposition Leader, the answer to your question is no. We will not implement Labor’s policy in relation to first home owners, because you drove the Territory’s housing into the worst crisis in the Territory’s history.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
LNG 18 Conference
Mr CONLAN to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you update the House on your attendance at the LNG 18 conference held recently in Perth?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for the question. LNG 18 is one of the most significant and prestigious petroleum events in the world. Perth was fortunate enough to hold it for the second time in the conference’s history. Last time it was in Houston and next time it will be held in Russia. The Northern Territory has not held it.
The minute I walked in the door the first thing people spoke to me about was Labor’s gas moratorium and what it was doing to the gas industry. I had meeting after meeting, and everybody spoke about Labor killing the goose that could lay the golden egg, which could put royalties towards education to help our kids get smarter by having better access to education. That is the number-one thing we spoke about.
I worked very hard with a range of companies and looked at opportunities moving forward. There have been many works in the pipeline for a long time for offshore gas. I think we are all aware of the global market in regard to oil prices and netback LNG pricing around the world and the country.
I am buoyed by the fact that ConocoPhillips, the company operating the Darwin LNG plant through Bayu-Undan, is looking beyond 2022-23 when the tail of the Bayu-Undan field will expire. The opportunities with fields such as Caldita-Barossa mean there are further opportunities for new offshore gas fields to be developed so they can backfill the Darwin LNG site.
There are also opportunities for a second train, but they are much further down the field. I was also heartened to hear of the acceptance of the government’s plan, through a company called ENGIE, formerly known as GDF Suez, which holds a very large deposit in the Bonaparte Gulf with three sites commonly known as Petrel, Tern and Frigate, and is also in partnership with Santos and a small stake of Origin, which is should be able to move towards a feed position within 12 months. I say these things very carefully without breaking commercial confidence.
There is an opportunity for companies such as ENGIE, which is the operator of the Bonaparte field, looking for what gas pipelines in the Northern Territory can do. We have been instrumental in getting the Northern Gas Pipeline up and running; that pipe is being cut now. The other component is my desire to get an additional gas pipeline built from Alice Springs to Moomba. The facility on these types of pipelines can see secondary gas plant development in the Northern Territory.
It was a great conference but everyone bad-mouthed Labor …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Population
Mr GUNNER to TREASURER
Last year in estimates I questioned you about population and the GST, and the loss of population and its impact on GST revenue. True to form, you ignored those warnings, with the result being lower GST payments due to the population loss caused by your government’s failed economic policies. Will you now admit that the population exodus caused by your failed policies is not only doing real economic damage, but is making it harder to make crucial investments in health, education and remote housing? Will you now adopt Labor’s jobs plan, focus on building the Territory’s population and begin repairing the enormous damage your policies are causing Territory families and businesses?
ANSWER
Seriously, Leader of the Opposition, you have to try to understand some of the things you are talking about.
The Chief Minister summed it up earlier in a question that was probably directed to him by you. The population has not declined. The population is still increasing. You talk about an exodus of Territorians. It is not the case. The Territory population is still growing. It might be small growth but it is still growing. In the last three budgets all the indicators, such as employment growth, unemployment and economic growth, have demonstrated clearly that the Territory is heading in the right direction.
The Opposition Leader will recall that in the last three budgets I have said there is a weak spot in that our population is not growing as fast as we want it to, and we are committed to seeing our population grow. Make no mistake, Leader of the Opposition, the population is growing.
As far as adopting policies of the Labor Party, let’s get real, mate. You have copied everything you have put out from this Country Liberal government, and any other policies you have are not worth having because they are a blowback to the past, a past that bequeathed us $5.5bn of projected debt, a $1.1bn deficit, the worst housing crisis in the world and the worst crime figures the Territory has ever seen. The member for Karama described her own electorate as a war zone.
I understand it is not your position to sing the praises of the government.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 31: offensive. That is a lie. I never described the electorate as a war zone and you know that.
Madam SPEAKER: Please sit down; that is not a point of order.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! She should withdraw the allegation that the Treasurer lied.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Karama, please withdraw. Treasurer, if you could temper your comments please.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw. It is not the truth and you know it.
Mr TOLLNER: We know that crime, housing prices, debt and deficits were out of control. Now we are being told to adopt those same policies. Get real!
Oil and Gas Industry – Confidence
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to MINISTER for BUSINESS
The Country Liberals have committed to a $1.5bn program across infrastructure to create jobs and a vibrant economy. We are supporting local businesses and workers through sweeping procurement reforms. Our plans for an onshore gas industry will create 6300 jobs for Territorians and build a diversified economy that attracts new businesses and industry.
Last week you joined a Territory business delegation in Perth to further advance the Territory’s prospects to develop an onshore gas industry. What were the outcomes and feedback from the key national and international oil and gas industry representatives regarding the confidence they have to invest in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question.
I heard the Leader of the Opposition, our one-man wrecking ball, say, ‘What are you doing about jobs? What about filling houses and doing things?’ We have a jobs plan to create jobs not destroy them. Your policy is a wrecking ball. I cannot believe what I have been hearing.
