Mrs HICKEY - 1998-06-16
He broke a core election promise to maintain the freeze on power. His budget of betrayal pushed power bills up, it pushed water bills up, it pushed sewerage costs up, it pushed bus fares up and it pushed Housing Commission rentals up. To make matters worse, mandatory motor vehicle insurance has now been jacked up. The Treasurer is refusing to answer the questions Labor has put on his outrageous price hikes. Madam Speaker, I seek leave to table copies of correspondence between myself and the Leader of Government Business evidencing this fact.
Leave granted.
Mrs HICKEY: Why has the Treasurer disgraced his office by imposing these unprincipled price hikes on Territory households and by trying to hide them from public scrutiny?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, we have heard the oft-repeated ‘budget of betrayal’ and other nonsensical remarks from the Leader of the Opposition. Ever since the budget was brought down a couple of months ago, the opposition has been seeking to tease out what would be considered the more unpleasant aspects of it. Of course, it overlooks the positive aspects.
We acknowledge that, if we are to continue to act as a responsible government and meet the increasing costs that are incurred by the government in providing services, unfortunately, electricity charges must increase. Similarly, water charges, as the Leader of the Opposition pointed out, also were increased. However, it is always interesting that ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: Has the member taken some automatic talking pill? The member cannot shut her mouth. She has some sort of involuntary speech reflex. There must be a medical term for involuntary speech.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr Coulter interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Members on both sides!
Mr REED: Madam Speaker, in speaking about increased water costs, the Leader of the Opposition conveniently omits any mention of the fact that Territorians still have the second-cheapest water charges in the country, after Tasmania. In fact, she always goes out of her way to avoid mentioning that. However, I believe that Territorians recognise that the government has worked hard to keep costs as low as possible.
The Leader of the Opposition also conveniently overlooks the fact that this budget, as did other budgets delivered by this government, maintains jobs for Territorians, continues growth and ensures that children who go to school and on to higher education may be secure in the future in the Territory and will have a job to go to. That is not the case with the Labor Party members opposite. They do not want projects like the Jabiluka mine. They do not want to see the creation of jobs. While they mouth sentiments that indicate that personally they would like to see them, they are in a terrible position. Only last week, their federal leader, their commissar from Canberra, told them that the Jabiluka mine would not proceed.
I advise members opposite to look at the budget in the broader context of the overall benefits to Territorians. They will have an opportunity over the next 3 days to search very deeply into the structure of this budget. Their questions do not indicate that they have the capacity to do it successfully. They have not structured their questions in a way that will be beneficial to Territorians. I will get to that later. However, over the next 3 days, the opposition will be in a unique position in Australia in that they will be able to question ministers at length on any issues relating to the 1998-99 budget. I suggest that they make that a productive exercise rather than their normal negative exercise.
Leave granted.
Mrs HICKEY: Why has the Treasurer disgraced his office by imposing these unprincipled price hikes on Territory households and by trying to hide them from public scrutiny?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, we have heard the oft-repeated ‘budget of betrayal’ and other nonsensical remarks from the Leader of the Opposition. Ever since the budget was brought down a couple of months ago, the opposition has been seeking to tease out what would be considered the more unpleasant aspects of it. Of course, it overlooks the positive aspects.
We acknowledge that, if we are to continue to act as a responsible government and meet the increasing costs that are incurred by the government in providing services, unfortunately, electricity charges must increase. Similarly, water charges, as the Leader of the Opposition pointed out, also were increased. However, it is always interesting that ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: Has the member taken some automatic talking pill? The member cannot shut her mouth. She has some sort of involuntary speech reflex. There must be a medical term for involuntary speech.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr Coulter interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Members on both sides!
Mr REED: Madam Speaker, in speaking about increased water costs, the Leader of the Opposition conveniently omits any mention of the fact that Territorians still have the second-cheapest water charges in the country, after Tasmania. In fact, she always goes out of her way to avoid mentioning that. However, I believe that Territorians recognise that the government has worked hard to keep costs as low as possible.
The Leader of the Opposition also conveniently overlooks the fact that this budget, as did other budgets delivered by this government, maintains jobs for Territorians, continues growth and ensures that children who go to school and on to higher education may be secure in the future in the Territory and will have a job to go to. That is not the case with the Labor Party members opposite. They do not want projects like the Jabiluka mine. They do not want to see the creation of jobs. While they mouth sentiments that indicate that personally they would like to see them, they are in a terrible position. Only last week, their federal leader, their commissar from Canberra, told them that the Jabiluka mine would not proceed.
I advise members opposite to look at the budget in the broader context of the overall benefits to Territorians. They will have an opportunity over the next 3 days to search very deeply into the structure of this budget. Their questions do not indicate that they have the capacity to do it successfully. They have not structured their questions in a way that will be beneficial to Territorians. I will get to that later. However, over the next 3 days, the opposition will be in a unique position in Australia in that they will be able to question ministers at length on any issues relating to the 1998-99 budget. I suggest that they make that a productive exercise rather than their normal negative exercise.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016