Ms MARTIN - 1999-02-23
I refer the Chief Minister to his Treasurer’s estimate that the Territory’s unemployment rate - including CDEP recipients - is 12.9%. Can he advise the House what strategies he has to attack this totally unacceptable level of unemployment?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the Treasurer at the sittings last week disputed those figures, and I think it would be more correct for that question to be referred to the Treasurer to explain his position.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! A question has been asked.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, we have seen on a number of occasions that the Leader of the Opposition very carefully, and very politically, misrepresents the facts to better promote the Labor Party’s point of view. I did not say that last week. In fact, I anticipated that I, because of the attitude the Leader of the Opposition is adopting in misrepresenting what members say, in particular ministers, would have to advise honourable members just precisely what was said. The words that I used could not be interpreted in the way that the honourable member said. What I did say, in fact, was that we cannot find any way to justify that figure at all. What I talked about was that if you tried really hard, you might be able to squeeze the figures up from what they actually are.
So, Mr Speaker ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: So, Mr Speaker, I hardly think that you can represent what I said as being that if you tried really hard to squeeze figures up you might get to a result. I refuted any suggestion last week, and it’s on the Parliamentary Record, that that was what I said. Their interpretation is just being used for political purposes.
And, of course, what they are referring to is ...
Ms Martin: interjecting.
Mr REED: ... youth unemployment. The honourable Leader of the Opposition has asked a question and it would be nice for people listening to be able to hear the answer.
They have alleged a substantially higher unemployment rate, 16% for the Northern Territory, than that presented by the ABS in accordance with ...
Mr Toyne interjecting.
Mr REED: ... International Labour Organisation criteria. The member for Stuart, in particular, who is interjecting at the moment, should take particular notice of the fact that the former member in the House of Representatives, one Mr Warren Snowdon, now the parliamentary representative in Canberra on behalf of Territorians, the Labor member, at the time that he was holding the responsibility for labour market programs and the CES, when he was parliamentary secretary and the member for the Northern Territory, said:
The outcomes of CDEP under federal Labor governments were quite good. In many Aboriginal communities there is no labour market. What you have to do is construct a labour market using CDEP.
A member interjecting.
Mr REED: Using CDEP!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: In many of these communities people do not have the foundation for employment, they do not have a basic education, and they cannot read or write. The honourable member was not only fully supportive of inclusion of CDEP figures in the employment figures, but he was, in fact, instrumental in making sure that they were included. The honourable members opposite and, in particular the Leader of the Opposition cannot be allowed to distort the facts to try to demonstrate a political point. The unemployment rate, in fact, has levelled off at 3.8% and I quote that from the January 1999 labour force figures. If you look at the trend estimates - and I will table this document - employment has gradually risen since April 1998, unemployment has levelled off at 3.8%, and the participation rate has remained steady after a gradual increase since June this year.
The fact is that we have consistently been able to record the lowest unemployment rates in Australia. The federal Labor government, when it was in power, insisted that CDEP be included in the employment statistics; that is, that those people working for CDEP be considered as employed. At that time, no-one on the other side of the House disputed that arrangement. At that time, the Territory Labor representative in Canberra, representing Territorians, put in place the process and applauded the CDEP program and the inclusion of those workers in the employment statistics. The Leader of the Opposition has no grounds now to stand up and allege that the unemployment figures are, in fact, much higher than they are.
The unemployment figures are not constructed by this government. They are determined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. They are agreed to by the International Labour Organisation. They are recognised by every government around this countryand it is interesting to note that the media - the television, the radio and the print media - regularly run interesting and productive stories, I dare say, on the success of CDEP programs. There have been many of them. The Bulla Camp arrangements, where the military constructed, with Aboriginal people who were on CDEP programs, important and essential infrastructure in those communities, was reported widely in the Northern Territory media. It was, together with many other programs, recognised as a useful way of providing employment to Aboriginal people, as well as being a training program for Aboriginal people so they could improve their skills and go on to other employment opportunities at a later time.
