Ms FINOCCHIARO - 2012-10-31
The Opposition Leader has been critical of the government’s plan to increase electricity tariffs in an effort to cut Power and Water’s dire levels of debt. Can you provide an overview of how the former Labor government put political expediency ahead of sound financial management?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale. Yes, we have inherited a mess and I am not surprised the former Treasurer, now Leader of the Opposition, is deeply embarrassed and trying to cover her tracks.
The previous government had no commitment to balancing the Territory budget through sensible and sustainable financial practice; its only commitment was to winning the last election no matter what the cost ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Treasurer is misleading the House. We had capital works running counter-cyclical, a deficit reduction strategy, efficiency dividends, and a staffing cap.
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated, Leader of the Opposition, there is no point of order.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I am sorry to interrupt. Again, the Leader of the Opposition insists on making an assertion she knows she cannot make unless she moves it by way of a substantive motion, which she has not done. She must withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Leader of Government Business. Treasurer, you have the call.
Mrs LAMBLEY: Yes, we hear more attempts from the Leader of the Opposition to cover up the mess she has left. I guess if I was in her position I would be doing the same.
Madam Speaker, I table an exchange of letters between the former Treasurer and shareholder of the Power and Water Corporation and the former Chairman, Judith King, of Power and Water. Judith King made it very clear as far back as 2011 that:
In her response to Judith King’s letter last year the Treasurer wrote:
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I request that the Treasurer tables the notes she is reading from.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, are they notes to be tabled or your private papers?
Mrs LAMBLEY: I am tabling the letters - the correspondence I said I would table.
The former Treasurer, the Leader of the Opposition, very publicly said to the ABC yesterday that to make Power and Water Corporation commercially sustainable, tariffs would have to be increased by 50% - a total admission of your failure as the former Treasurer to adequately increase revenue so Power and Water Corporation could survive ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This Treasurer is hopeless. She does not even understand the difference between commercial sustainability and financial sustainability.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, please be seated.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! On several occasions during the Treasurer’s answer to the last question the Leader of the Opposition continued to assert she was misleading the House. I ask that protocol be followed; that she either proceeds with a substantive motion or she withdraws the comment.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, do you wish withdraw your comments?
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw ‘misleading’ - she is making it up as she goes along.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale. Yes, we have inherited a mess and I am not surprised the former Treasurer, now Leader of the Opposition, is deeply embarrassed and trying to cover her tracks.
The previous government had no commitment to balancing the Territory budget through sensible and sustainable financial practice; its only commitment was to winning the last election no matter what the cost ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Treasurer is misleading the House. We had capital works running counter-cyclical, a deficit reduction strategy, efficiency dividends, and a staffing cap.
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated, Leader of the Opposition, there is no point of order.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I am sorry to interrupt. Again, the Leader of the Opposition insists on making an assertion she knows she cannot make unless she moves it by way of a substantive motion, which she has not done. She must withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Leader of Government Business. Treasurer, you have the call.
Mrs LAMBLEY: Yes, we hear more attempts from the Leader of the Opposition to cover up the mess she has left. I guess if I was in her position I would be doing the same.
Madam Speaker, I table an exchange of letters between the former Treasurer and shareholder of the Power and Water Corporation and the former Chairman, Judith King, of Power and Water. Judith King made it very clear as far back as 2011 that:
- ... the Corporation is not financially sustainable without significant revenue increases, cost reductions or deferral of capital investment.
In her response to Judith King’s letter last year the Treasurer wrote:
- The tariffs for retail electricity, water and sewerage are to be reviewed during 2012-13 on the basis of financial and commercial sustainability ...
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I request that the Treasurer tables the notes she is reading from.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, are they notes to be tabled or your private papers?
Mrs LAMBLEY: I am tabling the letters - the correspondence I said I would table.
The former Treasurer, the Leader of the Opposition, very publicly said to the ABC yesterday that to make Power and Water Corporation commercially sustainable, tariffs would have to be increased by 50% - a total admission of your failure as the former Treasurer to adequately increase revenue so Power and Water Corporation could survive ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This Treasurer is hopeless. She does not even understand the difference between commercial sustainability and financial sustainability.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, please be seated.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! On several occasions during the Treasurer’s answer to the last question the Leader of the Opposition continued to assert she was misleading the House. I ask that protocol be followed; that she either proceeds with a substantive motion or she withdraws the comment.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, do you wish withdraw your comments?
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw ‘misleading’ - she is making it up as she goes along.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016