Ms MARTIN - 2001-05-29
Before we hear the budget in an hour’s time, let us look at this government’s previous budgets to see whether the promises we will hear today bear any resemblance to the truth.
In delivering last year’s budget speech, the Treasurer said, ‘The budget has been framed in an environment of the fastest-growing economy in Australia.’ The government predicted that economic growth in 1999-2000 would be 12.8%. What a fairytale that turned out to be! The result published by the ABS was zero growth, and we know the hurt that has caused in the Territory. It is the worst result of any jurisdiction in Australia.
I ask the Chief Minister: how could your government get it so wrong? And based on how inaccurate you were last year, why should Territorians put any faith in the budget tales of this year?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, not only am I confident that Territorians will put faith in the announcement in this year’s budget, I can guarantee that they already put faith in the efforts of this government. They have far more faith in us than in the whingeing and whining that comes from the Leader of the Opposition and the headkicker on her left.
If you want a demonstration of confidence in the Northern Territory government as it relates to the last 12 months, one only has to look at the latest Yellow Pages Business Index. There are amazing figures in there! Attitudes to state or territory government policies in the period February 2001 to May 2001: in the Labor state of New South Wales, there has been a drop of confidence from -7% to -18%; in the Labor state of Victoria, there has been a drop of confidence from -10% to -12%; in the Labor state of Queensland with the very popular Premier, Mr Beattie, they have recorded astounding success, they have had a rise in confidence from -17% to -1%; in the Labor state of Western Australia, there has been a drop in confidence of -4% to -13%; and in the Northern Territory, there has been an increase in confidence from +28% to +39%.
How our policies and our projections are received by Territorians is consistently demonstrated by the confidence that Territorians have in this government and in the continued and increasing confidence that business has in this Northern Territory government.
Mr Stirling: What of the $80 000 worth of polling?
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Member for Nhulunbuy!
Mr BURKE: Territorians know …
Mr Stirling: That you rob from the taxpayer. What about the $80 000 you robbed from the taxpayer!
Mr SPEAKER: Order. Member for Nhulunbuy!
Mr BURKE: … that we delivered on the railway while you were calling for an inquiry. They know that when the railway was delivered for Territorians, it was the CLP government in the Northern Territory that achieved that railway for them. When Clare Martin and her cohorts said it was a faded dream, when Clare Martin and her cohorts called for a federal inquiry, when Beazley said he would withdraw his funding, the Northern Territory government persisted and we achieved that railway.
Mr Stirling: Zero growth! That’s what Territorians know. Zero growth!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: When we projected the great development of gas onshore to the Northern Territory, we will do more than bob around in a dinghy wondering where the oil rig is. We will deliver …
Dr Toyne: Zero growth!
Mr BURKE: … on gas for the Northern Territory. We will find our way home. You and Henderson don’t know which way to go in a dinghy - who’s going to paddle?
The amazing thing that happened last week was when Premier Beattie came over to the Northern Territory and admitted that he was wrong when it came to PNG gas into Queensland. I told Premier Peter Beattie two years ago, and he knows it, too. It is on the public record. Two years ago I told him PNG gas was a …
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Chief Minister can fantasise all he likes about what discussions he may have had…
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.
Mr STIRLING: The question is zero economic growth, and you are responsible for it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I warn the member for Nhulunbuy! One more outburst and you will be out for an hour.
Mr BURKE: Fifties and fading! I talked to Premier Beattie two years ago about getting PNG gas into Queensland. He was taking his corporate entities in Queensland into a take-or-pay arrangement which was bordering on illegal. Worse, I said to him, ‘Why would you take PNG gas when you have Australian gas you could use from the Timor Sea?’ I am pleased to see that Queensland has now realised that it is the Timor Sea gas that will be delivered and that the chance for Queensland and Townsville entities will come from Timor Sea gas.
Don’t tell us about preparing the Territory for the future. Any downturn in the economy of the Northern Territory is coupled with the national downturn. Every government has struggled with that downturn. We understand business has been hurt but in this budget not only will we demonstrate where we have delivered, we will demonstrate where we will continue to deliver jobs and prosperity for Territorians.
