Mrs HICKEY - 1996-08-21
Last night, the Chief Minister's Coalition mates cut savagely the aspirations of Territorians. They cut Territorians' jobs, they cut Territorians' services and they cut Territorians' roads and infrastructure programs. Will the Chief Minister admit now to Territorians that he has failed dismally to insulate them from the onslaught of his Canberra mates? Will he admit that the price of his failure is to cut short the aspirations of our young Territorians for higher education and of working Territory families for child care, and to deprive the Territory's aged citizens who deserve better?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is having a terrible 2 weeks. In the first week, she had to face the best Territory budget in our history and she was lost for words. Today, she is lost for words again because the budget that has been delivered by the federal government is a fair and reasonable one.
I noted that the Leader of the Opposition - and I hope that Territorians listening to the question picked this up - was unable to give a single specific example. She was unable to say that a certain number of jobs are to be lost in the Territory. For example, she glossed conveniently over aged care without acknowledging that there are grandfather clauses in what is being proposed by the federal government. Neither did she acknowledge that the Commonwealth has given a firm commitment to $97m in defence infrastructure. She did not acknowledge that the cutbacks in defence related to the civilian side which means it will be seated in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. She said not a word about that. There was no acknowledgement that the North Australian Development Council is to be re-established and funded. Not a word was said about what Minister Sharpe had to say in terms of the support that he will give for regional development and the acknowledgement that the Territory has a very special part to play, not only in terms of Australia and the Asia-Pacific region but also in terms of northern Australia.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: I know that members opposite will continue to interject because they do not want Territorians to hear the truth. If they were being truthful, the Leader of the Opposition would have been on her feet to acknowledge at least the fact that this federal budget has gone about the business of reducing a deficit that was created by her mates in Canberra. It was Labor in Canberra that this left this country with a debt of in excess of $8000m.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: You are the people who overspent, and my federal colleagues ...
Members interjecting.
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Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: My federal colleagues have set about repairing the damage and they have done it ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: The member for Nhulunbuy does not want to hear the answer, but acknowledgment has to be given that our Coalition colleagues in the federal government have gone about redressing Labor's mistakes by reducing expenditure rather than by increasing taxation. That is good news for all Australians.
The beneficiaries of this federal budget are in middle Australia, and a great number of families in the Territory fall within middle Australia.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr STONE: The member for Fannie Bay knows that. She knows that the average family in the Territory will do very well out of this Coalition budget. Our infrastructure projects have not been slashed.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr STONE: Why were you not on your feet acknowledging that the federal government has reinstated the $15m for Aboriginal health clinics in remote areas? Why will the opposition not concede, at any point, the good things that have come out of this federal budget for Territorians?
There are indications for growth of some 4.7% in the economy in the period ahead. Revenues are strong. The Commonwealth is holding expenditure to 0.1%. That is a financially and fiscally responsible policy, which is more than we ever had from Keating. We will not forget `the recession we had to have' that was given to us by Labor. We have to pay the price, but we are doing it responsibly. We are doing it by reducing expenditure, not by increasing taxation. John Howard is to be congratulated on that.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is having a terrible 2 weeks. In the first week, she had to face the best Territory budget in our history and she was lost for words. Today, she is lost for words again because the budget that has been delivered by the federal government is a fair and reasonable one.
I noted that the Leader of the Opposition - and I hope that Territorians listening to the question picked this up - was unable to give a single specific example. She was unable to say that a certain number of jobs are to be lost in the Territory. For example, she glossed conveniently over aged care without acknowledging that there are grandfather clauses in what is being proposed by the federal government. Neither did she acknowledge that the Commonwealth has given a firm commitment to $97m in defence infrastructure. She did not acknowledge that the cutbacks in defence related to the civilian side which means it will be seated in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. She said not a word about that. There was no acknowledgement that the North Australian Development Council is to be re-established and funded. Not a word was said about what Minister Sharpe had to say in terms of the support that he will give for regional development and the acknowledgement that the Territory has a very special part to play, not only in terms of Australia and the Asia-Pacific region but also in terms of northern Australia.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: I know that members opposite will continue to interject because they do not want Territorians to hear the truth. If they were being truthful, the Leader of the Opposition would have been on her feet to acknowledge at least the fact that this federal budget has gone about the business of reducing a deficit that was created by her mates in Canberra. It was Labor in Canberra that this left this country with a debt of in excess of $8000m.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: You are the people who overspent, and my federal colleagues ...
Members interjecting.
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Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: My federal colleagues have set about repairing the damage and they have done it ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: The member for Nhulunbuy does not want to hear the answer, but acknowledgment has to be given that our Coalition colleagues in the federal government have gone about redressing Labor's mistakes by reducing expenditure rather than by increasing taxation. That is good news for all Australians.
The beneficiaries of this federal budget are in middle Australia, and a great number of families in the Territory fall within middle Australia.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr STONE: The member for Fannie Bay knows that. She knows that the average family in the Territory will do very well out of this Coalition budget. Our infrastructure projects have not been slashed.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr STONE: Why were you not on your feet acknowledging that the federal government has reinstated the $15m for Aboriginal health clinics in remote areas? Why will the opposition not concede, at any point, the good things that have come out of this federal budget for Territorians?
There are indications for growth of some 4.7% in the economy in the period ahead. Revenues are strong. The Commonwealth is holding expenditure to 0.1%. That is a financially and fiscally responsible policy, which is more than we ever had from Keating. We will not forget `the recession we had to have' that was given to us by Labor. We have to pay the price, but we are doing it responsibly. We are doing it by reducing expenditure, not by increasing taxation. John Howard is to be congratulated on that.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016