MR KURRUPUWU - 2016-06-27
Territorians face a choice in August, a choice with profound implications for the future of the Territory. Can the Chief Minister outline to Territorians how the government intends to meet the challenges facing our Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question and his time on the Tiwi Islands on Friday for the unveiling of the statue of Matthias Ulungura, the first Australian ever to capture a prisoner of war. In February 1942 a Japanese pilot who was dropping bombs on Darwin crashed on the Tiwis. Matthias, an unarmed man, captured the pilot and he became the first prisoner of war.
It was a great opportunity to dedicate part of Australia’s history to the Tiwi Islanders, but that is just part of what we do. We engage with Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, from a tourism perspective, respecting the social and cultural diversification, and giving back. We engage from an economic point of view, with business development and employment growth. One need only look at the procurement principles this government put in place to see how many more Aboriginal Territorians are now in jobs in the private sector as a result of that, and how many are in the public service in the Northern Territory as a result of our employment principles within the public service.
When we come to the election on 27 August 2016, there will be a clear choice – a fork in the road. The choice will be whether people want to head in the direction the Country Liberal government is going now, with economic diversification and plans for economic growth, jobs, protecting the Territory lifestyle and protecting environmental and sports infrastructure in the Northern Territory, or go down the old way of Labor. Do you want to go down the path where unions control the Northern Territory and where Labor was giving government assets to union mates for free? Do Territorians really want to go down the path of high debt and deficit, no economic approach and having no job growth in the private sector?
I give this point as an example. Soon 8000 will no longer be working at INPEX because the project is finished. We have a plan to work in a highly-regulated onshore gas industry. We will create 8000 jobs for these INPEX workers. Labor has said, ‘Sack the 8000 workers; do not give them a job.’ What about those families? What about the husbands, wives and kids of those families? We will give economic security to those families who work in INPEX to continue to work in the gas industry in the Northern Territory because we have a plan for the Northern Territory’s future. Territorians will make the choice.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question and his time on the Tiwi Islands on Friday for the unveiling of the statue of Matthias Ulungura, the first Australian ever to capture a prisoner of war. In February 1942 a Japanese pilot who was dropping bombs on Darwin crashed on the Tiwis. Matthias, an unarmed man, captured the pilot and he became the first prisoner of war.
It was a great opportunity to dedicate part of Australia’s history to the Tiwi Islanders, but that is just part of what we do. We engage with Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, from a tourism perspective, respecting the social and cultural diversification, and giving back. We engage from an economic point of view, with business development and employment growth. One need only look at the procurement principles this government put in place to see how many more Aboriginal Territorians are now in jobs in the private sector as a result of that, and how many are in the public service in the Northern Territory as a result of our employment principles within the public service.
When we come to the election on 27 August 2016, there will be a clear choice – a fork in the road. The choice will be whether people want to head in the direction the Country Liberal government is going now, with economic diversification and plans for economic growth, jobs, protecting the Territory lifestyle and protecting environmental and sports infrastructure in the Northern Territory, or go down the old way of Labor. Do you want to go down the path where unions control the Northern Territory and where Labor was giving government assets to union mates for free? Do Territorians really want to go down the path of high debt and deficit, no economic approach and having no job growth in the private sector?
I give this point as an example. Soon 8000 will no longer be working at INPEX because the project is finished. We have a plan to work in a highly-regulated onshore gas industry. We will create 8000 jobs for these INPEX workers. Labor has said, ‘Sack the 8000 workers; do not give them a job.’ What about those families? What about the husbands, wives and kids of those families? We will give economic security to those families who work in INPEX to continue to work in the gas industry in the Northern Territory because we have a plan for the Northern Territory’s future. Territorians will make the choice.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016