Mr BURKE - 2002-08-13
From your last answer indicating the priority you are giving to reticulating power in the Northern Territory and the money you are going to spend, and listening to the number of times the Minister for Essential Services used the word ‘spend’ in his answer, I gather and am happy that the coffers of government are finally full. It is amazing how quickly this black hole can disappear.
Prior to the election you railed about the cost of living in the Northern Territory. You said how atrociously high the cost of living was and what you were going to do to fix it. I note in yesterday’s NT News there is a front page and two inside pages regarding the high cost of living in the Northern Territory. This couple who are on this front page, they own two cars, they have a young family. Under your government, in less than 12 months their cost of living has gone up directly, by your taxes and charges, by $180.
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is Question Time. The Leader of the Opposition will start reading the paper to us next. Could you ask him to get on with his question, please?
Mr BURKE: Madam Speaker, after the answer from the Minister for Essential Services - all the member for Nelson asked was that this poor gentleman wanted to have a shower. We did not require a long answer.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, ask your question. Get on with the question.
Mr BURKE: My question is simply this, Chief Minister: for this family here on the front page, under your government in 10 months, their cost of living has gone up directly by $180 registration charges, increases to third party insurance cost, a 5% cost in water and sewerage charges, just to name three. We know what you have done to raise the cost of living for Territorians. What are you going to do to lower it, and when are you going to do it?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, an incredibly undisciplined question from the Opposition Leader. Don’t you work on your questions? You rove all over the place. The point of order made by the business minister was pertinent. We could have the Deputy Chief Minister give you the outline again about what opposition is all about and how you prepare for parliament because it seems to be missing. This is a serious Chamber here, and we should have legitimate questions in Question Time, not the Opposition Leader giving us a stream of consciousness and waving a newspaper at us.
To deal seriously with some of the issues he raised. Yes, the cost of living in the Territory is an issue for us, and it has been an issue for us for a long time. One of the components we deal with is freight costs, and it is the reason why, when we were in opposition, we strongly supported the government in getting the railway up, and making sure that we can reduce freight costs – a very important issue for the Territory. Freight…
Mr Burke: Tell us what you’ve done to this family here.
Ms MARTIN: Could I just say to the Opposition Leader, Madam Speaker…
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Both sides! The Chief Minister has the floor.
Ms MARTIN: The Opposition Leader asked a long and undisciplined question where he did not know where he was taking it. The least he could do is be quiet while I try to answer it.
In terms of our cost of living, we are supporting those elements that we can to reduce some of the impacts of getting goods to the Territory. In the 12 months that we have been in office, we have seen key elements of our economy that, under the CLP, were unacceptably high, like the unemployment rate. We now see the unemployment rate across the Territory down to 4.2% in trend terms. Compare that with what happened to our unemployment levels under the previous government. Look at the numbers of jobs that have been created. We have seen a growth in the number of people who are in employment across the Territory. If you want to do key things about tackling the high cost of living in the Territory, we will get jobs, grow the job force and get unemployment down. I am proud to stand here and say that they are two things that we have done over the last 12 months.
There is a lot more to do in terms of creating skilled jobs in the Territory, but this, unashamedly, is our focus. When the Opposition Leader refers to the fact that there is a levy on car registrations, it means that our registration charges are only average across Australia. It is very unfortunate that we had to impose that levy of $90 or $45 for everyone who is on a pension or other concession. We had to impose it on Territorians, but it is a direct response to the incompetence and deceit of the previous government and the lies. As we go into our budget session next week, and you compare that …
Dr LIM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Chief Minister used the word ‘lie’ in her response.
Madam SPEAKER: I don’t think she actually directed it against anyone in particular, but Chief Minister, you know …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: When we go into our budget session next week and compare that with the last budget brought down by the CLP, there is no comparison. That was a misrepresentation, that was deceit to Territorians. To have the Opposition Leader pretend that somehow or other in government the CLP was running a responsible budget, a sustainable budget, is further perpetration of deceit on Territorians.
