Mr ADAMSON - 1995-10-17
Does the government intend to proceed with the fire service levy that was foreshadowed in the budget earlier this year?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, that question has caused great mirth amongst members opposite ...
Mr Ede Congratulations, Mike. I am glad you have dropped it.
Mr REED: ... and the Leader of the Opposition's interjection. At least the member for Casuarina has been up-front enough to ask the question.
Mr Ede: You gave it to him!
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Mr Bailey: I bet it was a real surprise!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition purports to represent the people of the Northern Territory and he trumpets that abroad. However, the member for Casuarina has been considerably more pro-active in making representations to the government, as indeed have other government members in representing the people of the Northern Territory.
I have seen very little comment on this subject by the Leader of the Opposition, the shadow spokesman for fire services. There was a brief flurry of activity in about May, when the budget was announced. Some bold statements were made on television and radio, and a few reports appeared in the print media. However, over the last 4 months, while the government has been deliberating on this issue, there has been total silence from members opposite. One would have to say that members opposite have not made a very good job of representing the people of the Northern Territory on this matter. On the other hand, as it promised, the government has been consulting with home owners and listening to their views on the proposed fire service levy, and it has consulted with industry and business.
Mr Ede: The electors of Fannie Bay?
Mr REED: It is a great pity that the Leader of the Opposition and his colleagues cannot allow ministers to answer questions without interruption, thereby allowing people listening to the broadcast to hear about what is happening in the Northern Territory rather than the rudeness of the members opposite. It does not reflect well on them.
The government has considered the issue very carefully. In the May budget, income of $3.5m was to be derived from the introduction of a fire service levy. As I indicated, consultation with the community, business and industry has been ongoing since then.
Mrs Padgham-Purich: Don't forget local government.
Mr REED: As the member for Nelson says, local government was consulted in relation to the means by which the levy might be collected.
Estimated total receipts in the 1995-96 budget were set at $2394.6m which included the $3.5m expected from the fire service levy. However, even without the fire service levy, the expected amount will be $2395m. I announce that we will not be proceeding with the fire service levy. Because of the strength of the economy, and another matter that was taken into account, we are expecting ...
Mr Bailey: Oh, you did not get it wrong in the first place?
Mr REED: Again, a member opposite interjects.
Members should consider the current strength of the economy. The figures will be available to members at the end of this week when the quarterly financial statements are released. Receipts are ahead of what was expected when the budget was announced. The
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economy is in a fairly sound position. I think even members opposite would have to recognise that.
Mr Bell: No.
Members interjecting.
Mr Coulter: We have the fastest-growing economy in Australia.
Mr Bell: There is not a touch of it in the bush.
Mr REED: I will come to the member for MacDonnell's interjection, but the fact is that housing finance, residential building approvals, retail trade turnover, new motor vehicle registrations, tourist accommodation rates and indeed gross state product are all up on last year's figures, and some have increased substantially.
Mr Ede: A couple of hundred million dollars worth of federal subsidies ...
Mr Bell: The point is that you are so small that nobody notices.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: The fact is that, given the strength of the economy, although we are only quarter of the way through the financial year ...
Mr Bell: Nationally?
Mr REED: I am speaking about the Northern Territory economy, to pick up the member for MacDonnell's interjection.
Mr Bell: The national economy is in crisis, but locally we are doing fine?
Mr REED: I will come to your interjection in a minute. Just be patient. Do not be so rude.
Mr Bell: Good grief, can you add up?
Mr REED: The fact is that there are indications that we can be reasonably comfortable that the economy of the Northern Territory will continue on the sound basis that has been experienced over the last year. There is a reasonable expectation that, over this financial year, we will exceed the total receipts that were announced in the budget, and that will happen without the fire service levy. The government has taken those matters into account in deciding not to proceed with the fire service levy.
To pick up the member for MacDonnell's point, let me quote from page 2 of the good Senator Bob Collins's opening address to the Regional Outlook Conference in Darwin only last week. Speaking of northern Australia, he said:
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The region supports 5.4% of the population. It contributes well over 6% of the nation's gross domestic
product. We are, to put it bluntly, more than paying our way.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: I know it grieves members opposite to recognise that the economy of the Northern Territory is doing well and that we are making progress. However, if they do not believe me, they may believe their own federal minister. Senator Collins went on to say:
As ABARE director, Bernie Wonder, will tell you in greater detail later in these proceedings, the outlook
for future economic development in the region is excellent.
At the top of page 3 of his opening address, Senator Collins said:
The Northern Territory is expected to continue to be the fastest-growing economy in Australia, with strong
growth expected in Queensland and Western Australia.
Those are the words of their own Labor federal minister. He believes that the Northern Territory economy is strong and that it will maintain that strength.
It was on that basis that the decision was made not to proceed with the fire service levy. The member for Casuarina, who asked the question, is better representing ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I ask the member for Nhulunbuy to withdraw that remark.
Mr Stirling: I withdraw it, Mr Speaker.
