Mr EDE - 1995-05-23
As we all know, the Treasurer increased a range of taxes and charges in his budget last week but, since then, Territorians have identified other increases, such as those in bus fares, car registration fees and Housing Commission rentals, which he could not fit into his 45-minute budget speech. Will the Treasurer tell this House what other increases he could not fit into his 45-minute budget speech? Alternatively, will he give a cast-iron guarantee that there are no other increases in taxes and charges over the next financial year?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, absolutely nothing was left out of this budget. If the Leader of the Opposition looks at the revenue raising and the forward estimates, it is all in there. The increases in bus fares, car registration fees and Housing Commission rents are all in the budget papers. They are all in the figures. They are all in the books.
Mr Ede: They are not.
Mr COULTER: I can assure the Leader of the Opposition that nothing was left out of this budget. Can I say also that further questions in relation to increases in bus fares, car registration fees or Housing Commission rents should be directed to the ministers responsible.
Mr Ede: It is your budget.
Mr COULTER: Did you hear Mr Willis's speech? Was there anything in his speech about tax rises, itemised point by point? The bus fares are a ripper. I dare you to direct a question about bus fares to the Minister for Transport and Works.
Mr Stirling: Why didn't you mention it in your speech?
Mr COULTER: It is all in the forward estimates.
The Leader of the Opposition seeks to rubbish me by saying that the federal budget was a good one. Where does he stand on debt at the moment? In relation to every other budget, he has stressed the debt levels and how hopeless we are. Do we hear a murmur from him now about debt? We have heard not a word.
Mr Ede: Wait until my budget speech.
Mr COULTER: Perhaps that matter has been put to bed finally and we will never hear anything further from him about debt. He did not quote Mr Nahan of the Institute of Public Affairs saying what a great budget ours is in terms of its responsibility and that our debt is under control.
In contrast to that, let us have a look at the budget that he promised to Territorians in the hope of being elected only 12 months ago. It did not even get past the press conference. One
Page 567
of the journalists there pointed out a hole in the budget that you could not jump over. Eventually, Labor released its costings only days before the election. It turned out that there was a $100m blunder in its own costings, and that there was ...
Mr Ede: Wrong!
Mr COULTER: ... a $13m hole which was spotted by a journalist at the press conference. The Leader of the Opposition said that Tobin got it wrong. He gave Tobin up in 5 seconds. It is lucky that he did not become the member for Leanyer.
Mr Ede: You would not cost yours!
Members interjecting.
Mr COULTER: Then they said that Labor banked on receiving an additional $30m in special revenue assistance from the Commonwealth. It said that it would be $30m extra, but it took $19m from us.
Mr Ede: Yes, that shows your competence!
Mr COULTER: Where would we be if we had his budget, and were debating it in this Assembly today? We would have been right behind the 8 ball.
Let me conclude. There were never any omissions. These are all included in the budget papers ...
Mr Ede: They are not!
Mr COULTER: The figures are there!
Mr Ede: They are not. It shows a decrease!
Mr COULTER: I will point them out to him, if he wants me to. Nothing has been left out. This is a responsible budget.
Mr Ede: You just misled the House.
Mr COULTER: The debt furphy that they have been peddling for years has been laid finally to rest and will not rise again.
In regard to interest payments, the Leader of the Opposition came here with a cute question last week, after somebody had calculated net interest payments or something like that for him, and he said that they were only $170m. We had never said anything about $170m. We said that they would not rise above $220m - that is, in 1992-93 dollars - and they have not. They will be $213m in 1995-96, and that is an absolute credit ...
Mr Ede: Net interest is what I am talking about, not gross interest.
Page 568
Mr COULTER: ... to the financial management of the economy of the Northern Territory. The fiscal shape of the Northern Territory has never looked better.
Page 569
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, absolutely nothing was left out of this budget. If the Leader of the Opposition looks at the revenue raising and the forward estimates, it is all in there. The increases in bus fares, car registration fees and Housing Commission rents are all in the budget papers. They are all in the figures. They are all in the books.
Mr Ede: They are not.
Mr COULTER: I can assure the Leader of the Opposition that nothing was left out of this budget. Can I say also that further questions in relation to increases in bus fares, car registration fees or Housing Commission rents should be directed to the ministers responsible.
Mr Ede: It is your budget.
Mr COULTER: Did you hear Mr Willis's speech? Was there anything in his speech about tax rises, itemised point by point? The bus fares are a ripper. I dare you to direct a question about bus fares to the Minister for Transport and Works.
Mr Stirling: Why didn't you mention it in your speech?
Mr COULTER: It is all in the forward estimates.
The Leader of the Opposition seeks to rubbish me by saying that the federal budget was a good one. Where does he stand on debt at the moment? In relation to every other budget, he has stressed the debt levels and how hopeless we are. Do we hear a murmur from him now about debt? We have heard not a word.
Mr Ede: Wait until my budget speech.
Mr COULTER: Perhaps that matter has been put to bed finally and we will never hear anything further from him about debt. He did not quote Mr Nahan of the Institute of Public Affairs saying what a great budget ours is in terms of its responsibility and that our debt is under control.
In contrast to that, let us have a look at the budget that he promised to Territorians in the hope of being elected only 12 months ago. It did not even get past the press conference. One
Page 567
of the journalists there pointed out a hole in the budget that you could not jump over. Eventually, Labor released its costings only days before the election. It turned out that there was a $100m blunder in its own costings, and that there was ...
Mr Ede: Wrong!
Mr COULTER: ... a $13m hole which was spotted by a journalist at the press conference. The Leader of the Opposition said that Tobin got it wrong. He gave Tobin up in 5 seconds. It is lucky that he did not become the member for Leanyer.
Mr Ede: You would not cost yours!
Members interjecting.
Mr COULTER: Then they said that Labor banked on receiving an additional $30m in special revenue assistance from the Commonwealth. It said that it would be $30m extra, but it took $19m from us.
Mr Ede: Yes, that shows your competence!
Mr COULTER: Where would we be if we had his budget, and were debating it in this Assembly today? We would have been right behind the 8 ball.
Let me conclude. There were never any omissions. These are all included in the budget papers ...
Mr Ede: They are not!
Mr COULTER: The figures are there!
Mr Ede: They are not. It shows a decrease!
Mr COULTER: I will point them out to him, if he wants me to. Nothing has been left out. This is a responsible budget.
Mr Ede: You just misled the House.
Mr COULTER: The debt furphy that they have been peddling for years has been laid finally to rest and will not rise again.
In regard to interest payments, the Leader of the Opposition came here with a cute question last week, after somebody had calculated net interest payments or something like that for him, and he said that they were only $170m. We had never said anything about $170m. We said that they would not rise above $220m - that is, in 1992-93 dollars - and they have not. They will be $213m in 1995-96, and that is an absolute credit ...
Mr Ede: Net interest is what I am talking about, not gross interest.
Page 568
Mr COULTER: ... to the financial management of the economy of the Northern Territory. The fiscal shape of the Northern Territory has never looked better.
Page 569
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016