Mrs HICKEY - 1998-04-29
At the launch of the Country Liberal Party's election campaign, the Chief Minister told Territorians electricity prices would remain frozen. The NT News reported, 9 days before the last election: 'Mr Stone promised the existing freeze on electricity prices would continue'. Yesterday, his government's budget imposed a 7% increase on electricity charges facing Territory families. This means that some Territory families will be forced to pay around $350 more in power between now and the next Territory election. How does he intend to prove that he can be trusted when it comes to his promises?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question. We predicted the question. I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the question that has been put to me by the Leader of the Opposition. It is important that Territorians listening to this broadcast ...
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr STONE: If members opposite would be quiet, they might actually hear the answer. When one looks at what was actually said at the election launch in August of last year, these were the words: 'The existing freeze on electricity prices stays in place'. It did stay in place. The new electricity charges, which per kilowatt/hour are in the vicinity of almost one-tenth of a cent, do not come into place until 1 July 1998. I gave that commitment and I have maintained it for the best part of a year after having made it. Territorians are not mugs. They know that, in the course of 10 years - one decade - they will have experienced only 2 increases in electricity charges. Those increases have been driven by imperatives beyond the control of any government. Show me anywhere else in Australia, show me any state or other territory, where prices have been frozen for 6 years and there will have been only 2 increases inside of 10 years.
Is it not remarkable that the Leader of the Opposition has used the NT News as her lead once again? I went out for the paper this morning, and observed that everybody was caught up by the imperatives of price rises. I looked at my NT News and I was a bit taken aback by the Channel 8 advertisement, 'Tomorrow's Headlines Tonight'. I thought that it was a pretty clever advertisement that Channel 8 had managed to place. However, hidden away inside was the announcement: 'Saturday News Price Up'. Thus, the reality is that the price rises for whatever commodity. It is a fact of life and ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: Despite the rude interjections of the member for Wanguri ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri, be quiet please.
Mr STONE: The reality is that, when I said that the freeze would stay in place, it did. It will have remained in place for the best part of 12 months. It is not a broken pledge or a broken promise. It is a promise that has been maintained.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri!
Mr STONE: We even increased our off-peak rates from 8 to 12 hours. I do not believe that we promised that we would do that, but we have done it.
Mr Stirling: The member for Sanderson said ...
Mr STONE: The question was directed to me, not to the member for Sanderson. Territorians listening to this broadcast know only too well that successive CLP governments have held down electricity prices. When the Leader of the Opposition says they will rise by $350, and then mumbles 'over the course of the next 3 years', she does herself and those she purports to represent a disservice. She knows that we have given a solid, unequivocal commitment that this is the one increase for this term. There it is. I have said it openly and unequivocally in the parliament - the one increase in this term. I challenge members opposite to show me any other state or territory that has pegged its prices for 6 years. Show me any state or territory that has had only 2 increases in 10 years. Show me any state or territory that gives a commitment in parliament, on the record, that an increase will be the only increase for that term in office - for 4 years. That deal is not available
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anywhere else in Australia.
Madam SPEAKER: That was not a very good start to Question Time. I knew members would not be good for 2 days in a row. It would be too much to ask. Members of the opposition, your interjections were too disorderly during the answer to that question. I am quite sure people listening to this broadcast could not have heard a word. The more interjections you make, the louder the Chief Minister speaks and the result is a big noise ...
Mr Bailey: He is very provocative.
Madam SPEAKER: Are you interrupting me? You are on a warning. You do not interrupt when I am speaking. You know the rules of this House ...
Mr Bailey: I thought a deal was done yesterday that interjections ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri, under standing order 240A, you are out for an hour. I told you not to interject when I am speaking. Off you go. You know the standing orders probably better than anyone else in this House.
Mr Bailey: A deal was done with you yesterday on the way things were to be done now.
Madam SPEAKER: Are you dissenting from my ruling?
