Ms MARTIN - 2000-11-28
As recently as two weeks ago your government was still predicting 12.8% growth for last financial year. Last week the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed economic growth for 1999-2000 was zero. This represents a massive $830m error by the Treasurer. Every other jurisdiction in Australia – and here is the graph – showed positive economic growth. Tasmania, 1.1%. After boasting of the Territory’s high growth projections for so long, will you and the Treasurer now issue an apology to Territorians for deceiving them so badly?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, ‘deceit’ is a word that the Leader of the Opposition knows well. Everyone is well aware of the way she has set out to deceive Northern Territorians, to deceive the media, but most importantly to deceive the Northern Territory police. With regards to the chief of her staff …
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I fail to see the connection anywhere between the Territory police and zero economic growth as reported by the ABS this week, and which he was called upon to answer.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order on those grounds.
Mr BURKE: Of course, the connection is deceit. The deceit of the Northern Territory police with regards to her chief of staff using a false name and trying to misrepresent the police. The deceit with regards to the member for Arafura and the use of his car, and how she tried to mislead the media again on the member for Arafura and then, when caught out, promptly dumped him.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr BURKE: ‘But everyone knows Maurice’, Mr Speaker. ‘Everyone knows Maurice; it’s just Maurice.’
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Chief Minister is very well aware that he cannot use the first name of a member, and he should refer to him as the member for Arafura.
Mr SPEAKER: All members are aware that members must be referred to by their title, either ‘member for’ or ‘minister’, and so on, and the Chief Minister should not refer to a member by his or her first name.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I seek clarification. I was quoting directly from the words of the Leader of the Opposition, when she said: ‘You know it’s just Maurice’.
Mr SPEAKER: In that case - I did not pick that up - there is no point of order.
Mr BURKE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Lastly, of course, we are yet to get to the bottom of what deceit was employed with Senator Trish Crossin and how much the Leader of the Opposition knew about the actions of Senator Trish Crossin and the use of her car.
I use the word ‘deceit’ and give three quick examples because the question the Leader of the Opposition raises implies clearly more deceit on her part. If she had used ABS figures, if she had quoted the GSP in the Northern Territory, she would also have included the disclaimer that the ABS used when they produced their current report, and which says:
The estimates of gross state product chain volume measures included in this publication are regarded as experimental. The reasons are set out in explanatory notes. Users should therefore exercise caution when using these estimates for economic analysis.
That is the disclaimer that the ABS uses, and the reason why those figures need to be questioned is that particular modelling works to the disadvantage of small jurisdictions, and particularly works to the disadvantage of the Northern Territory. If the figures were minus .02 or plus .02, I would probably have a little more faith in them. But the fact they came up 00 in itself raises the question which the ABS figures allude to.
We will get to the true picture with regards to GSP growth, and I understand some discussions between Treasury and ABS are occurring on that particular modelling. As the Leader of the Opposition has risen to her feet and spoken about the economy in the Northern Territory, I am surprised she did not use the latest Yellow Pages survey. Have you read that yet? Yellow Pages survey? Has anyone written you a question yet? No one has written you a question; that is why you haven’t seen the Yellow Pages survey.
The Yellow Pages survey is quite disappointing too, I might add. It shows a slow down in economic activity, a slow down in business confidence, not only in the Northern Territory but a slow down in business confidence that is reflected right across Australia. In the case of the Northern Territory, I am disappointed by these figures which were released today.
It is worth noting that in terms of the ABS figures, when it comes to attitudes to state government policies - and the heart of her question is how this government does business with regards to the economy - the Yellow Pages survey records attitudes to state government policies, and it says this:
As with the last index in August this year, the Northern Territory government remained by far the most popular of all state and territory governments. More than one-third of small and medium enterprises believe the Territory government policies supported small business.
