Mr POOLE - 1999-08-11
The ALP opposition recently claimed that Territorians were earning less than workers in other parts of this country, describing this as a very sorry trend. I ask the Treasurer if this is indeed the case. Or is it yet another case of the ALP Labor leader talking down the Territory by making misleading statements about our economy?
ANSWER
Certainly, Mr Speaker, it is a case of the Opposition Leader and her colleagues continually trying to talk down the economy. The Northern Territory economy is one of the best-performing economies in Australia. It has been for a number of years, and still holds that mantle. It is something that Territorians, including members opposite, should be very proud of.
There are some very interesting ABS statistics - not ours, but from the Australian Bureau of Statistics - which support the claim that our unemployment level, at 3.8%, is well below the unemployment figures elsewhere in the country. You can get a job here. In fact, there’s a problem in some areas with shortages of people who are prepared and able to fill jobs. That doesn’t happen in a lot of places around Australia at the moment.
The recorded growth in the gross state product of the Northern Territory was 5.2% - after WA at 6.3% - for 1997-98. That’s a wonderful achievement, and it’s Territorians who achieved it. Don’t you think there’s confidence out there among people wanting to invest and commit themselves to the Northern Territory?
Why won’t the opposition recognise that NT housing finance commitments for owner-occupation were up 21.2% to May 1999? They are the sorts of figures that dispel the nonsense that the Leader of the Opposition continually comes up with. She continually decries the fact that we’ve got the highest cost of living in Australia and that we are at a severe disadvantage compared to elsewhere in Australia. In saying so, she fails to recognise the fact that, being 3000 km away from the source of supply of most of the goods we consume, there is necessarily a cost impost on getting those products here.
I don’t know if the Leader of the Opposition doesn’t understand, or whether she lies about the matters she has been talking about in this context. I’d like the Opposition Leader to tell us: Does she fail to understand, or does she tell Territorians lies?
While they’re having their little conference there, in complete ignorance of the facts, I will table the consumer price index to the June quarter of 1999, showing that the annual percentage change in the CPI for the Northern Territory is substantially below - it has been now for over a year - the national average. At June 1999 it was 0.7%, compared with 1.1% nationally. In terms of the increase in the cost of living, we are substantially below other parts of Australia. That is a fact that the Leader of the Opposition should recognise. I ask her to have a look at that chart, and to stop claiming to Territorians in a non-factual way - in fact, misleading Territorians - that we are in a situation that she tries to portray as disastrous.
We are in a very favourable position as far as the economy is concerned. I’m sure that people listening to this broadcast would understand that, and be aware that the Leader of the Opposition either doesn’t understand, or she is telling them lies. They have to pose the question.
She has referred to the earnings of Territorians. Again, the Leader of the Opposition tries to portray that all is not well here in the Northern Territory. This ABS-sourced graph of average adult full-time weekly earnings clearly demonstrates that we perform fairly well. We are third from the top at $785, the ACT being the highest with $868. And why would that be?
Mr Toyne interjecting.
Mr REED: Well, you don’t listen. This is why you don’t understand it. You either don’t understand or you tell lies. You have to tell Territorians what the facts are.
In looking at our average weekly earnings, you have to take into account - and the Leader of the Opposition has to learn how to take into account - the fact that we have a much more broadly based economy than we had 10 years ago when we did have higher levels of income. We had higher percentages of public servants in the income averages, and that inflated the amount.
They can all laugh, they can all treat the facts with mirth, but there are people out there listening to their laughter and understanding that they either don’t understand or they tell lies to Territorians. The facts are apparent to Territorians. The performance of the economy is a good one. The activity that’s being generated out there in the private sector will continue to help the Territory economy to grow, providing opportunities for Territorians - job opportunities. They won’t take this nonsense of the Leader of the Opposition putting down the economy in a way that it doesn’t deserve and putting down the performance of those people who are out there in the community working hard to promote the economy, to advance it and create more jobs.
ANSWER
Certainly, Mr Speaker, it is a case of the Opposition Leader and her colleagues continually trying to talk down the economy. The Northern Territory economy is one of the best-performing economies in Australia. It has been for a number of years, and still holds that mantle. It is something that Territorians, including members opposite, should be very proud of.
There are some very interesting ABS statistics - not ours, but from the Australian Bureau of Statistics - which support the claim that our unemployment level, at 3.8%, is well below the unemployment figures elsewhere in the country. You can get a job here. In fact, there’s a problem in some areas with shortages of people who are prepared and able to fill jobs. That doesn’t happen in a lot of places around Australia at the moment.
The recorded growth in the gross state product of the Northern Territory was 5.2% - after WA at 6.3% - for 1997-98. That’s a wonderful achievement, and it’s Territorians who achieved it. Don’t you think there’s confidence out there among people wanting to invest and commit themselves to the Northern Territory?
Why won’t the opposition recognise that NT housing finance commitments for owner-occupation were up 21.2% to May 1999? They are the sorts of figures that dispel the nonsense that the Leader of the Opposition continually comes up with. She continually decries the fact that we’ve got the highest cost of living in Australia and that we are at a severe disadvantage compared to elsewhere in Australia. In saying so, she fails to recognise the fact that, being 3000 km away from the source of supply of most of the goods we consume, there is necessarily a cost impost on getting those products here.
I don’t know if the Leader of the Opposition doesn’t understand, or whether she lies about the matters she has been talking about in this context. I’d like the Opposition Leader to tell us: Does she fail to understand, or does she tell Territorians lies?
While they’re having their little conference there, in complete ignorance of the facts, I will table the consumer price index to the June quarter of 1999, showing that the annual percentage change in the CPI for the Northern Territory is substantially below - it has been now for over a year - the national average. At June 1999 it was 0.7%, compared with 1.1% nationally. In terms of the increase in the cost of living, we are substantially below other parts of Australia. That is a fact that the Leader of the Opposition should recognise. I ask her to have a look at that chart, and to stop claiming to Territorians in a non-factual way - in fact, misleading Territorians - that we are in a situation that she tries to portray as disastrous.
We are in a very favourable position as far as the economy is concerned. I’m sure that people listening to this broadcast would understand that, and be aware that the Leader of the Opposition either doesn’t understand, or she is telling them lies. They have to pose the question.
She has referred to the earnings of Territorians. Again, the Leader of the Opposition tries to portray that all is not well here in the Northern Territory. This ABS-sourced graph of average adult full-time weekly earnings clearly demonstrates that we perform fairly well. We are third from the top at $785, the ACT being the highest with $868. And why would that be?
Mr Toyne interjecting.
Mr REED: Well, you don’t listen. This is why you don’t understand it. You either don’t understand or you tell lies. You have to tell Territorians what the facts are.
In looking at our average weekly earnings, you have to take into account - and the Leader of the Opposition has to learn how to take into account - the fact that we have a much more broadly based economy than we had 10 years ago when we did have higher levels of income. We had higher percentages of public servants in the income averages, and that inflated the amount.
They can all laugh, they can all treat the facts with mirth, but there are people out there listening to their laughter and understanding that they either don’t understand or they tell lies to Territorians. The facts are apparent to Territorians. The performance of the economy is a good one. The activity that’s being generated out there in the private sector will continue to help the Territory economy to grow, providing opportunities for Territorians - job opportunities. They won’t take this nonsense of the Leader of the Opposition putting down the economy in a way that it doesn’t deserve and putting down the performance of those people who are out there in the community working hard to promote the economy, to advance it and create more jobs.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016