Mr Bailey: No, I am leaving.
Madam SPEAKER: Good. Let me make it clear: interjections this morning have been far too many and far too loud. When 5 or 6 people are screaming at the same time, no one can hear the answer. Certainly, members are not to challenge me when I speak.
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question. We predicted the question. I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the question that has been put to me by the Leader of the Opposition. It is important that Territorians listening to this broadcast ...
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr STONE: If members opposite would be quiet, they might actually hear the answer. When one looks at what was actually said at the election launch in August of last year, these were the words: 'The existing freeze on electricity prices stays in place'. It did stay in place. The new electricity charges, which per kilowatt/hour are in the vicinity of almost one-tenth of a cent, do not come into place until 1 July 1998. I gave that commitment and I have maintained it for the best part of a year after having made it. Territorians are not mugs. They know that, in the course of 10 years - one decade - they will have experienced only 2 increases in electricity charges. Those increases have been driven by imperatives beyond the control of any government. Show me anywhere else in Australia, show me any state or other territory, where prices have been frozen for 6 years and there will have been only 2 increases inside of 10 years.
Is it not remarkable that the Leader of the Opposition has used the NT News as her lead once again? I went out for the paper this morning, and observed that everybody was caught up by the imperatives of price rises. I looked at my NT News and I was a bit taken aback by the Channel 8 advertisement, 'Tomorrow's Headlines Tonight'. I thought that it was a pretty clever advertisement that Channel 8 had managed to place. However, hidden away inside was the announcement: 'Saturday News Price Up'. Thus, the reality is that the price rises for whatever commodity. It is a fact of life and ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: Despite the rude interjections of the member for Wanguri ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri, be quiet please.
Mr STONE: The reality is that, when I said that the freeze would stay in place, it did. It will have remained in place for the best part of 12 months. It is not a broken pledge or a broken promise. It is a promise that has been maintained.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri!
Mr STONE: We even increased our off-peak rates from 8 to 12 hours. I do not believe that we promised that we would do that, but we have done it.
Mr Stirling: The member for Sanderson said ...
Mr STONE: The question was directed to me, not to the member for Sanderson. Territorians listening to this broadcast know only too well that successive CLP governments have held down electricity prices. When the Leader of the Opposition says they will rise by $350, and then mumbles 'over the course of the next 3 years', she does herself and those she purports to represent a disservice. She knows that we have given a solid, unequivocal commitment that this is the one increase for this term. There it is. I have said it openly and unequivocally in the parliament - the one increase in this term. I challenge members opposite to show me any other state or territory that has pegged its prices for 6 years. Show me any state or territory that has had only 2 increases in 10 years. Show me any state or territory that gives a commitment in parliament, on the record, that an increase will be the only increase for that term in office - for 4 years. That deal is not available
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anywhere else in Australia.
Madam SPEAKER: That was not a very good start to Question Time. I knew members would not be good for 2 days in a row. It would be too much to ask. Members of the opposition, your interjections were too disorderly during the answer to that question. I am quite sure people listening to this broadcast could not have heard a word. The more interjections you make, the louder the Chief Minister speaks and the result is a big noise ...
Mr Bailey: He is very provocative.
Madam SPEAKER: Are you interrupting me? You are on a warning. You do not interrupt when I am speaking. You know the rules of this House ...
Mr Bailey: I thought a deal was done yesterday that interjections ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri, under standing order 240A, you are out for an hour. I told you not to interject when I am speaking. Off you go. You know the standing orders probably better than anyone else in this House.
Mr Bailey: A deal was done with you yesterday on the way things were to be done now.
Madam SPEAKER: Are you dissenting from my ruling?
Mr Bailey: No, I am leaving.
Madam SPEAKER: Good. Let me make it clear: interjections this morning have been far too many and far too loud. When 5 or 6 people are screaming at the same time, no one can hear the answer. Certainly, members are not to challenge me when I speak.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016