Ms LAWRIE - 2012-12-04
On ABC 24 just two days before the election you were asked, ‘Can you guarantee there will be no public service job cuts, either frontline or backline?’ You answered, ‘Yes’.
With budgets cuts to 10% of the Education budget and 20% to the Department of Infrastructure budget, just how many jobs will be lost in these two agencies alone?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, they are really quite impatient. We have said what we have said, we will say it again. Our intention is to deal with a real problem in a real way. We have made our commitments; we have made them plain for anyone to see. We have a real challenge, and we are meeting that challenge without turning away from it because we are so committed to the Northern Territory.
Unlike the approach you took, which was quite dishonest. I remember the presentations. You said there was some acknowledgement in the room of a sense there was a growing problem in the Northern Territory. Everybody knew there was some problem with the money, but you gave them some assurance by saying, ‘We were running counter-cyclical, we were predicting a very modest deficit down in the out year of 2015-16. Actually, in GST recovery, we would have delivered a surplus if we were in for just another year! Not by hurting Territorians the way you are but by understanding this recovery via the national GST.’ Is there? There is not.
This was your grand strategy, to depend on someone else to help you because you could not take responsibility. You are a thorough mendicant and not building the strength of the Northern Territory’s capacity to grow ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Chief Minister is ignoring the question. He was very clearly asked, ‘You gave the commitment on ABC 24 just two days prior to the election that there would be no job losses front line or backline. You have announced an Education budget cut by 10%, Infrastructure budget cut by 20%. Just how many jobs has that lost in those two agencies alone and in the mini-budget today ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! She is deliberately using these points of order to chew up the Chief Minister’s time.
Ms Lawrie: No, I am not, I want an answer.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr MILLS: Opposition Leader, I have given you an answer and you just have to be patient ...
Ms Lawrie: No, you have not. How many job cuts?
Mr MILLS: You have asked this question in the few times we have met since the change of government. Get used to it! I have answered this question time and time again.
What you have not made plain is the level of your genuine commitment to dealing with the problems the Territory faces. I also have on record, former Treasurer, on 27 November you said, ‘We made it clear in our financial statements we would use additional GST revenue to pay down the deficit’. That was your strategy ...
Ms Lawrie: Yes, and efficiency dividends and ...
Mr MILLS: What a flawed strategy.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Karama.
Mr MILLS: If you are going to put your hand out and ask to be bailed out by someone …
Ms Lawrie: How many jobs?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Karama you are on a warning. Cease interjecting!
Mr MILLS: Your only plan is to put your hand out and beg for assistance from someone else.
With budgets cuts to 10% of the Education budget and 20% to the Department of Infrastructure budget, just how many jobs will be lost in these two agencies alone?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, they are really quite impatient. We have said what we have said, we will say it again. Our intention is to deal with a real problem in a real way. We have made our commitments; we have made them plain for anyone to see. We have a real challenge, and we are meeting that challenge without turning away from it because we are so committed to the Northern Territory.
Unlike the approach you took, which was quite dishonest. I remember the presentations. You said there was some acknowledgement in the room of a sense there was a growing problem in the Northern Territory. Everybody knew there was some problem with the money, but you gave them some assurance by saying, ‘We were running counter-cyclical, we were predicting a very modest deficit down in the out year of 2015-16. Actually, in GST recovery, we would have delivered a surplus if we were in for just another year! Not by hurting Territorians the way you are but by understanding this recovery via the national GST.’ Is there? There is not.
This was your grand strategy, to depend on someone else to help you because you could not take responsibility. You are a thorough mendicant and not building the strength of the Northern Territory’s capacity to grow ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Chief Minister is ignoring the question. He was very clearly asked, ‘You gave the commitment on ABC 24 just two days prior to the election that there would be no job losses front line or backline. You have announced an Education budget cut by 10%, Infrastructure budget cut by 20%. Just how many jobs has that lost in those two agencies alone and in the mini-budget today ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! She is deliberately using these points of order to chew up the Chief Minister’s time.
Ms Lawrie: No, I am not, I want an answer.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr MILLS: Opposition Leader, I have given you an answer and you just have to be patient ...
Ms Lawrie: No, you have not. How many job cuts?
Mr MILLS: You have asked this question in the few times we have met since the change of government. Get used to it! I have answered this question time and time again.
What you have not made plain is the level of your genuine commitment to dealing with the problems the Territory faces. I also have on record, former Treasurer, on 27 November you said, ‘We made it clear in our financial statements we would use additional GST revenue to pay down the deficit’. That was your strategy ...
Ms Lawrie: Yes, and efficiency dividends and ...
Mr MILLS: What a flawed strategy.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Karama.
Mr MILLS: If you are going to put your hand out and ask to be bailed out by someone …
Ms Lawrie: How many jobs?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Karama you are on a warning. Cease interjecting!
Mr MILLS: Your only plan is to put your hand out and beg for assistance from someone else.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016