Ms MARTIN - 2001-02-20
In an interview with the ABC last October the Chief Minister stated: ‘The reality is that it is not the Prime Minister’s fault that fuel is as high as it is. It is not any government’s fault’. Those are the Chief Minister’s words.
Chief Minister, I ask you, Territorians are now paying at least 4.7 a litre more in taxes on fuel than they were prior to the GST and the subsequent excise increases which you supported. Do you still believe that high fuel prices at the bowser are not the fault of governments, and why do you continue to defend the Prime Minister when his policies at the bowser are hurting Territory businesses and families and our lifestyle?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the effect of the GST on fuel prices is a fact of life, but when it comes to who supported what, no premier or chief minister in Australia would step back from their commitment to the new tax system for Australia. All the premiers and chief minister’s were eager to sign up because, for the first time in our history since federation, the states and territories have now got a guaranteed funding and flexibility of funding coming from that new tax arrangement. So, whilst the Leader of the Opposition will try to suggest that any flow-on effects in certain areas is the fault of the federal government, let’s understand this absolutely clearly: all state Labor Premiers were enthusiastic supporters of the introduction of the new tax system in Australia.
I stand by my statement that the federal government is not responsible for the increase in fuel prices. The federal government cannot control the OPEC price of crude oil. Not only is John Howard unable to control it, Bill Clinton couldn’t control it either. George W Bush Jnr can’t control it either. It is one of the issues that does effect the price of oil and therefore the flow-on effects of fuel at the bowser.
When it comes to what would be done about it, all you ever hear from the Labor Party, federally or in the Northern Territory, is a continual knocking, knock, knock, knock, and they say: ‘Fuel prices are up too high’. But what will the Labor Party do with the price of fuel? Are we going to hear that clamour of policy coming up? What will the Labor Party do, the same Labor Party who introduced the system of indexing things like this. This is the same Labor Party who, during their period in government, raised the excise on fuel by about 33%. This is the same bunch of hypocrites who are now trying to sheet home the blame for the cost of fuel on the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister is very aware of the impact of high fuel prices on Australians and does care a lot about the hurt that is impacting on Australians on a whole range of issues. But I support the Prime Minister in this. Firstly, a reduction in the fuel excise, say a cent at the bowser, is about $300m taken off the ability of the federal government to provide benefits in terms of roads funding, tax relief back to Australians. And the effect at the bowser would be absolutely minimal.
The impact of fuel prices will be adjusted because of the attitudes of the OPEC oil companies. Whilst the price of fuel is high, I don’t believe any Labor government would do a thing about it. More importantly, not someone as irrelevant as the Leader of the Opposition, who can do no more than snipe and try and find any reason to complain. If she’s not complaining, she’s giggling, if she’s not giggling, she is in a hole saying nothing and will do nothing about the price of fuel. From this government’s perspective, we do everything we can in using our influence at the federal level to try and get some of those monies returned to Territorians in terms of road funding, funding to local governments, and a whole range of issues that affect Territorians.
Chief Minister, I ask you, Territorians are now paying at least 4.7 a litre more in taxes on fuel than they were prior to the GST and the subsequent excise increases which you supported. Do you still believe that high fuel prices at the bowser are not the fault of governments, and why do you continue to defend the Prime Minister when his policies at the bowser are hurting Territory businesses and families and our lifestyle?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the effect of the GST on fuel prices is a fact of life, but when it comes to who supported what, no premier or chief minister in Australia would step back from their commitment to the new tax system for Australia. All the premiers and chief minister’s were eager to sign up because, for the first time in our history since federation, the states and territories have now got a guaranteed funding and flexibility of funding coming from that new tax arrangement. So, whilst the Leader of the Opposition will try to suggest that any flow-on effects in certain areas is the fault of the federal government, let’s understand this absolutely clearly: all state Labor Premiers were enthusiastic supporters of the introduction of the new tax system in Australia.
I stand by my statement that the federal government is not responsible for the increase in fuel prices. The federal government cannot control the OPEC price of crude oil. Not only is John Howard unable to control it, Bill Clinton couldn’t control it either. George W Bush Jnr can’t control it either. It is one of the issues that does effect the price of oil and therefore the flow-on effects of fuel at the bowser.
When it comes to what would be done about it, all you ever hear from the Labor Party, federally or in the Northern Territory, is a continual knocking, knock, knock, knock, and they say: ‘Fuel prices are up too high’. But what will the Labor Party do with the price of fuel? Are we going to hear that clamour of policy coming up? What will the Labor Party do, the same Labor Party who introduced the system of indexing things like this. This is the same Labor Party who, during their period in government, raised the excise on fuel by about 33%. This is the same bunch of hypocrites who are now trying to sheet home the blame for the cost of fuel on the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister is very aware of the impact of high fuel prices on Australians and does care a lot about the hurt that is impacting on Australians on a whole range of issues. But I support the Prime Minister in this. Firstly, a reduction in the fuel excise, say a cent at the bowser, is about $300m taken off the ability of the federal government to provide benefits in terms of roads funding, tax relief back to Australians. And the effect at the bowser would be absolutely minimal.
The impact of fuel prices will be adjusted because of the attitudes of the OPEC oil companies. Whilst the price of fuel is high, I don’t believe any Labor government would do a thing about it. More importantly, not someone as irrelevant as the Leader of the Opposition, who can do no more than snipe and try and find any reason to complain. If she’s not complaining, she’s giggling, if she’s not giggling, she is in a hole saying nothing and will do nothing about the price of fuel. From this government’s perspective, we do everything we can in using our influence at the federal level to try and get some of those monies returned to Territorians in terms of road funding, funding to local governments, and a whole range of issues that affect Territorians.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016