Mrs HICKEY - 1998-12-03
The loss of 700 jobs from the Northern Territory Public Service will have a negative impact on the economy of the Territory. At least $28m will be lost from the economy in salaries alone. Once the secondary effects have flowed through the Territory, affecting employment in the private sector, the number of jobs lost will be much higher than the initial 700 the Treasurer has admitted to. Will he explain how small businesses, retail and service industries and the housing and construction industry will benefit from these savage job cuts?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, having invited the opposition to ask questions on this matter, I think now they should not have, because they are going to make fools of themselves. I say that simply because the answer to the Leader of the Opposition’s question was in the statement that I delivered to this House and broadcast to all regional centres in the Northern Territory on Tuesday. Of the 700 positions, only about 200 are not expected to be redirected to providing staff in other areas of higher priority. That is what Planning for Growth is all about.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr REED: You don’t understand what is being said, so you go out and misrepresent the facts. If you didn’t interject you would understand things better.
In current terms, the 700 positions that will not be refilled will release resources that will enable us to employ 40 additional teachers across the Northern Territory. We are redirecting part of that 700 straight back into the process already. We will be employing more non-teaching staff across the Territory ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr REED: If you keep quiet and listen to the answer when you ask a question, you might understand and not misrepresent the facts.That is the problem.
I explained that the 700 positions that will not be refilled will not occur over the next day, week, month or year. It will be resolved, as I said in the statement I delivered on Tuesday, over a period of 2 to 3 years. It will take that long to approve the changes that will bring about the change. And as the savings are achieved, we will be able to redirect those resources back into an area of higher priority.
We have in the Northern Territory the highest population growth in this country. People who move here to live appreciate the value of services that we provide. I know that people who come to RAAF base Tindal are amazed at the high standard of school facilities that are provided in the Northern Territory. They are the best in Australia, and they recognise it. Once they have moved here, they want to continue to experience that high level of service and facilities for their kids.
What Planning for Growth is all about is identifying areas of high priority and redirecting resources away from areas of lower priority, so that we can maintain the best standards in the country in our schools. That is why we have taken the opportunity to gain efficiencies - for example, in the area of corporate services. Instead of having those activities spread across all agencies, we will centralise them. In centralising them, you do not need as many people to do the work as you do if it is spread across every agency. That’s called efficiency.
The members opposite wouldn’t have the spine, the intestinal fortitude, to bring about change. They would live in a virtual museum. Nothing must change because change requires a few things that they don’t have the capacity to do. First of all, they’d have to work - the 4-letter word that really upsets them. Secondly, they’d need the courage to bring about that change, to be innovative enough to identify the need and then respond to the wishes of Territorians.
These briefing notes here (for the benefit of people listening it’s a volume of notes 3 to 4 inches thick) are provided to ministers. If the opposition were interested enough on behalf of their constituents in the progress of the Territory, they would ask ministers questions of substance throughout the course of the year. I haven’t opened my briefing notes during the whole of 1998 because the opposition has been in the gutter asking questions of no substance, of no value to Territorians. That’s why they don’t know, even when it’s presented in the statement, what is actually going to occur in the Territory for the benefit of Territorians. Read the statement and get the answer out of that. It was provided to you on Tuesday.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, having invited the opposition to ask questions on this matter, I think now they should not have, because they are going to make fools of themselves. I say that simply because the answer to the Leader of the Opposition’s question was in the statement that I delivered to this House and broadcast to all regional centres in the Northern Territory on Tuesday. Of the 700 positions, only about 200 are not expected to be redirected to providing staff in other areas of higher priority. That is what Planning for Growth is all about.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr REED: You don’t understand what is being said, so you go out and misrepresent the facts. If you didn’t interject you would understand things better.
In current terms, the 700 positions that will not be refilled will release resources that will enable us to employ 40 additional teachers across the Northern Territory. We are redirecting part of that 700 straight back into the process already. We will be employing more non-teaching staff across the Territory ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr REED: If you keep quiet and listen to the answer when you ask a question, you might understand and not misrepresent the facts.That is the problem.
I explained that the 700 positions that will not be refilled will not occur over the next day, week, month or year. It will be resolved, as I said in the statement I delivered on Tuesday, over a period of 2 to 3 years. It will take that long to approve the changes that will bring about the change. And as the savings are achieved, we will be able to redirect those resources back into an area of higher priority.
We have in the Northern Territory the highest population growth in this country. People who move here to live appreciate the value of services that we provide. I know that people who come to RAAF base Tindal are amazed at the high standard of school facilities that are provided in the Northern Territory. They are the best in Australia, and they recognise it. Once they have moved here, they want to continue to experience that high level of service and facilities for their kids.
What Planning for Growth is all about is identifying areas of high priority and redirecting resources away from areas of lower priority, so that we can maintain the best standards in the country in our schools. That is why we have taken the opportunity to gain efficiencies - for example, in the area of corporate services. Instead of having those activities spread across all agencies, we will centralise them. In centralising them, you do not need as many people to do the work as you do if it is spread across every agency. That’s called efficiency.
The members opposite wouldn’t have the spine, the intestinal fortitude, to bring about change. They would live in a virtual museum. Nothing must change because change requires a few things that they don’t have the capacity to do. First of all, they’d have to work - the 4-letter word that really upsets them. Secondly, they’d need the courage to bring about that change, to be innovative enough to identify the need and then respond to the wishes of Territorians.
These briefing notes here (for the benefit of people listening it’s a volume of notes 3 to 4 inches thick) are provided to ministers. If the opposition were interested enough on behalf of their constituents in the progress of the Territory, they would ask ministers questions of substance throughout the course of the year. I haven’t opened my briefing notes during the whole of 1998 because the opposition has been in the gutter asking questions of no substance, of no value to Territorians. That’s why they don’t know, even when it’s presented in the statement, what is actually going to occur in the Territory for the benefit of Territorians. Read the statement and get the answer out of that. It was provided to you on Tuesday.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016