Mrs HICKEY - 2000-10-19
I would like to talk about another of the wonderful CLP policies. When Territory Discoveries was established by the former Chief Minister in 1998 as the Territory’s tourism wholesaling business, even he acknowledged at the time concerns had been raised about unfair competition. Territory Discoveries only earns $800 000 a year, and yet it needs $1.8m to keep it afloat. It has forced a long term Territory business to downgrade its own local wholesaling expansion plans.
Given the current state of the industry and falling tourist numbers, does this not prove that government should stick to core business and leave business ventures like this to those who do it best, the private sector?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, there are a couple of points I would just like to pick up on. First of all, the incorrect assertion about falling tourism numbers. The honourable member for Barkly would obviously be referring to the current quarter which, around the country, has shown that the tourism industry is experiencing some difficulty. That is thought to be attributable to a number of factors - the Olympic Games principally; the introduction of a GST, which has made people look at what they do; and most importantly, also, escalating fuel prices as a result of the international impact on fuel prices and the change in patterns.
But it is not something that is consistent across the industry. For example, I called on a tour operator to the north of Alice Springs a few weeks ago when I drove down the track, and their particular business for September was up 70% this year over last year. So it is not something that is indicative of a problem across the industry and, in fact, the outcome to June this year has seen quite an extraordinary increase in the level of tourism operations and the industry itself, and I will be releasing those details in the not too distant future.
I am just looking here in the Access Economics report. They did make some reference to tourism which was quite strong and from the point of view of that …
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr REED: Well, I am just putting down the lie that the former Leader of the Opposition is trying to put.
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I would raise the point that the minister has accused the member for Barkly of putting forward a lie and I would like him to withdraw unless he is going to move a substantive motion.
Mr SPEAKER: I would the ask the minister to withdraw the inference that member for Barkly has lied.
Mr REED: Happy to refer to that. As regards the member for Nhulunbuy, the honourable member in her question can deliberately and quite directly refer to the tourism numbers and that is why I am providing a response. It needs a response because of the deceitfulness of the members opposite because they project the figures incorrectly.
Takings from accommodation increased in each of the accommodation sectors in the June quarter 2000, compared with the previous June quarter, by 15% for hotels, motels, guest houses and serviced apartments, by 14% for caravan parks and by 6% for visitor hostels. Not a bad gloomy report as gloomy reports go. In terms of the overall outcome – I will not go into any further detail, I think that encapsulates where I am coming from in terms of putting down the deceitfulness of the assertion of the former Leader of the Opposition that the industry is in a slump.
As regards the particular issues to which she refers, the arrangements to put Territory Discoveries in place have been well known. They have been matters that have been pursued by the board of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission and still are. They have been quite successful in some areas in attracting business to organisations and to operators who otherwise may not have achieved and in more effectively and comprehensively promoting the Northern Territory, and isn’t that we are all about? The success of Australia’s Northern Territory and Outback Centre in Darling Harbour is yet another example of that and if any other tourist commission around this country has an office that was attracting over the last month 5000 visitors per day, I would be very surprised. We are talking about Territory Discoveries, thank you, because the Leader of the Opposition has made the obvious link. It took a while to come to her, the link between the Outback Centre in Darling Harbour, the visitors that go in there, and then as that flows onto Territory Discoveries. It is a comprehensive visionary program that we have notwithstanding that the Leader of the Opposition does not have that kind of a capacity to understand those issues.
Now in terms of Territory Discoveries it has been established as a …
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: Do they really want to hear the answer? Well, you would wonder. Ask your boss if she could just be quite a bit.
The Territory Discoveries has been established as a government business division and it may be that the time will come that it could be considered for sale. It will need to mature somewhat beyond what it has at the moment to be able to achieve that but I simply raise that as a possibility in terms of being able to consider those issues. If you do not have the ability to recognise that I am very sorry for you.
If I could just ask the agreement of honourable members in terms of a question that was asked by the member for Nhulunbuy earlier who sought some information, and I will give him a quick answer to the advice that he sought as regards the damage of buildings at Winnellie.
This is very instructive information. At 3.19am on Sunday, 15 October, police communications received a report of glass smashing in the area of Fineline Furniture, Stuart Highway, Winnellie; they received a report. At 3.21am, police booked off at the location with a two minute response time. Not too bad given that the good Leader of the Opposition does not realise what she did yesterday and does not understand what she adjourned in terms of a debate. Police were on the site within two minutes of receiving a call from the public.
Now in that regard, it is outrageous that the opposition police spokesman should say the police are not doing their job. Upon attendance it was ascertained that damage had been caused to businesses …
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: I know you don’t like the facts and you try to talk over them so that people can’t hear them but have a little bit of grace and respect for the police force.
It was ascertained that damage had been caused to businesses and vehicles at Fineline Furniture, ARB, LMPA, Boatland Winnellie, Liberty Motors, Project and Marketing Services, Beaurepairs, Autotrend and MSC Security.
It is also interesting to note that at about 2.30 hours, one hour prior to the incident, police had spoken with a number of juveniles near BP Winnellie who were walking away from the area of the offences. Police were on the scene; police did do the job on behalf of Territorians, and they attended within two minutes of being called. Show me a response time better than that in this country and have a bit of pride and have a bit of respect for your police force because they are working hard on behalf of Territorians. And you, as an alternative government, have no respect for the good work that those officers are doing. Notwithstanding that I have great sympathy for those people who had their property damaged but it ill behoves, and again emphasises, that they cannot be trusted. They, being the opposition, in terms of their deceitfulness that the police did not respond to those requests. You have been again exposed as being grossly deceitful, unable to be trusted and unable to recognise the good work the police are doing.
