Ms MARTIN - 2000-08-08
Since he has been Chief Minister, Territory net debt has been climbing from $1.24bn as of 30 June 1999 to an estimated $1.54bn by 30 June 2001. By his own figures, Territorians were already saddled with the highest debt per capita of any jurisdiction in June last year. By the end of June next year, his actions will have increased net debt by $1300 per head to around $7700 per capita. This is significantly higher than the levels experienced in both South Australia and Victoria at their peak in 1993. Will he admit that this appalling record of financial mismanagement is allowing the level of debt to accumulate to Australian record levels and has left his government with no room to move in effectively assisting the construction industry?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition said that she was going to use this parliamentary session to attack the Chief Minister on debt out of control, a downturn in the construction industry, and increase in unemployment - anything else she can think of. At the same time she is desperately saying we should not go to an election because this is not the time for an election. If I was the Leader of the Opposition and I thought unemployment was rising enormously, if I thought debt was out of control, if I thought business confidence was really low, I would be calling on an election. I would be saying: ‘Bring it on - I’m ready’.
What the Leader of the Opposition continually does is ask for reassurance that we won’t go to an early election, because she desperately does not want an early election. Her priority at the moment is to get some sort of idea as to what may happen so that her Greek holiday can be organised. Well, have your holiday. Have a rest. Freshen up. If you are away and something catastrophic happens, I am sure the young fellow from Wanguri there can fill your shoes until you get back. He is pretty good at it.
Mr Reed interjecting..
Mr BURKE: As the deputy says, if there are any policy statements to be put and you are in Greece, you could always do it from Greece. You have lodged your business policy from Tasmania, and that did not seem to be any problem at all.
Debt is something that the Northern Territory government quite happily accepts. We believe that we are building the Northern Territory for Territorians of today and Territorians of tomorrow, and it should not be the Territorians of today who are lumbered with the cost. And in building this wonderful Territory it is worth reflecting on the fact that in 1989 total employment was 78 300. In 1999 it was 94 300. That is 16 000 …
Ms Martin: And it was 98 000 in ...
Mr BURKE: She always interjects. For the listeners at home, she always interjects when she doesn’t like the figures.
That is 16 000 jobs created between 1988 and 1999, or 1600 new jobs each year or 30.76 new jobs each week or 4.39 new jobs each day between 1989 and 1999, or one new job every 5.4 hours. You do not get that sort of growth for nothing.
An acceptable level of debt is something that we are quite happy to live with. It is looked at by independent analysts Access Economics and BIS Shrapnel, who predict a doubling of the Northern Territory economy in 5 years, who predict economic growth of 7.4% next year, who call the Northern Territory the pocket dynamo of Australia. These are analysts who take debt in its proper perspective, and they are quite happy in continuing to describe the Northern Territory in the praising ways that they do.
In terms of economic management we will pit our record against any – we can’t pit it against you because you have never have a record. We could pit it against other Labor government anywhere in Australia at any time.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition said that she was going to use this parliamentary session to attack the Chief Minister on debt out of control, a downturn in the construction industry, and increase in unemployment - anything else she can think of. At the same time she is desperately saying we should not go to an election because this is not the time for an election. If I was the Leader of the Opposition and I thought unemployment was rising enormously, if I thought debt was out of control, if I thought business confidence was really low, I would be calling on an election. I would be saying: ‘Bring it on - I’m ready’.
What the Leader of the Opposition continually does is ask for reassurance that we won’t go to an early election, because she desperately does not want an early election. Her priority at the moment is to get some sort of idea as to what may happen so that her Greek holiday can be organised. Well, have your holiday. Have a rest. Freshen up. If you are away and something catastrophic happens, I am sure the young fellow from Wanguri there can fill your shoes until you get back. He is pretty good at it.
Mr Reed interjecting..
Mr BURKE: As the deputy says, if there are any policy statements to be put and you are in Greece, you could always do it from Greece. You have lodged your business policy from Tasmania, and that did not seem to be any problem at all.
Debt is something that the Northern Territory government quite happily accepts. We believe that we are building the Northern Territory for Territorians of today and Territorians of tomorrow, and it should not be the Territorians of today who are lumbered with the cost. And in building this wonderful Territory it is worth reflecting on the fact that in 1989 total employment was 78 300. In 1999 it was 94 300. That is 16 000 …
Ms Martin: And it was 98 000 in ...
Mr BURKE: She always interjects. For the listeners at home, she always interjects when she doesn’t like the figures.
That is 16 000 jobs created between 1988 and 1999, or 1600 new jobs each year or 30.76 new jobs each week or 4.39 new jobs each day between 1989 and 1999, or one new job every 5.4 hours. You do not get that sort of growth for nothing.
An acceptable level of debt is something that we are quite happy to live with. It is looked at by independent analysts Access Economics and BIS Shrapnel, who predict a doubling of the Northern Territory economy in 5 years, who predict economic growth of 7.4% next year, who call the Northern Territory the pocket dynamo of Australia. These are analysts who take debt in its proper perspective, and they are quite happy in continuing to describe the Northern Territory in the praising ways that they do.
In terms of economic management we will pit our record against any – we can’t pit it against you because you have never have a record. We could pit it against other Labor government anywhere in Australia at any time.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016