Mr BALCH - 2000-02-23
Minister, following on from the earlier question from the Leader of the Opposition in relation to SPPs are you able to provide this House with any further information in regard to SPPs?
Mr Stirling: He couldn’t answer it before. That’s the same question.
Mr Burke: We are trying to help.
Mr Balch: I just want him to elaborate on it a little further so you can understand it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
ANSWER
The Leader of the Opposition believes that when Chief Ministers, Premiers and the Treasurers go to Premiers Conference they just sit round the table and obligingly agree to whatever is suggested. Of course, the discussions that took place in relation to the introduction of a new tax system for this country, part of which only is a GST, were extensive and very thoroughly pursued by all present, including Premier Carr and Treasurer Egan from New South Wales. Indeed, as I did allude to earlier, the information in relation to these matters has been provided to the House in some detail previously.
But the Leader of the Opposition gets these books and like a rat gnaws the back off them. It’s a pity she doesn’t read them or at least listen to her economic adviser so that she might understand these circumstances. Now, I would refer the Leader of the Opposition to Budget Paper No 3 1999-2000 - so it’s a current document; she doesn’t have to go back too far …
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: … chapter 4, part 2 of that document … See, this is why you don’t understand, you don’t listen.
Ms Martin: No, you’re not listening.
Mr REED: If you were a student in the class, the teacher would ask you to stand in the corner because your so disruptive.
Ms Martin: No, you’d fail the year.
Mr REED: But she doesn’t have the capacity to even concentrate on things to the extent that …
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr REED: … these children will take back some terrible experiences with them to their schools today when they leave this House and see the behaviour that you lot have been undertaking today. Absolutely disgraceful example. You are supposed to be responsible representatives of your constituents and the experience they’ll take back today about your behaviour will be astounding. They’re going to have some interesting stories over the meals. ‘Mum, you should have seen what we saw in parliament today’.
So, to get to the point, in the budget paper, now the Territory wasn’t the only signatory to this and you seem to be suggesting that we are the only ones who are going to experience these arrangements. All of the states and all of the territories will experience the same and to the parties and I quote - because they can’t read, they don’t read or they won’t read and she won’t listen to a financial adviser, I don’t know why taxpayers keep funding one for her – ‘The parties will undertake all necessary steps to have appropriate legislation enacted to give effect to the following reforms’. Legislation enacted to give effect to the following reforms. So the Commonwealth has to legislate, and each state and territory has to legislate to protect the very things that you are raising as scaremongering. Trying to frighten people. Trying to mislead people and trying to create unnecessary concern, but at the same time of course not explaining what you would do if your mob was in government. Not explaining what impact Kim’s suggestions, his roll back which you smilingly oblige to support him, would impact on Territorians. ‘The Commonwealth will legislate to provide all of the revenue from the GST to the states and territories and will legislate to maintain the rate and base of the GST in accordance with this agreement’. That is item one.
There are a number of items in total, but I get specifically to SPPs, Specific Purpose Payments, and I quote because you haven’t read it: ‘The Commonwealth will continue to provide Specific Purpose Payments to the states and territories and has no intention of cutting aggregate SPPs as part of the reform process’. Set out in this agreement signed by Premier Carr, signed by Premier Beattie, signed by Premier Bacon, consistent with the objective of the state and territory governments ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order on both sides of the House. The Treasurer has the floor.
Mr REED: … consistent with the objective of the state and territory governments being financially better off under the new arrangements. Now, it can’t be stated for you any more clearly than that, I’m sorry. I know you still don’t understand it, you’re sitting there with a silly face and poking your tongue out.
Now, listeners to this broadcast should be aware of the fact that that was the response of the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow treasurer to the question and the important issue which she initially raised and to which I’ve given her a comprehensive answer. She sits at her desk and makes a funny face and pokes her tongue out. That’s the extent of her understanding ...
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Treasurer is misrepresenting the Leader of the Opposition when he says that she’s making a face and poking her tongue out.
Mr REED: She’s like that all the time?
Mrs HICKEY: Listeners to this broadcast ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs HICKEY: ... they could believe the Treasurer ...
Mr Burke: You’re sitting behind her, you can’t see.
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: I can say that I saw it, it wasn’t pretty. And if her face is like that all the time, my apologies.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: But the point is that the agreement is quite clear in relation to the circumstances that the states and the territories and the Commonwealth signed up to in relation to the new tax agreement. We don’t have the concerns, the unfounded allegations that the Leader of the Opposition unnecessarily raises.
Mr Stirling: It’s in Hansard.
Mr REED: I am quoting from the agreement that was signed by all Chief Ministers and Premiers and that is legislated. Now, I can understand why you, under Kim ...
Ms Martin: What did you sign up to?
Mr REED: ... Kim your boss, is a fellow who legislated and never kept promises with LAW tax cuts, so you’d be a bit nervous. He’s just said to you, after you said, ‘Kim, butt out of this mandatory sentencing thing’, he’s completely ignored you.
