Mr HIGGINS - 2012-11-01
Why is the Treasury budget $180m worse off over the next four years when I note the projected revenues in the pre-election fiscal outlook have grown by $228m over that period?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. I note the opposition is not referring to the Renewal Management Board Progress Report and I wonder why. Is there something in here it does not want to talk about? I will answer the member for Daly’s question. The opposition has had plenty of time.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have asked a question on it. I referred to it in Question Time. Did you miss that?
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mrs LAMBLEY: The answer to the question asked by the member for Daly illustrates, once again, how irresponsible the former government was when it came to spending beyond its means.
In the 2012-13 budget the estimates used for the Territory and the Australian population were based on the 2006 Census. A few weeks after the 2012-13 budget was released, the ABS issued updated estimated residential population figures based on the 2011 Census. The figures increased estimates of the Territory’s population to 232 365 estimated resident population, while for Australia there was a substantial decrease. For the Territory that meant an increase in population and a corresponding increase in GST revenue.
A tiny change in population can mean a sizable effect in the Territory’s share of GST revenue. For 2012-13, this will add $88m to the Territory government’s coffers and higher GST will flow through for the forward years. This is a good story, thanks to the very small population growth we saw in the recent ABS figures.
The point is that despite this additional unexpected flow of funds we still find ourselves in a position worse than in May to the tune of $181m over four years. Where has this money gone? Why did the former government not account for this overspending? Spend, spend, spend, that is all it was good at, thus we find ourselves in the situation we are in today.
Thank goodness for our population growth, otherwise things could have been much worse to the tune of $228m over the period.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113, relevance. The figures only changed when they got into the hands of the CLP hand-picked razor gang.
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated, there is no point of order.
Mrs LAMBLEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Barkly is misleading parliament and I ask him to withdraw that comment.
Madam SPEAKER: I do not recall him misleading parliament. He was just making commentary on your answer.
Mrs LAMBLEY: He is questioning statistics found in the ABS figures, statistics and figures in the pre-election fiscal outlook. They are in the publications you were referring to at the time.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! By way of suggestion, the former Speaker, your predecessor, wisely determined to throw members out for frivolous points of order because they had become excessive. Perhaps you want to turn your mind to that policy in this House.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you for your counsel, member for Port Darwin.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. I note the opposition is not referring to the Renewal Management Board Progress Report and I wonder why. Is there something in here it does not want to talk about? I will answer the member for Daly’s question. The opposition has had plenty of time.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have asked a question on it. I referred to it in Question Time. Did you miss that?
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mrs LAMBLEY: The answer to the question asked by the member for Daly illustrates, once again, how irresponsible the former government was when it came to spending beyond its means.
In the 2012-13 budget the estimates used for the Territory and the Australian population were based on the 2006 Census. A few weeks after the 2012-13 budget was released, the ABS issued updated estimated residential population figures based on the 2011 Census. The figures increased estimates of the Territory’s population to 232 365 estimated resident population, while for Australia there was a substantial decrease. For the Territory that meant an increase in population and a corresponding increase in GST revenue.
A tiny change in population can mean a sizable effect in the Territory’s share of GST revenue. For 2012-13, this will add $88m to the Territory government’s coffers and higher GST will flow through for the forward years. This is a good story, thanks to the very small population growth we saw in the recent ABS figures.
The point is that despite this additional unexpected flow of funds we still find ourselves in a position worse than in May to the tune of $181m over four years. Where has this money gone? Why did the former government not account for this overspending? Spend, spend, spend, that is all it was good at, thus we find ourselves in the situation we are in today.
Thank goodness for our population growth, otherwise things could have been much worse to the tune of $228m over the period.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113, relevance. The figures only changed when they got into the hands of the CLP hand-picked razor gang.
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated, there is no point of order.
Mrs LAMBLEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Barkly is misleading parliament and I ask him to withdraw that comment.
Madam SPEAKER: I do not recall him misleading parliament. He was just making commentary on your answer.
Mrs LAMBLEY: He is questioning statistics found in the ABS figures, statistics and figures in the pre-election fiscal outlook. They are in the publications you were referring to at the time.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! By way of suggestion, the former Speaker, your predecessor, wisely determined to throw members out for frivolous points of order because they had become excessive. Perhaps you want to turn your mind to that policy in this House.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you for your counsel, member for Port Darwin.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016