Put all that down if you want, but don’t misrepresent the facts that are recognised nationally.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the Treasurer at the sittings last week disputed those figures, and I think it would be more correct for that question to be referred to the Treasurer to explain his position.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! A question has been asked.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, we have seen on a number of occasions that the Leader of the Opposition very carefully, and very politically, misrepresents the facts to better promote the Labor Party’s point of view. I did not say that last week. In fact, I anticipated that I, because of the attitude the Leader of the Opposition is adopting in misrepresenting what members say, in particular ministers, would have to advise honourable members just precisely what was said. The words that I used could not be interpreted in the way that the honourable member said. What I did say, in fact, was that we cannot find any way to justify that figure at all. What I talked about was that if you tried really hard, you might be able to squeeze the figures up from what they actually are.
So, Mr Speaker ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: So, Mr Speaker, I hardly think that you can represent what I said as being that if you tried really hard to squeeze figures up you might get to a result. I refuted any suggestion last week, and it’s on the Parliamentary Record, that that was what I said. Their interpretation is just being used for political purposes.
And, of course, what they are referring to is ...
Ms Martin: interjecting.
Mr REED: ... youth unemployment. The honourable Leader of the Opposition has asked a question and it would be nice for people listening to be able to hear the answer.
They have alleged a substantially higher unemployment rate, 16% for the Northern Territory, than that presented by the ABS in accordance with ...
Mr Toyne interjecting.
Mr REED: ... International Labour Organisation criteria. The member for Stuart, in particular, who is interjecting at the moment, should take particular notice of the fact that the former member in the House of Representatives, one Mr Warren Snowdon, now the parliamentary representative in Canberra on behalf of Territorians, the Labor member, at the time that he was holding the responsibility for labour market programs and the CES, when he was parliamentary secretary and the member for the Northern Territory, said:
The outcomes of CDEP under federal Labor governments were quite good. In many Aboriginal communities there is no labour market. What you have to do is construct a labour market using CDEP.
A member interjecting.
Mr REED: Using CDEP!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: In many of these communities people do not have the foundation for employment, they do not have a basic education, and they cannot read or write. The honourable member was not only fully supportive of inclusion of CDEP figures in the employment figures, but he was, in fact, instrumental in making sure that they were included. The honourable members opposite and, in particular the Leader of the Opposition cannot be allowed to distort the facts to try to demonstrate a political point. The unemployment rate, in fact, has levelled off at 3.8% and I quote that from the January 1999 labour force figures. If you look at the trend estimates - and I will table this document - employment has gradually risen since April 1998, unemployment has levelled off at 3.8%, and the participation rate has remained steady after a gradual increase since June this year.
The fact is that we have consistently been able to record the lowest unemployment rates in Australia. The federal Labor government, when it was in power, insisted that CDEP be included in the employment statistics; that is, that those people working for CDEP be considered as employed. At that time, no-one on the other side of the House disputed that arrangement. At that time, the Territory Labor representative in Canberra, representing Territorians, put in place the process and applauded the CDEP program and the inclusion of those workers in the employment statistics. The Leader of the Opposition has no grounds now to stand up and allege that the unemployment figures are, in fact, much higher than they are.
The unemployment figures are not constructed by this government. They are determined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. They are agreed to by the International Labour Organisation. They are recognised by every government around this countryand it is interesting to note that the media - the television, the radio and the print media - regularly run interesting and productive stories, I dare say, on the success of CDEP programs. There have been many of them. The Bulla Camp arrangements, where the military constructed, with Aboriginal people who were on CDEP programs, important and essential infrastructure in those communities, was reported widely in the Northern Territory media. It was, together with many other programs, recognised as a useful way of providing employment to Aboriginal people, as well as being a training program for Aboriginal people so they could improve their skills and go on to other employment opportunities at a later time.
Put all that down if you want, but don’t misrepresent the facts that are recognised nationally.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016