Mr BURKE - 2001-10-17
Madam SPEAKER: I remind honourable members that I have given permission for the media to record sound and vision during Question Time today.
The Territory economy, like all others, feels the effects of issues outside its direct control that nonetheless require responses from governments. You are faced with falling job opportunities, weak consumer confidence, slowdowns in all major sectors and ongoing difficulties in bringing gas onshore. With the exception of your summit next month, what action have you actually taken to address these economic issues?
ANSWER
I thank the Opposition Leader for his question. Very sadly, the economy that this new government inherited was one that had been carefully nurtured by the previous administration. Unfortunately, that careful nurturing had included one year of no growth. No growth at all, and shocking figures where we saw unemployment grow during that time. We saw the work force also shrink. We saw the construction industry right across the Territory - again, nurtured by the previous CLP administration - on its knees. You can say words like the construction sector was on its knees, but the saddest part of that was, it was Territorians out of work. For the first time in sometimes 20 and 30 years, we had Territorians out of work. We have the hide of the now Opposition Leader coming into this parliament and saying: ‘What are you doing?’ What are you doing? Two-and-a-half years as Chief Minister and he now comes in with a smirk and a self-satisfied look on his face and says: ‘What are you doing?’.
First of all, let me tell the opposition, the first shock we had - and unfortunately it came way before 11 September - was the shock of the fraud that was perpetrated on Territorians, the absolute fraud that was perpetrated on Territorians from the budget papers delivered by this former administration in May - the absolute fraud.
We, as the new administration, are dealing with this fraud because we are determined to bring the Territory budget back to a sustainable position, while introducing the plans and the initiatives that we went to the election with, and we are determined that will come in place in the timeframe that we set, through our very carefully Access-costed documents. We are on track, we are working hard for Territorians, even though we have the Opposition Leader saying: ‘Oh, the Economic Development Summit - a talkfest. It is just a talkfest’. Has the Opposition Leader spoken to business about this talkfest? They are very excited about it. They are enthusiastic about being able to contribute to our mini-budget process and also contribute to the long-term strategy.
We are also very proud, and recognise the work done by the previous administration in the railway. $1.3m - I outlined the benefits we are already seeing through the railway. Three hundred jobs are created. In the member for Katherine’s area, 40 jobs created in the sleeper factory and 40 jobs ongoing. Katherine businesses have work. Yes, activity is happening, and we are working very hard to turn around the legacy - not only of the last two and a half years - but the legacy of many years that this CLP administration, who sat here on these government benches, on these Treasury benches, and said: ‘Aren’t we great economic managers?’ Now all Territorians know the truth.
The Territory economy, like all others, feels the effects of issues outside its direct control that nonetheless require responses from governments. You are faced with falling job opportunities, weak consumer confidence, slowdowns in all major sectors and ongoing difficulties in bringing gas onshore. With the exception of your summit next month, what action have you actually taken to address these economic issues?
ANSWER
I thank the Opposition Leader for his question. Very sadly, the economy that this new government inherited was one that had been carefully nurtured by the previous administration. Unfortunately, that careful nurturing had included one year of no growth. No growth at all, and shocking figures where we saw unemployment grow during that time. We saw the work force also shrink. We saw the construction industry right across the Territory - again, nurtured by the previous CLP administration - on its knees. You can say words like the construction sector was on its knees, but the saddest part of that was, it was Territorians out of work. For the first time in sometimes 20 and 30 years, we had Territorians out of work. We have the hide of the now Opposition Leader coming into this parliament and saying: ‘What are you doing?’ What are you doing? Two-and-a-half years as Chief Minister and he now comes in with a smirk and a self-satisfied look on his face and says: ‘What are you doing?’.
First of all, let me tell the opposition, the first shock we had - and unfortunately it came way before 11 September - was the shock of the fraud that was perpetrated on Territorians, the absolute fraud that was perpetrated on Territorians from the budget papers delivered by this former administration in May - the absolute fraud.
We, as the new administration, are dealing with this fraud because we are determined to bring the Territory budget back to a sustainable position, while introducing the plans and the initiatives that we went to the election with, and we are determined that will come in place in the timeframe that we set, through our very carefully Access-costed documents. We are on track, we are working hard for Territorians, even though we have the Opposition Leader saying: ‘Oh, the Economic Development Summit - a talkfest. It is just a talkfest’. Has the Opposition Leader spoken to business about this talkfest? They are very excited about it. They are enthusiastic about being able to contribute to our mini-budget process and also contribute to the long-term strategy.
We are also very proud, and recognise the work done by the previous administration in the railway. $1.3m - I outlined the benefits we are already seeing through the railway. Three hundred jobs are created. In the member for Katherine’s area, 40 jobs created in the sleeper factory and 40 jobs ongoing. Katherine businesses have work. Yes, activity is happening, and we are working very hard to turn around the legacy - not only of the last two and a half years - but the legacy of many years that this CLP administration, who sat here on these government benches, on these Treasury benches, and said: ‘Aren’t we great economic managers?’ Now all Territorians know the truth.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016