Mr GUNNER - 2008-09-10
During the last election, the Labor government made a number of commitments to Territorians. These commitments, covering the length and breadth of the Territory, were made in a number of critical areas. Can the Chief Minister please advise the House of the government’s intentions in respect to the commitments we made to Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Fannie Bay, for his question - his first question in this House. Yes, we did make commitments right across this great Northern Territory of ours, and I am absolutely 100% committed to ensure that those election commitments are implemented. We made commitments in all key areas of government, from the economy through to the environment. They were extensive and they covered the entire Northern Territory. We believe implementing these commitments will secure the future of the Northern Territory. We introduced fresh ideas about the future. The challenge now is to make sure we get results as a result of those commitments.
Our commitments were carefully costed. One of the great hallmarks of this government has been the tight fiscal management of the budget, the fact that we have brought in six surplus budgets in a row. We are committed to a fiscal strategy that delivers surplus budgets. All of our commitments were thoroughly costed and received the tick from Treasury.
It was a tight election but, unlike the opposition, where there was around a $100m black hole in the costings that they put forward, our costings absolutely had the tick from Treasury. If the CLP had been elected, there would have been a razor gang implemented, around 15% cut across the entire public service, and about one in six public servants would have been facing losing their jobs. Our commitments are fully costed against the forward estimates and got the tick from Treasury.
Our commitments are achievable and they will be achieved. We will implement them all, or they will be bettered. To demonstrate the determination in terms of accountability for this, I am tabling these commitments today. I will report to this parliament every June and November in regard to the progress in implementing these commitments. That is about transparency, it is about accountability, and it is about delivering for Territorians on the commitments that we made. I am prepared to be held accountable. We will be accountable against those commitments.
The commitments are made over a full four years of the term of the government, and they will be implemented over that four year term. They will be brought on as they are prepared and when the budget is able to contain them. As I said in the media conference yesterday, if we have increased budget revenue, some of those may be able to be brought forward, but obviously they will have to be implemented within an appropriate fiscal policy.
I am proud of the commitments we took to the people of the Territory. I stand here recognising and thanking the people of the Northern Territory for having confidence in us for another four years and make an absolute commitment that those election commitments will be implemented.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Fannie Bay, for his question - his first question in this House. Yes, we did make commitments right across this great Northern Territory of ours, and I am absolutely 100% committed to ensure that those election commitments are implemented. We made commitments in all key areas of government, from the economy through to the environment. They were extensive and they covered the entire Northern Territory. We believe implementing these commitments will secure the future of the Northern Territory. We introduced fresh ideas about the future. The challenge now is to make sure we get results as a result of those commitments.
Our commitments were carefully costed. One of the great hallmarks of this government has been the tight fiscal management of the budget, the fact that we have brought in six surplus budgets in a row. We are committed to a fiscal strategy that delivers surplus budgets. All of our commitments were thoroughly costed and received the tick from Treasury.
It was a tight election but, unlike the opposition, where there was around a $100m black hole in the costings that they put forward, our costings absolutely had the tick from Treasury. If the CLP had been elected, there would have been a razor gang implemented, around 15% cut across the entire public service, and about one in six public servants would have been facing losing their jobs. Our commitments are fully costed against the forward estimates and got the tick from Treasury.
Our commitments are achievable and they will be achieved. We will implement them all, or they will be bettered. To demonstrate the determination in terms of accountability for this, I am tabling these commitments today. I will report to this parliament every June and November in regard to the progress in implementing these commitments. That is about transparency, it is about accountability, and it is about delivering for Territorians on the commitments that we made. I am prepared to be held accountable. We will be accountable against those commitments.
The commitments are made over a full four years of the term of the government, and they will be implemented over that four year term. They will be brought on as they are prepared and when the budget is able to contain them. As I said in the media conference yesterday, if we have increased budget revenue, some of those may be able to be brought forward, but obviously they will have to be implemented within an appropriate fiscal policy.
I am proud of the commitments we took to the people of the Territory. I stand here recognising and thanking the people of the Northern Territory for having confidence in us for another four years and make an absolute commitment that those election commitments will be implemented.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016