We had to go to Perth on a rescue mission to convince people there are some responsible people in the Northern Territory who want to create jobs and diversify the economy. Deloitte Access Economics predicts it will generate 6300 jobs. This is the gas industry currently in existence and we will expand it. I was at LNG 18, and I echo what the Chief Minister said.
Last Wednesday I met with 15 company CEOs. They all had the same question. ‘What happens to our investments if Labor wins government? What happens to our forward plans?’ These people said they would not come to the Territory. Queensland and South Australia are saying, ‘Bring your investment here’.
Members: Labor governments.
Mr STYLES: That is right; Queensland and South Australia have Labor governments, which are openly saying, ‘We are fracking shale gas at the moment. Bring your stuff over here.’
It was a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate to the international community, and those from Australia who invest in the gas industry, that the Territory government is open for business, unlike the Labor opposition, which wants to shut everything down.
That is 6300 jobs that will create lots of opportunities for Territorians. They are high-value jobs. As we have already heard, all the royalties from the onshore gas industry will go to vocational education and training.
That is something else I spoke to these people about because they are talking about a skilled workforce. We said, ‘This is what we will do’. When they start the gas we might have to get a few experts from overseas or interstate, but this is about teaching Territory kids and our grandkids so they can pick up the high-end jobs in the Territory and keep them in the Territory. This is about expanding our population and a jobs plan for the Territory.
The Leader of the Opposition asks what we are doing to diversify the economy. I encourage him to read the Country Liberals’ policy and look at some of the media releases. It is obvious that he does not.
We want to turn the Territory into the epicentre of the oil and gas industry in Australia, and we can do that on this side. The other side will not succeed if it continues this wrecking-ball approach.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Sport and Active Recreation Master Plan
Ms LEE to MINISTER for SPORT and RECREATION
As per your government’s commitment to Territorians who live in remote communities and, more importantly, support of the growing success of the Barunga Festival, will you allocate resources to lights at the Barunga football oval, which have been promised for many years?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for her question. She cares about the people in her community and has discussed this and other things to do with Barunga with me on previous occasions.
The start of my answer goes to the $600 000 this government has put in to develop the Sport and Active Recreation Master Plan. The master plan project provides the necessary information to develop a clearly-defined roadmap of the current environment of the sport and active recreation sector in the Northern Territory. The information will form recommendations to government that will drive the formulation of a long-term strategy for the sector. As a culmination of that – it is not quite done yet – I am happy to say …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 241; does the minister want to provide us with the notes he is reading from?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr BARRETT: Some areas that have come to our attention through this process are women’s sport, active recreation in regard to balancing – most resources go to sport and not much to rec – a facility audit which matches the use of facilities with the capacity of those facilities, and community baseline standards for sport facilities.
We would like to see a playing surface in every community that is useable, and a covered court facility, such as a basketball or netball court, in every facility. That is a goal we want to reach.
I have been working very hard to ensure there are resources available to put lights in communities. Having lights in communities means the facilities can be used by more people for longer periods, in the cooler part of the day. It is a better idea.
We are working on this very hard and I am happy to say the Barunga lights project will go ahead.
Infrastructure Investment Spend
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE
Can you please update the House on the Country Liberal government’s current investment spend and how it is helping to drive the Territory economy forward as one that lands new private local, national and international investment?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question from the member for Katherine. The Country Liberal government is investing in a record $1.5bn infrastructure program across the Territory. We have spent over $500m this financial year and, more importantly, the total value of works expected to be awarded to contractors by mid-May is around $1.2bn. That is over 860 tenders which have been awarded this financial year. Last month alone, $33m was awarded to infrastructure projects to upgrade our national parks, coastal reserves, sporting facilities and other vital infrastructure.
Importantly, over 96% of government infrastructure tenders have been awarded to local companies. The bulk of the work is being carried out by small to medium businesses, with significant injections into our economy.
Under our $100m Boosting our Economy package, new classrooms are being built, school sporting facilities are being improved and schools are being rejuvenated.
None of this would have been possible under a government run by those opposite. The Territory was bankrupt when the Country Liberals came to government. We fixed the economy and put the budget back in the black, and we have a plan that secures the future of the Northern Territory, unlike those opposite who have threatened to bring the Territory to its knees by proposing to ban onshore gas development and review all our water licence applications. The ‘gunna do’ opposition is eroding business confidence, investment interest and the Territory’s chances of a prosperous future. It is history repeating itself. Twelve years of Labor showed they will deliver debt, higher cost of living and high unemployment.
Only the Country Liberals government is supporting the development of northern Australia and the sustainable development and diversification of industries across the Territory, and will continue to deliver for our small to medium businesses. We have created business confidence with our plan to grow the economy. Only the Country Liberals have a plan to create opportunities to deliver more jobs, more services and improve our unique way of life.
I ask Territorians to think back three-and-a-half-years to where we have come from. Look at the land that was being released – sorry, no land was being released. Why? What was the outcome? A higher cost of land. What did that lead to? A higher cost of building. It was the most expensive place to buy a house and land package in Australia. This was on the back of the highest land prices and cost of living.
