Mr MILLS - 2003-11-25
You are spending more than $1m touring Australia telling interstate businesses, ‘We want your money and your business to head north’. Are you telling them everything? Since you became Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, the confidence of small and medium size businesses in this administration has been minus 21%. It improved to minus 4%, then fell to minus 20%, minus 12%, minus 8% - it was improving, and it has plummeted to an all time low of minus 22%. How can you expect interstate business to come to the Territory when they know that business confidence in your government is the worst in the nation?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Sensis Business Index came out yesterday and I was very disappointed. I am not going to stand here and tell you that I was delighted. We were very pleased as government …
Mr Mills: It is absolutely shocking.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition asks a question and continues to talk.
I was very disappointed, and certainly the Business minister and other members of government were very disappointed. We saw a considerable rise in the confidence of business in government in the previous quarter, and we are disappointed that that has happened. But it does not say that all the factors involved in that business index are not showing that we are moving in the right direction. Let us just look at all the elements.
Mr Mills interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: In response to the Opposition Leader’s question, I said, yes, I am disappointed. What do you want? I am disappointed. We will work harder with business. Okay?
However, let us look at all the aspects of the business index, because the Opposition Leader is only being selective. It shows that business conditions are continuing to gradually improve, and I say, gradually improve. There are six indicators, and what it shows is that five of those six indicators are now higher than when this government came into office two years ago. Let us look at those. The size of the workforce, and prices and capital expenditure have improved over the last quarter, and the other three - sales value, wage bills and profitability - have decreased.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: I am not spinning a tale here. That is what the Sensis Business Index said.
What we are saying is that we are gradually seeing an improvement happen. I am disappointed that confidence it has fallen again, but we will work hard to see growth happen and that increase in confidence made. We are putting in place a number of initiatives for business, and I hope that you listen to what the Minister for Employment, Education and Training is saying about the jobs plan - really direct assistance to business to grow those businesses.
While I am on my feet, let me refer to the opening part of the Opposition Leader’s question, which was about me touring the country, talking about the Territory, what a great lifestyle we have, why people should come and live here, why they should work here, and why businesses - particularly in areas like the Darwin Business Park – should be looking at investing there. We know that population is a problem. What better to do for our businesses in the Territory than grow our population, to go and get people from the rest of Australia to think about coming to the Territory, living in the Territory, supporting and working in small businesses, and growing the Territory? That is what this is all about.
There are no easy and quick answers to this. We inherited …
Mr Mills: HIH levy, get rid of that.
Ms MARTIN: … despite the yelling and rudeness of the Opposition Leader, we inherited an economy in trouble. We have seen major projects come into place, we have made a lot of initiatives in terms of business, …
Mr Mills: It was positive 44% confidence.
Ms MARTIN: … just one, reducing payroll tax. That is something the previous government would not have done, and we have done it. We are confident we will see Territory businesses grow. The only ones who do not want to see that happen and want to talk down this economy, where are they, Madam Speaker? That side of this House.
Madam SPEAKER: We have had rather lengthy answers to questions today. I would appreciate shorter answers.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Sensis Business Index came out yesterday and I was very disappointed. I am not going to stand here and tell you that I was delighted. We were very pleased as government …
Mr Mills: It is absolutely shocking.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition asks a question and continues to talk.
I was very disappointed, and certainly the Business minister and other members of government were very disappointed. We saw a considerable rise in the confidence of business in government in the previous quarter, and we are disappointed that that has happened. But it does not say that all the factors involved in that business index are not showing that we are moving in the right direction. Let us just look at all the elements.
Mr Mills interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: In response to the Opposition Leader’s question, I said, yes, I am disappointed. What do you want? I am disappointed. We will work harder with business. Okay?
However, let us look at all the aspects of the business index, because the Opposition Leader is only being selective. It shows that business conditions are continuing to gradually improve, and I say, gradually improve. There are six indicators, and what it shows is that five of those six indicators are now higher than when this government came into office two years ago. Let us look at those. The size of the workforce, and prices and capital expenditure have improved over the last quarter, and the other three - sales value, wage bills and profitability - have decreased.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: I am not spinning a tale here. That is what the Sensis Business Index said.
What we are saying is that we are gradually seeing an improvement happen. I am disappointed that confidence it has fallen again, but we will work hard to see growth happen and that increase in confidence made. We are putting in place a number of initiatives for business, and I hope that you listen to what the Minister for Employment, Education and Training is saying about the jobs plan - really direct assistance to business to grow those businesses.
While I am on my feet, let me refer to the opening part of the Opposition Leader’s question, which was about me touring the country, talking about the Territory, what a great lifestyle we have, why people should come and live here, why they should work here, and why businesses - particularly in areas like the Darwin Business Park – should be looking at investing there. We know that population is a problem. What better to do for our businesses in the Territory than grow our population, to go and get people from the rest of Australia to think about coming to the Territory, living in the Territory, supporting and working in small businesses, and growing the Territory? That is what this is all about.
There are no easy and quick answers to this. We inherited …
Mr Mills: HIH levy, get rid of that.
Ms MARTIN: … despite the yelling and rudeness of the Opposition Leader, we inherited an economy in trouble. We have seen major projects come into place, we have made a lot of initiatives in terms of business, …
Mr Mills: It was positive 44% confidence.
Ms MARTIN: … just one, reducing payroll tax. That is something the previous government would not have done, and we have done it. We are confident we will see Territory businesses grow. The only ones who do not want to see that happen and want to talk down this economy, where are they, Madam Speaker? That side of this House.
Madam SPEAKER: We have had rather lengthy answers to questions today. I would appreciate shorter answers.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016