Ms MARTIN - 2000-08-10
Yesterday the Treasurer was boasting of the capital works program. He proudly proclaimed that it would amount to $382m for 2000-01, and of the specific projects mentioned by the Treasurer, the total program was $65.2m. But the facts are very different. A lot of these projects will not even go to tender until well into the financial year. The cash expenditure allocated to those specific projects the Treasurer mentioned for this year is just $17.6m, about a quarter of his headline figure. Will the Chief Minister admit that beating up a program of $65m while allocating less than $18m is a broken promise to Territorians of $47m?
Mr Reed: The budget lasts for a year. You might not have noticed.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker,as the Treasurer interjected quite rightly, the budget does last for a year. This government will ensure in the course of this year that the Northern Territory’s economy remains the fastest-growing in Australia, and we will ensure that all sectors of the Northern Territory economy benefit from that growth.
With regard to the construction industry and the capital works program, I defer to the experts rather than the drivel of the Leader of the Opposition. One expert, Mr Chris Richardson of Access Economics, said yesterday:
You do have to remember that things are definitely brighter in the Territory than they are in the rest of Australia. The Territory’s population growth is pretty close to 2%, and Australia’s population growth is pretty close to 1%. All things equal, it’s going to be something that supports almost double the housing construction in the Territory.
In the construction industry, which is the main focus of her question, if we compare the 12 months to June 2000 with the previous 12 months, there was an increase of 9.1% in the total number of owner-occupied housing finance commitments in the Territory, to 5815 in original terms. And that is just the housing industry.
Today I will launch formally the redevelopment of Royal Darwin Hospital, a major capital works program that we will deliver on in Darwin as we are delivering on Alice Springs Hospital. It isn’t something that has been decided on the spur of the moment.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: Territorians contact me regularly about their inability to hear broadcasts of Question Time. I believe that portrays politicians on both sides of the House particularly badly. Unfortunately, Territorians listening don’t recognise the fact that on this side of the House there is silence and politeness. On the other side of the House there is nothing but the ravings and giggles of a bunch of children. I ask the opposition, in deference to those listening, if you ask a question give them the courtesy of hearing the answer. That is what Question Time is supposed to achieve.
We will launch the redevelopment of Royal Darwin Hospital, something that has been a long time in gestation, something that has resulted from a large effort by the government to increase the ability of both the public and the private sector in terms of those holding private health insurance to access all of the benefits a good health system provides. I remind honourable members that at every stage of that process it was obstructed by the Labor opposition. Notwithstanding that obstruction, my aim as Minister for Health and now as Chief Minister to integrate those two hospitals is being achieved with the major redevelopment program that is now taking place. You will see a public health system and a private health system in those two hospitals providing optimum service to those who live in Darwin and to those who are transferred to either of those hospitals from other parts of the Territory.
Of course, Territorians would be aware of the other major projects in the pipeline - convention centres in ...
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The essence of the question went to the Treasurer’s statement yesterday in which he talked about a program of $65m, while the Leader of the Opposition has pointed out that only $17m will be spent this year. The question to the Chief Minister is, was the Treasurer misleading this House and Territorians yesterday by that statement? He hasn’t come to the essence of the question.
Mr SPEAKER: The Chief Minister does have, as I have said before, leeway in answering the question. I would, though, ask the Chief Minister to get to the nub of the answer as quickly as possible.
Mr BURKE: I am finished.
Mr Reed: The budget lasts for a year. You might not have noticed.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker,as the Treasurer interjected quite rightly, the budget does last for a year. This government will ensure in the course of this year that the Northern Territory’s economy remains the fastest-growing in Australia, and we will ensure that all sectors of the Northern Territory economy benefit from that growth.
With regard to the construction industry and the capital works program, I defer to the experts rather than the drivel of the Leader of the Opposition. One expert, Mr Chris Richardson of Access Economics, said yesterday:
You do have to remember that things are definitely brighter in the Territory than they are in the rest of Australia. The Territory’s population growth is pretty close to 2%, and Australia’s population growth is pretty close to 1%. All things equal, it’s going to be something that supports almost double the housing construction in the Territory.
In the construction industry, which is the main focus of her question, if we compare the 12 months to June 2000 with the previous 12 months, there was an increase of 9.1% in the total number of owner-occupied housing finance commitments in the Territory, to 5815 in original terms. And that is just the housing industry.
Today I will launch formally the redevelopment of Royal Darwin Hospital, a major capital works program that we will deliver on in Darwin as we are delivering on Alice Springs Hospital. It isn’t something that has been decided on the spur of the moment.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: Territorians contact me regularly about their inability to hear broadcasts of Question Time. I believe that portrays politicians on both sides of the House particularly badly. Unfortunately, Territorians listening don’t recognise the fact that on this side of the House there is silence and politeness. On the other side of the House there is nothing but the ravings and giggles of a bunch of children. I ask the opposition, in deference to those listening, if you ask a question give them the courtesy of hearing the answer. That is what Question Time is supposed to achieve.
We will launch the redevelopment of Royal Darwin Hospital, something that has been a long time in gestation, something that has resulted from a large effort by the government to increase the ability of both the public and the private sector in terms of those holding private health insurance to access all of the benefits a good health system provides. I remind honourable members that at every stage of that process it was obstructed by the Labor opposition. Notwithstanding that obstruction, my aim as Minister for Health and now as Chief Minister to integrate those two hospitals is being achieved with the major redevelopment program that is now taking place. You will see a public health system and a private health system in those two hospitals providing optimum service to those who live in Darwin and to those who are transferred to either of those hospitals from other parts of the Territory.
Of course, Territorians would be aware of the other major projects in the pipeline - convention centres in ...
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The essence of the question went to the Treasurer’s statement yesterday in which he talked about a program of $65m, while the Leader of the Opposition has pointed out that only $17m will be spent this year. The question to the Chief Minister is, was the Treasurer misleading this House and Territorians yesterday by that statement? He hasn’t come to the essence of the question.
Mr SPEAKER: The Chief Minister does have, as I have said before, leeway in answering the question. I would, though, ask the Chief Minister to get to the nub of the answer as quickly as possible.
Mr BURKE: I am finished.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016