Mr REED: The member for Casuarina has been representing his constituents better than have members opposite.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, that question has caused great mirth amongst members opposite ...
Mr Ede Congratulations, Mike. I am glad you have dropped it.
Mr REED: ... and the Leader of the Opposition's interjection. At least the member for Casuarina has been up-front enough to ask the question.
Mr Ede: You gave it to him!
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Mr Bailey: I bet it was a real surprise!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition purports to represent the people of the Northern Territory and he trumpets that abroad. However, the member for Casuarina has been considerably more pro-active in making representations to the government, as indeed have other government members in representing the people of the Northern Territory.
I have seen very little comment on this subject by the Leader of the Opposition, the shadow spokesman for fire services. There was a brief flurry of activity in about May, when the budget was announced. Some bold statements were made on television and radio, and a few reports appeared in the print media. However, over the last 4 months, while the government has been deliberating on this issue, there has been total silence from members opposite. One would have to say that members opposite have not made a very good job of representing the people of the Northern Territory on this matter. On the other hand, as it promised, the government has been consulting with home owners and listening to their views on the proposed fire service levy, and it has consulted with industry and business.
Mr Ede: The electors of Fannie Bay?
Mr REED: It is a great pity that the Leader of the Opposition and his colleagues cannot allow ministers to answer questions without interruption, thereby allowing people listening to the broadcast to hear about what is happening in the Northern Territory rather than the rudeness of the members opposite. It does not reflect well on them.
The government has considered the issue very carefully. In the May budget, income of $3.5m was to be derived from the introduction of a fire service levy. As I indicated, consultation with the community, business and industry has been ongoing since then.
Mrs Padgham-Purich: Don't forget local government.
Mr REED: As the member for Nelson says, local government was consulted in relation to the means by which the levy might be collected.
Estimated total receipts in the 1995-96 budget were set at $2394.6m which included the $3.5m expected from the fire service levy. However, even without the fire service levy, the expected amount will be $2395m. I announce that we will not be proceeding with the fire service levy. Because of the strength of the economy, and another matter that was taken into account, we are expecting ...
Mr Bailey: Oh, you did not get it wrong in the first place?
Mr REED: Again, a member opposite interjects.
Members should consider the current strength of the economy. The figures will be available to members at the end of this week when the quarterly financial statements are released. Receipts are ahead of what was expected when the budget was announced. The
Page 874
economy is in a fairly sound position. I think even members opposite would have to recognise that.
Mr Bell: No.
Members interjecting.
Mr Coulter: We have the fastest-growing economy in Australia.
Mr Bell: There is not a touch of it in the bush.
Mr REED: I will come to the member for MacDonnell's interjection, but the fact is that housing finance, residential building approvals, retail trade turnover, new motor vehicle registrations, tourist accommodation rates and indeed gross state product are all up on last year's figures, and some have increased substantially.
Mr Ede: A couple of hundred million dollars worth of federal subsidies ...
Mr Bell: The point is that you are so small that nobody notices.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: The fact is that, given the strength of the economy, although we are only quarter of the way through the financial year ...
Mr Bell: Nationally?
Mr REED: I am speaking about the Northern Territory economy, to pick up the member for MacDonnell's interjection.
Mr Bell: The national economy is in crisis, but locally we are doing fine?
Mr REED: I will come to your interjection in a minute. Just be patient. Do not be so rude.
Mr Bell: Good grief, can you add up?
Mr REED: The fact is that there are indications that we can be reasonably comfortable that the economy of the Northern Territory will continue on the sound basis that has been experienced over the last year. There is a reasonable expectation that, over this financial year, we will exceed the total receipts that were announced in the budget, and that will happen without the fire service levy. The government has taken those matters into account in deciding not to proceed with the fire service levy.
To pick up the member for MacDonnell's point, let me quote from page 2 of the good Senator Bob Collins's opening address to the Regional Outlook Conference in Darwin only last week. Speaking of northern Australia, he said:
Page 875
The region supports 5.4% of the population. It contributes well over 6% of the nation's gross domestic
product. We are, to put it bluntly, more than paying our way.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: I know it grieves members opposite to recognise that the economy of the Northern Territory is doing well and that we are making progress. However, if they do not believe me, they may believe their own federal minister. Senator Collins went on to say:
As ABARE director, Bernie Wonder, will tell you in greater detail later in these proceedings, the outlook
for future economic development in the region is excellent.
At the top of page 3 of his opening address, Senator Collins said:
The Northern Territory is expected to continue to be the fastest-growing economy in Australia, with strong
growth expected in Queensland and Western Australia.
Those are the words of their own Labor federal minister. He believes that the Northern Territory economy is strong and that it will maintain that strength.
It was on that basis that the decision was made not to proceed with the fire service levy. The member for Casuarina, who asked the question, is better representing ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I ask the member for Nhulunbuy to withdraw that remark.
Mr Stirling: I withdraw it, Mr Speaker.
Mr REED: The member for Casuarina has been representing his constituents better than have members opposite.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016