Ms MARTIN - 2000-05-17
The cardinal rule of prudent public sector financial management is that governments should not borrow to finance current expenditure. Yet since you have become Chief Minister, your first full year budget has an increase in net debt of $120m. At budget time last year a declining net debt of $1m was expected. Capital expenditure accounts for just $25m of that blow out. The remaining $97m of debt was to finance current expenditure.
Will the Chief Minister as head of government explain to Territorians why his government is now putting day-to-day expenditure on bankcard, thereby breaking the cardinal rule of budgeting?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I firstly give this commitment to Territorians and that is that the Burke CLP government is not in business to make a profit at Territorians expense. The CLP government in the Northern Territory is not going to sit in the counting house counting out pennies to see how good we are.
We will build for the future; that is what this government does. It delivers for the future, it delivers in health, it delivers in education and it delivers in jobs. It delivers in jobs for Territorians in a tangible way, not with some airy-fairy piece of paper but with real capital works programs that result in real jobs for Territorians.
Whilst I am on my feet, can I say that I am proud of the Deputy Chief Minister and Treasurer of the Northern Territory. He has delivered a superb budget, a budget that has been applauded by all independent analysts. Knocked, of course, by the unions who have already come out and denigrated the budget, but that is to be expected because, as we all know, that is part of the Labor Party strategy as they move toward the next election. The unions will use their influence to support ...
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The essence of the question is the fact that $97m recurrent expenditure has gone on the plastic and that is the question that the Chief Minister cannot answer.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr BURKE: I do not apologise for this government borrowing for the future, and Territorians understand that. When Territorians look around, they understand what has been put in place by this government which governs over one-sixth of the Australian continent with 200 000 people. They know that does not come for nothing, and they understand that they themselves, as they live their daily lives, should not be expected to pay for all of that today.
I understand that the duty of an opposition is to be critical. But I look forward to the Leader of the Opposition balancing some of her logic with simple fact. She denigrates this government for borrowing, yet at the same time, I can tell you, from 3 February 1999 to 8 November 1999 this is what the Leader of the Opposition has called upon this government to do: Reduce electricity tariffs, estimated costs to revenue is from $4m up to $5m; reduce payroll tax; more money on education for new schools at Utopia; increase training and education opportunities; and fix school retention rates.
She has called for increased hospital spending to the extent of $120m on a new hospital at Royal Darwin. She wants us to reduce revenue raising, and taxes and charges should not increase. She wants us to spend $80m on underground powerlines in the northern suburbs in the Northern Territory; more money on the Heart Foundation; more money on sports. She wants to contribute $250 000 of Territorians money to support the Northern Territory inclusion in the SAFL. She wants us to fund voluntary redundancies - 190 DCIS employees at a cost of $4.5m. She wants an inquiry into the construction industry; spend more on on-site security and tenancy managers in public service buildings; more money on an Aboriginal cultural centre in Darwin; more money on public transport; more money on cane toad research; expand the infrastructure at Port Keats to include restaurants; and she also wants us to recruit more firefighters.
I understand that. I understand that is what you will do. Just explain to Territorians, as a responsible opposition should, how you will do that, how you will keep a budget in surplus so that you do not have to borrow, and such that Territorians can expect no revenue increases to government, yet all of these services will be delivered. It is flat and plainly ridiculous, and the Leader of the Opposition knows it. She is trying to reinvent herself and the Labor Party as good economic managers, when we all know they cannot manage a chook raffle.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr BURKE: Well if she wants to do that, then do it. When we listen to her budget reply, let us all be astounded and applaud the way she will cost her budgetary initiatives in opposition to the way we have delivered this budget.
Will the Chief Minister as head of government explain to Territorians why his government is now putting day-to-day expenditure on bankcard, thereby breaking the cardinal rule of budgeting?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I firstly give this commitment to Territorians and that is that the Burke CLP government is not in business to make a profit at Territorians expense. The CLP government in the Northern Territory is not going to sit in the counting house counting out pennies to see how good we are.
We will build for the future; that is what this government does. It delivers for the future, it delivers in health, it delivers in education and it delivers in jobs. It delivers in jobs for Territorians in a tangible way, not with some airy-fairy piece of paper but with real capital works programs that result in real jobs for Territorians.
Whilst I am on my feet, can I say that I am proud of the Deputy Chief Minister and Treasurer of the Northern Territory. He has delivered a superb budget, a budget that has been applauded by all independent analysts. Knocked, of course, by the unions who have already come out and denigrated the budget, but that is to be expected because, as we all know, that is part of the Labor Party strategy as they move toward the next election. The unions will use their influence to support ...
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The essence of the question is the fact that $97m recurrent expenditure has gone on the plastic and that is the question that the Chief Minister cannot answer.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr BURKE: I do not apologise for this government borrowing for the future, and Territorians understand that. When Territorians look around, they understand what has been put in place by this government which governs over one-sixth of the Australian continent with 200 000 people. They know that does not come for nothing, and they understand that they themselves, as they live their daily lives, should not be expected to pay for all of that today.
I understand that the duty of an opposition is to be critical. But I look forward to the Leader of the Opposition balancing some of her logic with simple fact. She denigrates this government for borrowing, yet at the same time, I can tell you, from 3 February 1999 to 8 November 1999 this is what the Leader of the Opposition has called upon this government to do: Reduce electricity tariffs, estimated costs to revenue is from $4m up to $5m; reduce payroll tax; more money on education for new schools at Utopia; increase training and education opportunities; and fix school retention rates.
She has called for increased hospital spending to the extent of $120m on a new hospital at Royal Darwin. She wants us to reduce revenue raising, and taxes and charges should not increase. She wants us to spend $80m on underground powerlines in the northern suburbs in the Northern Territory; more money on the Heart Foundation; more money on sports. She wants to contribute $250 000 of Territorians money to support the Northern Territory inclusion in the SAFL. She wants us to fund voluntary redundancies - 190 DCIS employees at a cost of $4.5m. She wants an inquiry into the construction industry; spend more on on-site security and tenancy managers in public service buildings; more money on an Aboriginal cultural centre in Darwin; more money on public transport; more money on cane toad research; expand the infrastructure at Port Keats to include restaurants; and she also wants us to recruit more firefighters.
I understand that. I understand that is what you will do. Just explain to Territorians, as a responsible opposition should, how you will do that, how you will keep a budget in surplus so that you do not have to borrow, and such that Territorians can expect no revenue increases to government, yet all of these services will be delivered. It is flat and plainly ridiculous, and the Leader of the Opposition knows it. She is trying to reinvent herself and the Labor Party as good economic managers, when we all know they cannot manage a chook raffle.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr BURKE: Well if she wants to do that, then do it. When we listen to her budget reply, let us all be astounded and applaud the way she will cost her budgetary initiatives in opposition to the way we have delivered this budget.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016