That is the reflection of the Northern Territory government’s policies. That is the consistent opinion of business. Do you know why? Because the Northern Territory government does not tell business lies. The Northern Territory government does not stand up and try and paint some maana picture that you can work miracles tomorrow, when small business and all of those people involved in small and medium enterprises know the true situation in Australia, know that Australia is experiencing difficulties, know the reasons for the Northern Territory situation and have absolute faith in this Northern Territory government in helping them move on to a better economic situation.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, ‘deceit’ is a word that the Leader of the Opposition knows well. Everyone is well aware of the way she has set out to deceive Northern Territorians, to deceive the media, but most importantly to deceive the Northern Territory police. With regards to the chief of her staff …
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I fail to see the connection anywhere between the Territory police and zero economic growth as reported by the ABS this week, and which he was called upon to answer.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order on those grounds.
Mr BURKE: Of course, the connection is deceit. The deceit of the Northern Territory police with regards to her chief of staff using a false name and trying to misrepresent the police. The deceit with regards to the member for Arafura and the use of his car, and how she tried to mislead the media again on the member for Arafura and then, when caught out, promptly dumped him.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr BURKE: ‘But everyone knows Maurice’, Mr Speaker. ‘Everyone knows Maurice; it’s just Maurice.’
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Chief Minister is very well aware that he cannot use the first name of a member, and he should refer to him as the member for Arafura.
Mr SPEAKER: All members are aware that members must be referred to by their title, either ‘member for’ or ‘minister’, and so on, and the Chief Minister should not refer to a member by his or her first name.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I seek clarification. I was quoting directly from the words of the Leader of the Opposition, when she said: ‘You know it’s just Maurice’.
Mr SPEAKER: In that case - I did not pick that up - there is no point of order.
Mr BURKE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Lastly, of course, we are yet to get to the bottom of what deceit was employed with Senator Trish Crossin and how much the Leader of the Opposition knew about the actions of Senator Trish Crossin and the use of her car.
I use the word ‘deceit’ and give three quick examples because the question the Leader of the Opposition raises implies clearly more deceit on her part. If she had used ABS figures, if she had quoted the GSP in the Northern Territory, she would also have included the disclaimer that the ABS used when they produced their current report, and which says:
The estimates of gross state product chain volume measures included in this publication are regarded as experimental. The reasons are set out in explanatory notes. Users should therefore exercise caution when using these estimates for economic analysis.
That is the disclaimer that the ABS uses, and the reason why those figures need to be questioned is that particular modelling works to the disadvantage of small jurisdictions, and particularly works to the disadvantage of the Northern Territory. If the figures were minus .02 or plus .02, I would probably have a little more faith in them. But the fact they came up 00 in itself raises the question which the ABS figures allude to.
We will get to the true picture with regards to GSP growth, and I understand some discussions between Treasury and ABS are occurring on that particular modelling. As the Leader of the Opposition has risen to her feet and spoken about the economy in the Northern Territory, I am surprised she did not use the latest Yellow Pages survey. Have you read that yet? Yellow Pages survey? Has anyone written you a question yet? No one has written you a question; that is why you haven’t seen the Yellow Pages survey.
The Yellow Pages survey is quite disappointing too, I might add. It shows a slow down in economic activity, a slow down in business confidence, not only in the Northern Territory but a slow down in business confidence that is reflected right across Australia. In the case of the Northern Territory, I am disappointed by these figures which were released today.
It is worth noting that in terms of the ABS figures, when it comes to attitudes to state government policies - and the heart of her question is how this government does business with regards to the economy - the Yellow Pages survey records attitudes to state government policies, and it says this:
As with the last index in August this year, the Northern Territory government remained by far the most popular of all state and territory governments. More than one-third of small and medium enterprises believe the Territory government policies supported small business.
That is the reflection of the Northern Territory government’s policies. That is the consistent opinion of business. Do you know why? Because the Northern Territory government does not tell business lies. The Northern Territory government does not stand up and try and paint some maana picture that you can work miracles tomorrow, when small business and all of those people involved in small and medium enterprises know the true situation in Australia, know that Australia is experiencing difficulties, know the reasons for the Northern Territory situation and have absolute faith in this Northern Territory government in helping them move on to a better economic situation.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016