Mr HIGGINS - 2012-10-30
Can you outline to the House the importance of primary industries as one of the three hubs of our economy? Was it clear to the previous government how important they were?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his very important question. The short answer to the second part of that question is, no, they had no idea what they were doing in primary industries. To put it simply, the former government had no plan and no vision for primary industries in the Northern Territory.
On the flip side of that, our government recognises that some of the Territory’s greatest strengths lie within our primary industries. The Territory is known for its robust cattle industry, our pristine fisheries, and our crops, particularly mangoes. However, these industries have managed to continue on their path not because of the former government but despite it. The former government completely lost touch.
I am sure we all remember the pathetic response by the former Chief Minister when the live cattle ban was announced. The member for Fong Lim coined the phrase of the Chief Minister being a ‘nodding dog’ beside the Prime Minister as she tried to defend the indefensible. We saw it on TV, member for Wanguri.
Our economy needs a plan; it needs a focus. This government has a plan and a focus. In what has become the Asian century, we must look to our neighbours to the north to find new ways in which we can trade with them.
Our food and export hub will be comprised of many individual industries, but there are two aspects I will mention briefly. First, our cattle industry. It is no secret that the cattle industry has not been the same since the ban on live trade export. Our government is committed to repairing this. I have already been to Indonesia to begin the process of repairing those relationships. Our government will seek new international trading partners, we will support the AACo Livingstone Valley abattoir and, above all, we will defend the industry from those down south who wish to end it.
The second aspect I will touch on is the Ord River project. I recently visited Kununurra and the second stage of the Ord project. There is a hive of activity out there, and locals are already calling the development on the Northern Territory side Ord stage 3. However, as I flew over the Northern Territory border from Western Australia, I saw the frenetic activity in WA. I flew into the Northern Territory and what could I see? Nothing.
The former government had no idea about, and no focus on, growing food exports in the Northern Territory. We will not miss this opportunity. If we develop our primary industry and fisheries, we will boost our economy. We will make the changes, we will see growth. It is this new focus that saw the industry breathe a collective sigh of relief on 25 August.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his very important question. The short answer to the second part of that question is, no, they had no idea what they were doing in primary industries. To put it simply, the former government had no plan and no vision for primary industries in the Northern Territory.
On the flip side of that, our government recognises that some of the Territory’s greatest strengths lie within our primary industries. The Territory is known for its robust cattle industry, our pristine fisheries, and our crops, particularly mangoes. However, these industries have managed to continue on their path not because of the former government but despite it. The former government completely lost touch.
I am sure we all remember the pathetic response by the former Chief Minister when the live cattle ban was announced. The member for Fong Lim coined the phrase of the Chief Minister being a ‘nodding dog’ beside the Prime Minister as she tried to defend the indefensible. We saw it on TV, member for Wanguri.
Our economy needs a plan; it needs a focus. This government has a plan and a focus. In what has become the Asian century, we must look to our neighbours to the north to find new ways in which we can trade with them.
Our food and export hub will be comprised of many individual industries, but there are two aspects I will mention briefly. First, our cattle industry. It is no secret that the cattle industry has not been the same since the ban on live trade export. Our government is committed to repairing this. I have already been to Indonesia to begin the process of repairing those relationships. Our government will seek new international trading partners, we will support the AACo Livingstone Valley abattoir and, above all, we will defend the industry from those down south who wish to end it.
The second aspect I will touch on is the Ord River project. I recently visited Kununurra and the second stage of the Ord project. There is a hive of activity out there, and locals are already calling the development on the Northern Territory side Ord stage 3. However, as I flew over the Northern Territory border from Western Australia, I saw the frenetic activity in WA. I flew into the Northern Territory and what could I see? Nothing.
The former government had no idea about, and no focus on, growing food exports in the Northern Territory. We will not miss this opportunity. If we develop our primary industry and fisheries, we will boost our economy. We will make the changes, we will see growth. It is this new focus that saw the industry breathe a collective sigh of relief on 25 August.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016