Ms Martin: You’re selling out Territorians.
Mr REED: You are irrelevant!
Mr Stirling: He couldn’t answer it before. That’s the same question.
Mr Burke: We are trying to help.
Mr Balch: I just want him to elaborate on it a little further so you can understand it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
ANSWER
The Leader of the Opposition believes that when Chief Ministers, Premiers and the Treasurers go to Premiers Conference they just sit round the table and obligingly agree to whatever is suggested. Of course, the discussions that took place in relation to the introduction of a new tax system for this country, part of which only is a GST, were extensive and very thoroughly pursued by all present, including Premier Carr and Treasurer Egan from New South Wales. Indeed, as I did allude to earlier, the information in relation to these matters has been provided to the House in some detail previously.
But the Leader of the Opposition gets these books and like a rat gnaws the back off them. It’s a pity she doesn’t read them or at least listen to her economic adviser so that she might understand these circumstances. Now, I would refer the Leader of the Opposition to Budget Paper No 3 1999-2000 - so it’s a current document; she doesn’t have to go back too far …
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: … chapter 4, part 2 of that document … See, this is why you don’t understand, you don’t listen.
Ms Martin: No, you’re not listening.
Mr REED: If you were a student in the class, the teacher would ask you to stand in the corner because your so disruptive.
Ms Martin: No, you’d fail the year.
Mr REED: But she doesn’t have the capacity to even concentrate on things to the extent that …
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr REED: … these children will take back some terrible experiences with them to their schools today when they leave this House and see the behaviour that you lot have been undertaking today. Absolutely disgraceful example. You are supposed to be responsible representatives of your constituents and the experience they’ll take back today about your behaviour will be astounding. They’re going to have some interesting stories over the meals. ‘Mum, you should have seen what we saw in parliament today’.
So, to get to the point, in the budget paper, now the Territory wasn’t the only signatory to this and you seem to be suggesting that we are the only ones who are going to experience these arrangements. All of the states and all of the territories will experience the same and to the parties and I quote - because they can’t read, they don’t read or they won’t read and she won’t listen to a financial adviser, I don’t know why taxpayers keep funding one for her – ‘The parties will undertake all necessary steps to have appropriate legislation enacted to give effect to the following reforms’. Legislation enacted to give effect to the following reforms. So the Commonwealth has to legislate, and each state and territory has to legislate to protect the very things that you are raising as scaremongering. Trying to frighten people. Trying to mislead people and trying to create unnecessary concern, but at the same time of course not explaining what you would do if your mob was in government. Not explaining what impact Kim’s suggestions, his roll back which you smilingly oblige to support him, would impact on Territorians. ‘The Commonwealth will legislate to provide all of the revenue from the GST to the states and territories and will legislate to maintain the rate and base of the GST in accordance with this agreement’. That is item one.
There are a number of items in total, but I get specifically to SPPs, Specific Purpose Payments, and I quote because you haven’t read it: ‘The Commonwealth will continue to provide Specific Purpose Payments to the states and territories and has no intention of cutting aggregate SPPs as part of the reform process’. Set out in this agreement signed by Premier Carr, signed by Premier Beattie, signed by Premier Bacon, consistent with the objective of the state and territory governments ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order on both sides of the House. The Treasurer has the floor.
Mr REED: … consistent with the objective of the state and territory governments being financially better off under the new arrangements. Now, it can’t be stated for you any more clearly than that, I’m sorry. I know you still don’t understand it, you’re sitting there with a silly face and poking your tongue out.
Now, listeners to this broadcast should be aware of the fact that that was the response of the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow treasurer to the question and the important issue which she initially raised and to which I’ve given her a comprehensive answer. She sits at her desk and makes a funny face and pokes her tongue out. That’s the extent of her understanding ...
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Treasurer is misrepresenting the Leader of the Opposition when he says that she’s making a face and poking her tongue out.
Mr REED: She’s like that all the time?
Mrs HICKEY: Listeners to this broadcast ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs HICKEY: ... they could believe the Treasurer ...
Mr Burke: You’re sitting behind her, you can’t see.
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: I can say that I saw it, it wasn’t pretty. And if her face is like that all the time, my apologies.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: But the point is that the agreement is quite clear in relation to the circumstances that the states and the territories and the Commonwealth signed up to in relation to the new tax agreement. We don’t have the concerns, the unfounded allegations that the Leader of the Opposition unnecessarily raises.
Mr Stirling: It’s in Hansard.
Mr REED: I am quoting from the agreement that was signed by all Chief Ministers and Premiers and that is legislated. Now, I can understand why you, under Kim ...
Ms Martin: What did you sign up to?
Mr REED: ... Kim your boss, is a fellow who legislated and never kept promises with LAW tax cuts, so you’d be a bit nervous. He’s just said to you, after you said, ‘Kim, butt out of this mandatory sentencing thing’, he’s completely ignored you.
Ms Martin: You’re selling out Territorians.
Mr REED: You are irrelevant!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016