Mr KURRUPUWU - 2013-05-15
Yesterday you delivered a responsible budget. How does this compare with the federal Labor budget delivered in Canberra last night?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his very good question.
The budget delivered by the federal Labor Treasurer last night, fundamentally - I do not believe there is any other way to describe it - is a dog of a budget. It adds more pressure to the Northern Territory. The population forecast of 1.1% flies in the face of our Treasury’s forecast of 2% to 2.5% growth for 2015-16. That is a straight hit to our budget’s bottom line and, as I was told by Treasury, it represents $105m we need to make up.
Not only has Wayne Swan stripped $120m from the Territory budget this financial year, but he is now moving to strip another $100m out of future budgets. There has been a $20.5bn turnaround from Wayne Swan’s predicted budget deficit to what it currently is. Last night he announced a $19.4bn budget deficit. How did he get it so wrong?
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Relevance, 113. Why are you knocking back $100m of federal funding coming directly into the Territory for our hospitals …
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. The Treasurer is answering the question.
Mr TOLLNER: As I said, the federal Treasurer has announced a $19.4bn budget deficit this financial year, a $20.5bn turnaround - you wonder how he got it so wrong.
Unlike the Northern Territory budget announced yesterday, Labor governments do not match cuts in income with cuts in unnecessary expenditure. They borrow money for consumption. That is the hallmark of what happened over the last few years with the former, fiscally irresponsible Labor government. They were borrowing money to pay operational costs - to pay wages. That was completely irresponsible. They projected a debt in 2015-16 of $5.5bn - $1.1m a day in interest repayments ...
Ms Lawrie: $5.1bn.
Mr TOLLNER: Now she is saying it is $5.1bn. Read your own budget book from the pre-election fiscal outlook. You were prepared to put $5.5bn on the credit card of the Northern Territory. What a shame!
Today the Opposition Leader has been trying to scare everybody by suggesting there will be mass sackings and privatised government departments. What a joke!
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his very good question.
The budget delivered by the federal Labor Treasurer last night, fundamentally - I do not believe there is any other way to describe it - is a dog of a budget. It adds more pressure to the Northern Territory. The population forecast of 1.1% flies in the face of our Treasury’s forecast of 2% to 2.5% growth for 2015-16. That is a straight hit to our budget’s bottom line and, as I was told by Treasury, it represents $105m we need to make up.
Not only has Wayne Swan stripped $120m from the Territory budget this financial year, but he is now moving to strip another $100m out of future budgets. There has been a $20.5bn turnaround from Wayne Swan’s predicted budget deficit to what it currently is. Last night he announced a $19.4bn budget deficit. How did he get it so wrong?
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Relevance, 113. Why are you knocking back $100m of federal funding coming directly into the Territory for our hospitals …
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. The Treasurer is answering the question.
Mr TOLLNER: As I said, the federal Treasurer has announced a $19.4bn budget deficit this financial year, a $20.5bn turnaround - you wonder how he got it so wrong.
Unlike the Northern Territory budget announced yesterday, Labor governments do not match cuts in income with cuts in unnecessary expenditure. They borrow money for consumption. That is the hallmark of what happened over the last few years with the former, fiscally irresponsible Labor government. They were borrowing money to pay operational costs - to pay wages. That was completely irresponsible. They projected a debt in 2015-16 of $5.5bn - $1.1m a day in interest repayments ...
Ms Lawrie: $5.1bn.
Mr TOLLNER: Now she is saying it is $5.1bn. Read your own budget book from the pre-election fiscal outlook. You were prepared to put $5.5bn on the credit card of the Northern Territory. What a shame!
Today the Opposition Leader has been trying to scare everybody by suggesting there will be mass sackings and privatised government departments. What a joke!
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016