Mr BALCH - 1999-02-16
The CLP has always fought for Territorians and implemented policies that maximise our economic growth, while providing a high level of social services. However, the local branch of the Labor Party promotes the disastrous centralist policies we have come to loathe, especially during the Keating years. Can the Chief Minister highlight the differences in philosophy between the Territory-based CLP and the Canberra-driven Labor Party?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, yes, I can. If members listened to my statement this morning, those differences became very clear. Our policies are developed by Territorians and they are developed for Territorians. Our policies, in a nutshell, are pro-development, pro-jobs, pro-tourism, pro-increasing our GDP, pro-population growth. Our aim is to increase the wealth and wellbeing of Territorians so that they can each individually achieve the things they all aim for.
In comparison, the ALP has no policy. They took policies to the last election and the Territory electorate rejected those policies. Worse, they have now dumped those policies. They have asked for federal intervention, of which the Leader of the Opposition is proud. She is proud of that federal intervention to help them scope what their policies will be. But - wait for it - the federal ALP have also dumped their policies. They are now conducting a major review of their own policies. So, what we have is a policy vacuum in the ALP.
Now, I did hear a glimmer of a policy this morning in the Leader of the Opposition’s statement, and it was absolutely astounding. The Leader of the Opposition is going to eradicate poverty!
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr BURKE: That’s in your statement, read your statement. She is going to eradicate poverty. The Leader of the Opposition is going to do that which no government in the history of man has achieved. That’s what she’s going to do. She is going to eradicate poverty.
The first thing you would want to do, I would suggest, is fight ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr BURKE: Well, let’s talk substance, that’s what I want to do. Firstly, let’s define poverty. Let’s talk about how the poverty levels move as the average wage is increased - what was poverty when I was a kid isn’t poverty today. You define poverty first and then you say you’re going to eradicate it.
I think that is not only astounding, it is shameful. It is shameful because of the things I said in my statement this morning, that too often politicians try and tell electorates that they can fix everything, and the Leader of the Opposition has begun in fine form. She is going to eradicate poverty. The next thing she’s going to do is possibly eradicate crime. That will be a goody; we’ll wait for that one. She is going to eradicate crime and possibly she is going to eradicate unemployment.
Well, I wish you well. Go out to the electorate, try and sell that to the electorate and see how you go, and see if they’ll believe you. Because Bob Hawke tried it, crying crocodile tears. He was going to make sure that no child in Australia lived in poverty and anyone would say he went a long way to not achieving that particular objective. But you are starting off exactly the same way. You’re starting off exactly the way you started off in politics where it was written in the NT News: ‘Clare Martin begins her career in politics by lying’. You go and tell the electorate out there how you’re going to eradicate poverty.
By the way, the other little policy glimpse I got was that she was unashamedly interventionist. That was in your statement. Go and tell Territorians - we welcome it. You tell them that you’re going to eradicate poverty and you are unashamedly interventionist, and we wish you well.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, yes, I can. If members listened to my statement this morning, those differences became very clear. Our policies are developed by Territorians and they are developed for Territorians. Our policies, in a nutshell, are pro-development, pro-jobs, pro-tourism, pro-increasing our GDP, pro-population growth. Our aim is to increase the wealth and wellbeing of Territorians so that they can each individually achieve the things they all aim for.
In comparison, the ALP has no policy. They took policies to the last election and the Territory electorate rejected those policies. Worse, they have now dumped those policies. They have asked for federal intervention, of which the Leader of the Opposition is proud. She is proud of that federal intervention to help them scope what their policies will be. But - wait for it - the federal ALP have also dumped their policies. They are now conducting a major review of their own policies. So, what we have is a policy vacuum in the ALP.
Now, I did hear a glimmer of a policy this morning in the Leader of the Opposition’s statement, and it was absolutely astounding. The Leader of the Opposition is going to eradicate poverty!
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr BURKE: That’s in your statement, read your statement. She is going to eradicate poverty. The Leader of the Opposition is going to do that which no government in the history of man has achieved. That’s what she’s going to do. She is going to eradicate poverty.
The first thing you would want to do, I would suggest, is fight ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr BURKE: Well, let’s talk substance, that’s what I want to do. Firstly, let’s define poverty. Let’s talk about how the poverty levels move as the average wage is increased - what was poverty when I was a kid isn’t poverty today. You define poverty first and then you say you’re going to eradicate it.
I think that is not only astounding, it is shameful. It is shameful because of the things I said in my statement this morning, that too often politicians try and tell electorates that they can fix everything, and the Leader of the Opposition has begun in fine form. She is going to eradicate poverty. The next thing she’s going to do is possibly eradicate crime. That will be a goody; we’ll wait for that one. She is going to eradicate crime and possibly she is going to eradicate unemployment.
Well, I wish you well. Go out to the electorate, try and sell that to the electorate and see how you go, and see if they’ll believe you. Because Bob Hawke tried it, crying crocodile tears. He was going to make sure that no child in Australia lived in poverty and anyone would say he went a long way to not achieving that particular objective. But you are starting off exactly the same way. You’re starting off exactly the way you started off in politics where it was written in the NT News: ‘Clare Martin begins her career in politics by lying’. You go and tell the electorate out there how you’re going to eradicate poverty.
By the way, the other little policy glimpse I got was that she was unashamedly interventionist. That was in your statement. Go and tell Territorians - we welcome it. You tell them that you’re going to eradicate poverty and you are unashamedly interventionist, and we wish you well.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016