In delivering last year’s budget speech, the Treasurer said, ‘The budget has been framed in an environment of the fastest-growing economy in Australia.’ The government predicted that economic growth in 1999-2000 would be 12.8%. What a fairytale that turned out to be! The result published by the ABS was zero growth, and we know the hurt that has caused in the Territory. It is the worst result of any jurisdiction in Australia.
I ask the Chief Minister: how could your government get it so wrong? And based on how inaccurate you were last year, why should Territorians put any faith in the budget tales of this year?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, not only am I confident that Territorians will put faith in the announcement in this year’s budget, I can guarantee that they already put faith in the efforts of this government. They have far more faith in us than in the whingeing and whining that comes from the Leader of the Opposition and the headkicker on her left.
If you want a demonstration of confidence in the Northern Territory government as it relates to the last 12 months, one only has to look at the latest Yellow Pages Business Index. There are amazing figures in there! Attitudes to state or territory government policies in the period February 2001 to May 2001: in the Labor state of New South Wales, there has been a drop of confidence from -7% to -18%; in the Labor state of Victoria, there has been a drop of confidence from -10% to -12%; in the Labor state of Queensland with the very popular Premier, Mr Beattie, they have recorded astounding success, they have had a rise in confidence from -17% to -1%; in the Labor state of Western Australia, there has been a drop in confidence of -4% to -13%; and in the Northern Territory, there has been an increase in confidence from +28% to +39%.
How our policies and our projections are received by Territorians is consistently demonstrated by the confidence that Territorians have in this government and in the continued and increasing confidence that business has in this Northern Territory government.
Mr Stirling: What of the $80 000 worth of polling?
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Member for Nhulunbuy!
Mr BURKE: Territorians know …
Mr Stirling: That you rob from the taxpayer. What about the $80 000 you robbed from the taxpayer!
Mr SPEAKER: Order. Member for Nhulunbuy!
Mr BURKE: … that we delivered on the railway while you were calling for an inquiry. They know that when the railway was delivered for Territorians, it was the CLP government in the Northern Territory that achieved that railway for them. When Clare Martin and her cohorts said it was a faded dream, when Clare Martin and her cohorts called for a federal inquiry, when Beazley said he would withdraw his funding, the Northern Territory government persisted and we achieved that railway.
Mr Stirling: Zero growth! That’s what Territorians know. Zero growth!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: When we projected the great development of gas onshore to the Northern Territory, we will do more than bob around in a dinghy wondering where the oil rig is. We will deliver …
Dr Toyne: Zero growth!
Mr BURKE: … on gas for the Northern Territory. We will find our way home. You and Henderson don’t know which way to go in a dinghy - who’s going to paddle?
The amazing thing that happened last week was when Premier Beattie came over to the Northern Territory and admitted that he was wrong when it came to PNG gas into Queensland. I told Premier Peter Beattie two years ago, and he knows it, too. It is on the public record. Two years ago I told him PNG gas was a …
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Chief Minister can fantasise all he likes about what discussions he may have had…
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.
Mr STIRLING: The question is zero economic growth, and you are responsible for it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I warn the member for Nhulunbuy! One more outburst and you will be out for an hour.
Mr BURKE: Fifties and fading! I talked to Premier Beattie two years ago about getting PNG gas into Queensland. He was taking his corporate entities in Queensland into a take-or-pay arrangement which was bordering on illegal. Worse, I said to him, ‘Why would you take PNG gas when you have Australian gas you could use from the Timor Sea?’ I am pleased to see that Queensland has now realised that it is the Timor Sea gas that will be delivered and that the chance for Queensland and Townsville entities will come from Timor Sea gas.
Don’t tell us about preparing the Territory for the future. Any downturn in the economy of the Northern Territory is coupled with the national downturn. Every government has struggled with that downturn. We understand business has been hurt but in this budget not only will we demonstrate where we have delivered, we will demonstrate where we will continue to deliver jobs and prosperity for Territorians.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016