Mr HENDERSON - 2001-02-20
Your Treasurer promised that the Territory’s 1.1 a litre fuel subsidy would be removed in the last budget. You were forced to back away from that move temporarily, but isn’t it the case you will still remove the subsidy once you can get away with it? Isn’t it a fact that as Chief Minister, as a mate of John Howard and supporter of his policies, you are happy to drive up the cost of living and erode the viability of Territory businesses still further as soon as you get the chance by the removal of this subsidy?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, rather than trying to put words in my mouth, as the member for Wanguri is attempting to do, I would be interested to hear what federal Labor government in Australia would intend to do when it comes to the excise on fuel. What particular plan would a Beazley government have to deal with excise on fuel? When it comes to the 1.1 subsidy on fuel that is being applied, we don’t take any excise in the Northern Territory. There is a 1.1 subsidy that is applied to fuel from the Territory.
The argument in terms of where we put that money is always the problem of government, in my opinion this government, and we will argue that principle with the federal government at every opportunity. The Treasurer will take that up at the next Treasurers’ meeting. But all Territorians need to be confident in is that 1.1 per litre is there.
That is the tangible demonstration from the Northern Territory government. If there is to be any change to the Labor Party’s policy, if they intend to withdraw it or add to it when they get into government, or have their own arrangements in order to deal with fuel, I would be interested in hearing it.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, rather than trying to put words in my mouth, as the member for Wanguri is attempting to do, I would be interested to hear what federal Labor government in Australia would intend to do when it comes to the excise on fuel. What particular plan would a Beazley government have to deal with excise on fuel? When it comes to the 1.1 subsidy on fuel that is being applied, we don’t take any excise in the Northern Territory. There is a 1.1 subsidy that is applied to fuel from the Territory.
The argument in terms of where we put that money is always the problem of government, in my opinion this government, and we will argue that principle with the federal government at every opportunity. The Treasurer will take that up at the next Treasurers’ meeting. But all Territorians need to be confident in is that 1.1 per litre is there.
That is the tangible demonstration from the Northern Territory government. If there is to be any change to the Labor Party’s policy, if they intend to withdraw it or add to it when they get into government, or have their own arrangements in order to deal with fuel, I would be interested in hearing it.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016