Ms LAWRIE - 2013-02-14
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
In your election ads you said:
Since then, the cost of almost everything has increased after your decision to hike up power and water prices. A vote for the CLP on Saturday is clearly a vote for more cost of living increases. Why did you break your promise and why should Territorians trust a word you say?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. This is from the former Treasurer who I thought would understand basic economics. She has raised a family, managed a household budget and is asking a basic question like that, pretending she does not understand how these things work.
The commitment was made to cut waste and reduce debt. You must have had many good advisors assisting you because you gave the impression you knew what you were talking about when you were Treasurer. It must have been the people around you.
If you cut waste and ensure the limited resource you have is employed to deal with its real purpose of delivering services, you have greater capacity to reduce debt. Once debt is reduced ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Misleading. The Chief Minister’ forward estimates show the government is increasing debt.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr MILLS: Once you have the waste under control you have the capacity to deal with debt. If you do not deal with debt, you have interest repayments which cannot be ignored – ignore them at your peril. We were left with a situation where $750 000 was being paid every day to service debt.
We have to deal with that because if we do not make the hard and necessary decisions it grows out in the forward estimates you just mentioned to $1m every day. The community groups denied access to the provision you had, supposedly, set aside for their purposes and used for your own purposes in the lead up to the election, how would they make use of $1m every day? That could be used in community organisations strengthening our community, or put more money back into the pockets of Territorians rather than putting it into interest repayments. They are the fundamentals.
You turn a ship around, former Treasurer, by dealing first with the fundamental problem …
Ms Lawrie: Fastest growing economy in the nation.
Mr MILLS: The economy is strong, but it will be weighed down and hindered, and the capacity to respond to opportunities is reduced if you have a massive growing debt burden. Anyone knows that. The former Treasurer has a blind spot which has exhibited itself on so many occasions. She cannot see what she does not want to or what does not suit the political point she is trying to make. You are not making it very well.
In your election ads you said:
- You can have a lower cost of living but only if you vote for a lower cost of living.
Since then, the cost of almost everything has increased after your decision to hike up power and water prices. A vote for the CLP on Saturday is clearly a vote for more cost of living increases. Why did you break your promise and why should Territorians trust a word you say?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. This is from the former Treasurer who I thought would understand basic economics. She has raised a family, managed a household budget and is asking a basic question like that, pretending she does not understand how these things work.
The commitment was made to cut waste and reduce debt. You must have had many good advisors assisting you because you gave the impression you knew what you were talking about when you were Treasurer. It must have been the people around you.
If you cut waste and ensure the limited resource you have is employed to deal with its real purpose of delivering services, you have greater capacity to reduce debt. Once debt is reduced ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Misleading. The Chief Minister’ forward estimates show the government is increasing debt.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr MILLS: Once you have the waste under control you have the capacity to deal with debt. If you do not deal with debt, you have interest repayments which cannot be ignored – ignore them at your peril. We were left with a situation where $750 000 was being paid every day to service debt.
We have to deal with that because if we do not make the hard and necessary decisions it grows out in the forward estimates you just mentioned to $1m every day. The community groups denied access to the provision you had, supposedly, set aside for their purposes and used for your own purposes in the lead up to the election, how would they make use of $1m every day? That could be used in community organisations strengthening our community, or put more money back into the pockets of Territorians rather than putting it into interest repayments. They are the fundamentals.
You turn a ship around, former Treasurer, by dealing first with the fundamental problem …
Ms Lawrie: Fastest growing economy in the nation.
Mr MILLS: The economy is strong, but it will be weighed down and hindered, and the capacity to respond to opportunities is reduced if you have a massive growing debt burden. Anyone knows that. The former Treasurer has a blind spot which has exhibited itself on so many occasions. She cannot see what she does not want to or what does not suit the political point she is trying to make. You are not making it very well.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016