Ms LAWRIE - 2013-03-26
Current Chief Minister …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: That was ruled out of order at the last sittings. Please refer to the Chief Minister as the Chief Minister.
Ms LAWRIE: Certainly, Madam Speaker. Chief Minister, your Japan coup was one of the most cowardly and despicable acts in Australian political history …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 112: epithets and that type of language are out of order.
Madam SPEAKER: Please withdraw, Opposition Leader.
Ms LAWRIE: Cowardly or despicable, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: Both.
Ms LAWRIE: Okay, your grubby knifing of Terry Mills while he was representing the Northern Territory in Japan will forever define you. Knifing an elected leader, while he was overseas representing the Territory, was incredibly damaging to our relationship with Japan and the business community. You promised you would support Terry Mills as Chief Minister yet you knifed him, putting our economic future in jeopardy. How can you explain your actions when, on one hand you promise to support him, and the moment he heads off to Japan you do him in?
Madam SPEAKER: Your time has expired, Opposition Leader.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. I did not expect anything less from her. There have only ever been two changes of government in the Northern Territory: in 2001 and last year. I note the premise of the question mentions ‘forever defining’. When we came into government what was forever defining, for you as former Treasurer, was the $5.5bn debt you left the Northern Territory government. Seven months in, we are still trying to find ways to get our fiscal position to where we can pay your debt. That is the legacy you left this government and which we are trying to rectify.
We are making tough decisions trying to get our economy back on track and getting our financial status right. That is the situation we find ourselves in and it is a challenge. Since 14 March, we have made changes. We have reduced the tariff increase from 30% to 20% for electricity and have reduced the water and sewerage tariff increases. We have extended the time frame for our fiscal imbalance position to 2017-18. We have made some tough calls, but that is the legacy you left us - the negative position we have to rectify.
People talk about recessions and how things work in the broader economy. As a Liberal government taking over from the Labor government, we are no different. Every Liberal government coming in has to take on a Labor debt legacy and we are no different. Per head of population, we have the worst position to take over. People say recessions come and go. When do they come? Recessions and bad fiscal positions come when Labor is in power.
When do times get better? When the Liberals fix it. Our job is to fix your legacy. It is going to take us six years to get our fiscal balance right before we can start paying your $5.5bn debt. Do not talk about legacies. You left us with a legacy we have to deal with.
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, have you finished?
Mr GILES: Yes, Madam Speaker.
Ms WALKER: I was going to raise a point of order - Standing Order 113, relevance.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: That was ruled out of order at the last sittings. Please refer to the Chief Minister as the Chief Minister.
Ms LAWRIE: Certainly, Madam Speaker. Chief Minister, your Japan coup was one of the most cowardly and despicable acts in Australian political history …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 112: epithets and that type of language are out of order.
Madam SPEAKER: Please withdraw, Opposition Leader.
Ms LAWRIE: Cowardly or despicable, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: Both.
Ms LAWRIE: Okay, your grubby knifing of Terry Mills while he was representing the Northern Territory in Japan will forever define you. Knifing an elected leader, while he was overseas representing the Territory, was incredibly damaging to our relationship with Japan and the business community. You promised you would support Terry Mills as Chief Minister yet you knifed him, putting our economic future in jeopardy. How can you explain your actions when, on one hand you promise to support him, and the moment he heads off to Japan you do him in?
Madam SPEAKER: Your time has expired, Opposition Leader.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. I did not expect anything less from her. There have only ever been two changes of government in the Northern Territory: in 2001 and last year. I note the premise of the question mentions ‘forever defining’. When we came into government what was forever defining, for you as former Treasurer, was the $5.5bn debt you left the Northern Territory government. Seven months in, we are still trying to find ways to get our fiscal position to where we can pay your debt. That is the legacy you left this government and which we are trying to rectify.
We are making tough decisions trying to get our economy back on track and getting our financial status right. That is the situation we find ourselves in and it is a challenge. Since 14 March, we have made changes. We have reduced the tariff increase from 30% to 20% for electricity and have reduced the water and sewerage tariff increases. We have extended the time frame for our fiscal imbalance position to 2017-18. We have made some tough calls, but that is the legacy you left us - the negative position we have to rectify.
People talk about recessions and how things work in the broader economy. As a Liberal government taking over from the Labor government, we are no different. Every Liberal government coming in has to take on a Labor debt legacy and we are no different. Per head of population, we have the worst position to take over. People say recessions come and go. When do they come? Recessions and bad fiscal positions come when Labor is in power.
When do times get better? When the Liberals fix it. Our job is to fix your legacy. It is going to take us six years to get our fiscal balance right before we can start paying your $5.5bn debt. Do not talk about legacies. You left us with a legacy we have to deal with.
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, have you finished?
Mr GILES: Yes, Madam Speaker.
Ms WALKER: I was going to raise a point of order - Standing Order 113, relevance.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016