We are bringing our budget - and every Territorian understands that - back into a sustainable situation. It is very important for this government and very important for every Territorian. I am looking forward to the budget next week, and I believe all Territorians will be.
Prior to the election you railed about the cost of living in the Northern Territory. You said how atrociously high the cost of living was and what you were going to do to fix it. I note in yesterday’s NT News there is a front page and two inside pages regarding the high cost of living in the Northern Territory. This couple who are on this front page, they own two cars, they have a young family. Under your government, in less than 12 months their cost of living has gone up directly, by your taxes and charges, by $180.
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is Question Time. The Leader of the Opposition will start reading the paper to us next. Could you ask him to get on with his question, please?
Mr BURKE: Madam Speaker, after the answer from the Minister for Essential Services - all the member for Nelson asked was that this poor gentleman wanted to have a shower. We did not require a long answer.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, ask your question. Get on with the question.
Mr BURKE: My question is simply this, Chief Minister: for this family here on the front page, under your government in 10 months, their cost of living has gone up directly by $180 registration charges, increases to third party insurance cost, a 5% cost in water and sewerage charges, just to name three. We know what you have done to raise the cost of living for Territorians. What are you going to do to lower it, and when are you going to do it?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, an incredibly undisciplined question from the Opposition Leader. Don’t you work on your questions? You rove all over the place. The point of order made by the business minister was pertinent. We could have the Deputy Chief Minister give you the outline again about what opposition is all about and how you prepare for parliament because it seems to be missing. This is a serious Chamber here, and we should have legitimate questions in Question Time, not the Opposition Leader giving us a stream of consciousness and waving a newspaper at us.
To deal seriously with some of the issues he raised. Yes, the cost of living in the Territory is an issue for us, and it has been an issue for us for a long time. One of the components we deal with is freight costs, and it is the reason why, when we were in opposition, we strongly supported the government in getting the railway up, and making sure that we can reduce freight costs – a very important issue for the Territory. Freight…
Mr Burke: Tell us what you’ve done to this family here.
Ms MARTIN: Could I just say to the Opposition Leader, Madam Speaker…
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Both sides! The Chief Minister has the floor.
Ms MARTIN: The Opposition Leader asked a long and undisciplined question where he did not know where he was taking it. The least he could do is be quiet while I try to answer it.
In terms of our cost of living, we are supporting those elements that we can to reduce some of the impacts of getting goods to the Territory. In the 12 months that we have been in office, we have seen key elements of our economy that, under the CLP, were unacceptably high, like the unemployment rate. We now see the unemployment rate across the Territory down to 4.2% in trend terms. Compare that with what happened to our unemployment levels under the previous government. Look at the numbers of jobs that have been created. We have seen a growth in the number of people who are in employment across the Territory. If you want to do key things about tackling the high cost of living in the Territory, we will get jobs, grow the job force and get unemployment down. I am proud to stand here and say that they are two things that we have done over the last 12 months.
There is a lot more to do in terms of creating skilled jobs in the Territory, but this, unashamedly, is our focus. When the Opposition Leader refers to the fact that there is a levy on car registrations, it means that our registration charges are only average across Australia. It is very unfortunate that we had to impose that levy of $90 or $45 for everyone who is on a pension or other concession. We had to impose it on Territorians, but it is a direct response to the incompetence and deceit of the previous government and the lies. As we go into our budget session next week, and you compare that …
Dr LIM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Chief Minister used the word ‘lie’ in her response.
Madam SPEAKER: I don’t think she actually directed it against anyone in particular, but Chief Minister, you know …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: When we go into our budget session next week and compare that with the last budget brought down by the CLP, there is no comparison. That was a misrepresentation, that was deceit to Territorians. To have the Opposition Leader pretend that somehow or other in government the CLP was running a responsible budget, a sustainable budget, is further perpetration of deceit on Territorians.
We are bringing our budget - and every Territorian understands that - back into a sustainable situation. It is very important for this government and very important for every Territorian. I am looking forward to the budget next week, and I believe all Territorians will be.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016