Ms WALKER - 2013-02-20
Current Chief Minister, your five-point plan for all Territorians included your promise to put more money in Territorian’s pockets. Your power price hikes mean Territorians in the bush now have less money and are struggling to keep the lights on. How will you address disadvantage in the bush while taking money out of people’s pockets and reducing services in the bush?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. I have explained this at every Question Time.
Ms Lawrie: No.
Mr MILLS: Yes, I have. We have a five-point plan. I am glad you have reminded us of that five-point plan. I am sure you take it to bed with you. Think about it, and try to understand how this works, how it is applied and how it is working in the Northern Territory. It sets out a framework of how we will deal with what we have and to create a strong and positive future for the Northern Territory ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Relevance. The question is very direct around the power price hikes in the bush and how it is taking money out of people’s pockets.
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated.
Mr MILLS: This is getting difficult. There was reference to the five-point plan because the question made use of the five-point plan as a part of its framing. If I am not permitted to make reference to that but am going to be corralled by the misuse of standing orders onto specific points the Opposition Leader would have me respond to, this is poor form and poor use of parliamentary practice.
Madam Speaker and honourable member - I use that word in a professional sense – the first point is you have to cut waste. Think about it in relation to your household budget. If you were in ...
Ms Walker: It is not my household budget. It is the people at Yirrkala.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: Bear with me; I thought you were once a teacher. Teachers need to be good students so they can learn, otherwise they cannot teach.
Mr McCarthy: They have to listen, not lecture.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Barkly.
Mr MILLS: What are you doing, smart arse!
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please withdraw that comment.
Mr MILLS: Yes, I withdraw. The first thing you have to do if you recognise you have a financial problem is cut waste. Once you have cut waste, then you have the capacity to reduce debt.
Once you have reduced the debt, you have more money to be able to use on other things. But, you have to go through that simple process first: cut waste, reduce the debt and, by reducing the debt, you do not pay as much on interest.
You may have missed this, but the situation is where, as a jurisdiction, $750 000 every day being spent on interest repayments without a real response would grow to $1m every day. That is money that could be used for other purposes. What do you think the intention of the Country Liberal Party is? To return that benefit to the Territory families, make sure there is maximum opportunity in the future. That is a simple process ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! He did not give any answer to the power price hikes in the bush.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Chief Minister, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. I have explained this at every Question Time.
Ms Lawrie: No.
Mr MILLS: Yes, I have. We have a five-point plan. I am glad you have reminded us of that five-point plan. I am sure you take it to bed with you. Think about it, and try to understand how this works, how it is applied and how it is working in the Northern Territory. It sets out a framework of how we will deal with what we have and to create a strong and positive future for the Northern Territory ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Relevance. The question is very direct around the power price hikes in the bush and how it is taking money out of people’s pockets.
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated.
Mr MILLS: This is getting difficult. There was reference to the five-point plan because the question made use of the five-point plan as a part of its framing. If I am not permitted to make reference to that but am going to be corralled by the misuse of standing orders onto specific points the Opposition Leader would have me respond to, this is poor form and poor use of parliamentary practice.
Madam Speaker and honourable member - I use that word in a professional sense – the first point is you have to cut waste. Think about it in relation to your household budget. If you were in ...
Ms Walker: It is not my household budget. It is the people at Yirrkala.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: Bear with me; I thought you were once a teacher. Teachers need to be good students so they can learn, otherwise they cannot teach.
Mr McCarthy: They have to listen, not lecture.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Barkly.
Mr MILLS: What are you doing, smart arse!
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please withdraw that comment.
Mr MILLS: Yes, I withdraw. The first thing you have to do if you recognise you have a financial problem is cut waste. Once you have cut waste, then you have the capacity to reduce debt.
Once you have reduced the debt, you have more money to be able to use on other things. But, you have to go through that simple process first: cut waste, reduce the debt and, by reducing the debt, you do not pay as much on interest.
You may have missed this, but the situation is where, as a jurisdiction, $750 000 every day being spent on interest repayments without a real response would grow to $1m every day. That is money that could be used for other purposes. What do you think the intention of the Country Liberal Party is? To return that benefit to the Territory families, make sure there is maximum opportunity in the future. That is a simple process ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! He did not give any answer to the power price hikes in the bush.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016