Mrs HICKEY - 1996-08-22
Yesterday he claimed that this week's federal budget was the best budget ever for the Northern Territory. He claimed that Nick Dondas was standing up for the Territory. Isn't it true that, by supporting the cuts to the Territory in this slash-and-burn federal budget and praising it as the best-ever budget for the Northern Territory, he is undermining any bid by the Territory to plead special consideration for federal funding in the future?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I am staggered by a question that contains a number of allegations that simply are not true. I remind the Leader of the Opposition and Territorians listening to this broadcast that the Territory alone will receive special revenue assistance this year. Ours is the only jurisdiction in Australia to be given special revenue assistance. That is unique support and commitment from the Coalition government.
The Leader of the Opposition refers to a `slash-and-burn budget' with cuts to the Territory. However, as I said yesterday, I am still waiting for her to give specific examples that demonstrate that Territorians will be dealt with any differently from other Australians. What the Leader of the Opposition must understand and accept is that Australians have voted for change. Australians accepted that the Labor Party had effectively bankrupted this nation. It had left this nation with a deficit of some $8300m. All the government gets is this carping criticism which continues to flow, not only from the Leader of the Opposition, but from the likes of Senator Bob Collins who, as a senior minister in that failed Labor government, was partly responsible for the irresponsible fiscal policies that put this nation down the black hole. Members opposite sit there and say the deficit must be fixed, yet they have nothing to offer.
Credit must be given to the Howard Coalition government because it did not seek to address the deficit left by Labor by increasing taxation. It did not take the usual Labor way out. Instead, it is addressing expenditure. This is a good budget, it is a fair budget and the Territory has fared very well. We have heard already that CDEP programs and CHIP programs are to be largely quarantined. We have heard already that some $97m in defence infrastructure will continue. We have heard already that there is a new commitment to regional development ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri cannot help himself. Here he goes, interjecting again. He does not want Territorians listening at home to hear the answer to this question because it is a great embarrassment to the Leader of the Opposition. We brought down an outstanding Territory budget and now she has nothing to hang her hat on when it comes to the federal budget. The Territory has had a fair shake in this budget, and our economy will continue to grow in the time ahead.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I am staggered by a question that contains a number of allegations that simply are not true. I remind the Leader of the Opposition and Territorians listening to this broadcast that the Territory alone will receive special revenue assistance this year. Ours is the only jurisdiction in Australia to be given special revenue assistance. That is unique support and commitment from the Coalition government.
The Leader of the Opposition refers to a `slash-and-burn budget' with cuts to the Territory. However, as I said yesterday, I am still waiting for her to give specific examples that demonstrate that Territorians will be dealt with any differently from other Australians. What the Leader of the Opposition must understand and accept is that Australians have voted for change. Australians accepted that the Labor Party had effectively bankrupted this nation. It had left this nation with a deficit of some $8300m. All the government gets is this carping criticism which continues to flow, not only from the Leader of the Opposition, but from the likes of Senator Bob Collins who, as a senior minister in that failed Labor government, was partly responsible for the irresponsible fiscal policies that put this nation down the black hole. Members opposite sit there and say the deficit must be fixed, yet they have nothing to offer.
Credit must be given to the Howard Coalition government because it did not seek to address the deficit left by Labor by increasing taxation. It did not take the usual Labor way out. Instead, it is addressing expenditure. This is a good budget, it is a fair budget and the Territory has fared very well. We have heard already that CDEP programs and CHIP programs are to be largely quarantined. We have heard already that some $97m in defence infrastructure will continue. We have heard already that there is a new commitment to regional development ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri cannot help himself. Here he goes, interjecting again. He does not want Territorians listening at home to hear the answer to this question because it is a great embarrassment to the Leader of the Opposition. We brought down an outstanding Territory budget and now she has nothing to hang her hat on when it comes to the federal budget. The Territory has had a fair shake in this budget, and our economy will continue to grow in the time ahead.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016