Mr BALCH - 1998-04-30
The opposition has made much of community disquiet over the budget, particularly in the business community, yet all I have seen has been one lady from the Narrows. I have heard nothing but support from the business community. Can the Treasurer please elaborate?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, certainly I can elaborate on the presentations that I have made to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Property Council of Australia. They were very well attended and a great deal of interest was shown in the budget. There was great enthusiasm in respect of the decade of growth and prosperity that lies ahead for those Territorians who want to work hard and be part of it.
Predictably, we hear grizzling from members opposite, misinterpretation, and the fudging of their own figures. It is disappointing that they do not have the capacity to focus on the facts and to portray them accurately. In that context, I urge members opposite to look at Budget Paper No 2 in relation to the Katherine flood. It is fully detailed there from page 425 onwards. That is the book they have to take off the shelf when they get back to their offices.
A story appeared in the NT News yesterday, headed, 'Mum's Fury Over PAWA Price Hike'. I ask the member for Fannie Bay who 'mum' is. Who is Mrs Macdonald, with daughters Ainslie, 3, and Isabella, 4 months? I have a sneaking little suspicion that she could be a Labor stooge. We are well aware of the Labor Party's penchant for fabrication. If this is the lady I think it is, she could be getting a little tired because she is used a fair bit. She seems to be the only person who will stand up and support the member for Fannie Bay. I do not see any other faces coming forward. I refer to the NT News of Friday 29 August: 'In Fannie Bay, the message is Clare'. And who authorised that advertisement? Well, I never! It was authorised by Kathy Macdonald. This lady is working her fingers to the bone for the good member for Fannie Bay.
Let us go back to the reality. The Leader of the Opposition has fudged her own figures to try to make increases to the water, electricity and sewerage charges seem worse. Instead of multiplying her figures by 3, she has multiplied them by 4. In her terms, it should be in the order of about $850, but she portrayed it as $1000 to make it sound worse. She has shown her capacity to present even her own figures in a way that is ineffective, wrong and appallingly incompetent. The average cost to Territorians of the increase in electricity, water, and sewerage is in the order of $3.60 a week - about half the cost of a packet of cigarettes. The governmentwould have preferred not to have placed this impost on Territorians, but we are prepared to take the decisions necessary for sound financial
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management. The budget that was presented this week ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr REED: ... ignoring the misrepresentation by the Labor Party, will take the Territory forward to a new period of prosperity. If Labor has to rely on someone whom ...
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: Poor old Bridgid! The Leader of the Opposition crucified Bridgid on the steps of Parliament House. Now they are doing Mrs Macdonald in. Have some respect for the people who do the hard work for you. You are a disgrace!
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, certainly I can elaborate on the presentations that I have made to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Property Council of Australia. They were very well attended and a great deal of interest was shown in the budget. There was great enthusiasm in respect of the decade of growth and prosperity that lies ahead for those Territorians who want to work hard and be part of it.
Predictably, we hear grizzling from members opposite, misinterpretation, and the fudging of their own figures. It is disappointing that they do not have the capacity to focus on the facts and to portray them accurately. In that context, I urge members opposite to look at Budget Paper No 2 in relation to the Katherine flood. It is fully detailed there from page 425 onwards. That is the book they have to take off the shelf when they get back to their offices.
A story appeared in the NT News yesterday, headed, 'Mum's Fury Over PAWA Price Hike'. I ask the member for Fannie Bay who 'mum' is. Who is Mrs Macdonald, with daughters Ainslie, 3, and Isabella, 4 months? I have a sneaking little suspicion that she could be a Labor stooge. We are well aware of the Labor Party's penchant for fabrication. If this is the lady I think it is, she could be getting a little tired because she is used a fair bit. She seems to be the only person who will stand up and support the member for Fannie Bay. I do not see any other faces coming forward. I refer to the NT News of Friday 29 August: 'In Fannie Bay, the message is Clare'. And who authorised that advertisement? Well, I never! It was authorised by Kathy Macdonald. This lady is working her fingers to the bone for the good member for Fannie Bay.
Let us go back to the reality. The Leader of the Opposition has fudged her own figures to try to make increases to the water, electricity and sewerage charges seem worse. Instead of multiplying her figures by 3, she has multiplied them by 4. In her terms, it should be in the order of about $850, but she portrayed it as $1000 to make it sound worse. She has shown her capacity to present even her own figures in a way that is ineffective, wrong and appallingly incompetent. The average cost to Territorians of the increase in electricity, water, and sewerage is in the order of $3.60 a week - about half the cost of a packet of cigarettes. The governmentwould have preferred not to have placed this impost on Territorians, but we are prepared to take the decisions necessary for sound financial
Page 237
management. The budget that was presented this week ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr REED: ... ignoring the misrepresentation by the Labor Party, will take the Territory forward to a new period of prosperity. If Labor has to rely on someone whom ...
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: Poor old Bridgid! The Leader of the Opposition crucified Bridgid on the steps of Parliament House. Now they are doing Mrs Macdonald in. Have some respect for the people who do the hard work for you. You are a disgrace!
Page 238
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016