What has this government done? It has fixed the debt situation, got the books in order and now has a real plan for the future. It has taken a few years but it has been hard work trying to fix the mess this mob created. Territorians need to know that is what we are likely to go back to come August.
Housing – Remote Communities
Ms MOSS to MINISTER for HOUSING
Since 30 June 2014, using National Partnership money, your CLP government has built one new additional house out bush. You have provided no Territory government funds to the remote housing national partnership and in almost four years you have only delivered 172 new houses, 537 refurbishments and 305 rebuilds. By contrast the Labor government provided $295m of Territory funds, and from 2008 to 2012 built 630 new houses and did 1700 refurbishments and 420 rebuilds.
The CLP government has failed Territorians living in remote communities. Will you now support Labor’s policy to tackle this backlog in housing by providing $1.1bn in Territory government infrastructure funding over the next 10 years?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for the question about remote housing.
Labor reduced the number of bedrooms in communities despite spending millions. There were fewer bedrooms when they left government than when they started. That is not a sensible housing policy; that is a fiasco. Our first focus is ensuring the houses in communities are safe. There are still unsafe houses that are beyond economic repair, despite what Labor calls a successful program, which led to fewer bedrooms.
That is why we have built 78 houses over the last 12 months. When you build a new house it is a new house. We have built 78 times more houses than what Labor says we have built. No wonder the bush does not trust Labor.
Our legacy is over 450 additional new houses, over 450 rebuilds and replacements and over 800 upgrades.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 241. I ask the minister to table the documents she is reading the figures from.
Madam SPEAKER: Are they private notes or is it a document you want to table?
Mrs PRICE: They are my private notes.
This year there are 30 new houses due to be completed at Milikapiti, Finke, Galiwinku and Umbakumba. In addition a further 228 upgrades are under way in Warruwi, Areyonga, Mount Liebig, Kintore, Ampilatwatja, Tara, Amanbidji, Bulla, Peppimenarti and Belyuen. These works are being done. We have people in the communities now. Labor did not do that in its 11 years of government. We have people there now conducting audits of community housing. I have photos of houses Labor neglected to fix while in government, where ceilings are falling down on people while they are sleeping and roots are growing through houses. Labor, when in government for 11 years, neglected houses in communities.
I care about bush housing. These people deserve what is beneficial to them: a safe environment for their children and families.
This happened whilst Labor was in government for 11 years …
Ms Walker: I visited Lena’s house at Alpara. Did you?
Mrs PRICE: Yes. While you were in government for 11 years, what did you do for Lena Pulla? Labor did nothing for poor old Lena Pulla. Lynne Walker, the member for Nhulunbuy, did nothing for the Yirrkala people.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 50: refer to the member by their electorate.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, honourable member. Minister, you have the call.
Mrs PRICE: Madam Speaker, we want to ensure we can make the necessary improvements to as many homes as possible so they meet adequate standards and are safe places. That means doing things differently.
We have changed the number of Aboriginal workers …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Onshore Gas – Environmental Regulations
Mr CONLAN to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you update the House on any alternative views to the Country Liberal government implementing best-practice environmental regulations for the Territory’s onshore gas industry to diversify our economy?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for his question. The real leader of the Labor Party, the member for Karama, asked earlier about a person from Wyoming who lost his cattle and is traversing the Northern Territory. The question is interesting, as is the farmer from Wyoming. At his property in Wyoming, where he reaps the benefit, they drill to a depth of about 1000 ft.
In the Northern Territory, where we are not looking at coal seam gas but deep shale gas, we go to depths of around 2500 ft to 9000 ft. To put that into context, Queensland has drilled just below the water table, and in the Northern Territory where there are not water tables where we are drilling, we are drilling up to 4 km down. That is important to point out.
The real leader of the Labor party, the member for Karama, said there are many reports that have not been peer reviewed by the Department of Mines and Energy. That is false. They have all been peer reviewed. When an independent report was written by Dr Allan Hawke, who is the former chief of staff to former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating – we did that to be bipartisan – that was peer reviewed as well. It was peer reviewed by experts who said his analysis and reports are spot on, and, yes, a gas industry in the Northern Territory can be managed safely. It is already safe.
We asked Dr Hawke to write another report to see how we can strengthen our regulatory regime. He has given us that report and there are now more strengths being put in place in our regulations. Next parliamentary sittings there will be a debate to see further increase in the regulatory environment.
The way we are advancing gas leases in the Northern Territory is interesting. We are supporting the industry with a bipartisan approach, or what was bipartisan until Labor backflipped on what it had done in the past. We are now saying we should only look at drilling for gas where we know there is gas, such as in inclusion zones, rather than having everybody included. We now have special zones. In Adelaide River, Katherine, Maningrida, near Mataranka hot springs and Kings Canyon there can be no gas development. This is as opposed to Labor, which was supporting and actively promoting that. That is important to clarify.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
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