Given the current state of the industry and falling tourist numbers, does this not prove that government should stick to core business and leave business ventures like this to those who do it best, the private sector?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, there are a couple of points I would just like to pick up on. First of all, the incorrect assertion about falling tourism numbers. The honourable member for Barkly would obviously be referring to the current quarter which, around the country, has shown that the tourism industry is experiencing some difficulty. That is thought to be attributable to a number of factors - the Olympic Games principally; the introduction of a GST, which has made people look at what they do; and most importantly, also, escalating fuel prices as a result of the international impact on fuel prices and the change in patterns.
But it is not something that is consistent across the industry. For example, I called on a tour operator to the north of Alice Springs a few weeks ago when I drove down the track, and their particular business for September was up 70% this year over last year. So it is not something that is indicative of a problem across the industry and, in fact, the outcome to June this year has seen quite an extraordinary increase in the level of tourism operations and the industry itself, and I will be releasing those details in the not too distant future.
I am just looking here in the Access Economics report. They did make some reference to tourism which was quite strong and from the point of view of that …
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr REED: Well, I am just putting down the lie that the former Leader of the Opposition is trying to put.
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I would raise the point that the minister has accused the member for Barkly of putting forward a lie and I would like him to withdraw unless he is going to move a substantive motion.
Mr SPEAKER: I would the ask the minister to withdraw the inference that member for Barkly has lied.
Mr REED: Happy to refer to that. As regards the member for Nhulunbuy, the honourable member in her question can deliberately and quite directly refer to the tourism numbers and that is why I am providing a response. It needs a response because of the deceitfulness of the members opposite because they project the figures incorrectly.
Takings from accommodation increased in each of the accommodation sectors in the June quarter 2000, compared with the previous June quarter, by 15% for hotels, motels, guest houses and serviced apartments, by 14% for caravan parks and by 6% for visitor hostels. Not a bad gloomy report as gloomy reports go. In terms of the overall outcome – I will not go into any further detail, I think that encapsulates where I am coming from in terms of putting down the deceitfulness of the assertion of the former Leader of the Opposition that the industry is in a slump.
As regards the particular issues to which she refers, the arrangements to put Territory Discoveries in place have been well known. They have been matters that have been pursued by the board of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission and still are. They have been quite successful in some areas in attracting business to organisations and to operators who otherwise may not have achieved and in more effectively and comprehensively promoting the Northern Territory, and isn’t that we are all about? The success of Australia’s Northern Territory and Outback Centre in Darling Harbour is yet another example of that and if any other tourist commission around this country has an office that was attracting over the last month 5000 visitors per day, I would be very surprised. We are talking about Territory Discoveries, thank you, because the Leader of the Opposition has made the obvious link. It took a while to come to her, the link between the Outback Centre in Darling Harbour, the visitors that go in there, and then as that flows onto Territory Discoveries. It is a comprehensive visionary program that we have notwithstanding that the Leader of the Opposition does not have that kind of a capacity to understand those issues.
Now in terms of Territory Discoveries it has been established as a …
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: Do they really want to hear the answer? Well, you would wonder. Ask your boss if she could just be quite a bit.
The Territory Discoveries has been established as a government business division and it may be that the time will come that it could be considered for sale. It will need to mature somewhat beyond what it has at the moment to be able to achieve that but I simply raise that as a possibility in terms of being able to consider those issues. If you do not have the ability to recognise that I am very sorry for you.
If I could just ask the agreement of honourable members in terms of a question that was asked by the member for Nhulunbuy earlier who sought some information, and I will give him a quick answer to the advice that he sought as regards the damage of buildings at Winnellie.
This is very instructive information. At 3.19am on Sunday, 15 October, police communications received a report of glass smashing in the area of Fineline Furniture, Stuart Highway, Winnellie; they received a report. At 3.21am, police booked off at the location with a two minute response time. Not too bad given that the good Leader of the Opposition does not realise what she did yesterday and does not understand what she adjourned in terms of a debate. Police were on the site within two minutes of receiving a call from the public.
Now in that regard, it is outrageous that the opposition police spokesman should say the police are not doing their job. Upon attendance it was ascertained that damage had been caused to businesses …
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: I know you don’t like the facts and you try to talk over them so that people can’t hear them but have a little bit of grace and respect for the police force.
It was ascertained that damage had been caused to businesses and vehicles at Fineline Furniture, ARB, LMPA, Boatland Winnellie, Liberty Motors, Project and Marketing Services, Beaurepairs, Autotrend and MSC Security.
It is also interesting to note that at about 2.30 hours, one hour prior to the incident, police had spoken with a number of juveniles near BP Winnellie who were walking away from the area of the offences. Police were on the scene; police did do the job on behalf of Territorians, and they attended within two minutes of being called. Show me a response time better than that in this country and have a bit of pride and have a bit of respect for your police force because they are working hard on behalf of Territorians. And you, as an alternative government, have no respect for the good work that those officers are doing. Notwithstanding that I have great sympathy for those people who had their property damaged but it ill behoves, and again emphasises, that they cannot be trusted. They, being the opposition, in terms of their deceitfulness that the police did not respond to those requests. You have been again exposed as being grossly deceitful, unable to be trusted and unable to recognise the good work the police are doing.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016