Mr STIRLING - 2001-06-05
Mr Speaker, two weeks ago at a lunch hosted by the Public Relations Institute of Australia, the Chief Minister sang his own praises about the hugely expensive Foundations for Our Future exercise. The Chief Minister explained part of the justification for Foundations for Our Future was to provide direction to the public sector which had been, to quote him, ‘traumatised by the Planning for Growth debacle’.
Chief Minister, tell us more about why you publicly described Planning for Growth as ‘traumatic’ and further, how public servants can have any faith in your assurances about the future when the worst is clearly yet to come as a result of your deceptive budget?
ANSWER
Once again, Mr Speaker, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is fine at inventing words. I never said debacle. You know that. I never said debacle, I said the Planning for Growth exercise was a traumatic exercise for the public service to go through. I believe it is well and truly on the public record. I have been saying, since I became Chief Minister, that government was very mindful of the effect that had on many public servants. It was a necessary exercise. Government and the public service are better for it but it was very important to not only get a strategic plan for the future of the Northern Territory - and Foundations for Our Future, I believe, clearly expresses that - but also to allow the public service to get ownership of that particular strategic plan. That is what the objective was, that is what we set out to achieve and that is what I believe we have achieved.
Chief Minister, tell us more about why you publicly described Planning for Growth as ‘traumatic’ and further, how public servants can have any faith in your assurances about the future when the worst is clearly yet to come as a result of your deceptive budget?
ANSWER
Once again, Mr Speaker, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is fine at inventing words. I never said debacle. You know that. I never said debacle, I said the Planning for Growth exercise was a traumatic exercise for the public service to go through. I believe it is well and truly on the public record. I have been saying, since I became Chief Minister, that government was very mindful of the effect that had on many public servants. It was a necessary exercise. Government and the public service are better for it but it was very important to not only get a strategic plan for the future of the Northern Territory - and Foundations for Our Future, I believe, clearly expresses that - but also to allow the public service to get ownership of that particular strategic plan. That is what the objective was, that is what we set out to achieve and that is what I believe we have achieved.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016