Ms MARTIN - 2000-11-29
Yesterday the Chief Minister referred to the Telstra Small Business Index and the Country Liberal Party’s apparent popularity. Minister, have you had a chance to read through the report yourself? I hope so.
When Denis Burke became Chief Minister the government had the support of a net 55% of small businesses – and I refer to the graph. Here we are, February 1999. That has now slipped to 17% and it is worth noting the graph, down here, record low. Further, business confidence has fallen from 74% expected better times over the next year to just 25%.
Would the minister like to explain to Territorians why the government’s popularity with small business is at its lowest-ever level, or why small business confidence has plummeted since Chief Minister Burke and Deputy Reed have been steering the Territory’s economy?
Mr DUNHAM: Mr Speaker, I ask that the statement the Leader of the Opposition quoted from be tabled.
Ms Martin: Denis said he had it yesterday.
Mr SPEAKER: That is fine. I am sure the member will have no trouble tabling that.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker,I think the core thing here that people should understand, listening to this broadcast, is that the Leader of the Opposition was not listening yesterday to the Chief Minister. In fact, most of us heard the answer that he gave and I thought it was very good. The answer he gave was quoting from the Small Business Index Yellow Pages and the point to note here is the confidence in comparison in other jurisdictions that is being placed in the Northern Territory government. And as the index says again this year, ‘The Northern Territory government remained by far the most popular of all states and territory governments with more than one third of SMEs believing that the Territory government policies supported small business’, which is saying that compared to all other states the business sector out there believes that the Northern Territory is doing the a good job for small businesses.
I take my time to go and consult with small business and, yes, there are concerns out there about the business sector, that it is quiet and flat in some regards. But that is not to say that the confidence is waning. In fact, they have a lot of confidence in the future. If the Leader of the Opposition wants to read the full index here she would see that the business community believes that the future for their prospects is very bright.
When Denis Burke became Chief Minister the government had the support of a net 55% of small businesses – and I refer to the graph. Here we are, February 1999. That has now slipped to 17% and it is worth noting the graph, down here, record low. Further, business confidence has fallen from 74% expected better times over the next year to just 25%.
Would the minister like to explain to Territorians why the government’s popularity with small business is at its lowest-ever level, or why small business confidence has plummeted since Chief Minister Burke and Deputy Reed have been steering the Territory’s economy?
Mr DUNHAM: Mr Speaker, I ask that the statement the Leader of the Opposition quoted from be tabled.
Ms Martin: Denis said he had it yesterday.
Mr SPEAKER: That is fine. I am sure the member will have no trouble tabling that.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker,I think the core thing here that people should understand, listening to this broadcast, is that the Leader of the Opposition was not listening yesterday to the Chief Minister. In fact, most of us heard the answer that he gave and I thought it was very good. The answer he gave was quoting from the Small Business Index Yellow Pages and the point to note here is the confidence in comparison in other jurisdictions that is being placed in the Northern Territory government. And as the index says again this year, ‘The Northern Territory government remained by far the most popular of all states and territory governments with more than one third of SMEs believing that the Territory government policies supported small business’, which is saying that compared to all other states the business sector out there believes that the Northern Territory is doing the a good job for small businesses.
I take my time to go and consult with small business and, yes, there are concerns out there about the business sector, that it is quiet and flat in some regards. But that is not to say that the confidence is waning. In fact, they have a lot of confidence in the future. If the Leader of the Opposition wants to read the full index here she would see that the business community believes that the future for their prospects is very bright.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016