Mr MILLS - 2008-05-07
Treasurer, you speak about the importance of prudent fiscal management. You just produced a budget, in fact, that missed its target by more than $300m. How is that prudent financial management?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the Leader of the Opposition’s question …
Mr Mills: Have a look at the figures. You got a windfall, unexpected, and you spent it.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: He continues to be …
Mrs Miller: There is an election.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, opposition members!
Ms LAWRIE: He continues to be fairly confused about the Budget Papers and the process of the budget, and the relationship with funding that comes through from the Commonwealth government into the Northern Territory. I make no apology for the fact that we are seeing increasing Commonwealth revenue into the Territory budget. However, rather than do what the Leader of the Opposition has been saying we should be doing, which is just stockpiling the surplus, we are actually spending the funding into core services that, I believe, Territorians really do want such as education, police and health - fundamental services. Also, because we are, obviously, going through a strong economic growth period, we are ensuring that the additional revenue coming into the budget papers is in and around delivering key infrastructure.
We heard the Chief Minister talk about one aspect of that key infrastructure, one that I have been very closely involved with in its development phase, which is the Darwin Port. We will put extra conveyor belts in there, increase the land reclamation and put a new hard stand in at the port to cater to the increased activity, because that is a significant economic driver for the Territory. The activity that we have going across our port in exports …
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister is straying a long way from the point - a long way from the point.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, as you are aware, there is a fair bit of latitude in the asking and answering of questions. The Treasurer has the call.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I am clearly responding to the Leader of the Opposition’s question by explaining that, with increased revenue, you look at the opportunities and the priorities for spending that increased revenue. The opportunities that we chose as a government …
Mr Mills: In an election year.
Ms LAWRIE: He is choosing his own opportunities. He is choosing to waste $30m on infrastructure at Glyde Point, which is a beautiful environment. However with the $30m, I wonder what it is going to get you, because it will not even get you the road out there.
He can waste opportunities in that way, but the Northern Territory government made decisions to fund into core services of education, health and police. We made the decision, fundamentally, that while we have got strong economic growth, we turn a lot of the investment back into infrastructure that will help be an economic driver and contributor to sustaining economic growth. That is important. That is the fundamental approach that we have taken in the budget, delivering benefits for Territory families through those core services but, also, investing in the Territory’s future.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the Leader of the Opposition’s question …
Mr Mills: Have a look at the figures. You got a windfall, unexpected, and you spent it.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: He continues to be …
Mrs Miller: There is an election.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, opposition members!
Ms LAWRIE: He continues to be fairly confused about the Budget Papers and the process of the budget, and the relationship with funding that comes through from the Commonwealth government into the Northern Territory. I make no apology for the fact that we are seeing increasing Commonwealth revenue into the Territory budget. However, rather than do what the Leader of the Opposition has been saying we should be doing, which is just stockpiling the surplus, we are actually spending the funding into core services that, I believe, Territorians really do want such as education, police and health - fundamental services. Also, because we are, obviously, going through a strong economic growth period, we are ensuring that the additional revenue coming into the budget papers is in and around delivering key infrastructure.
We heard the Chief Minister talk about one aspect of that key infrastructure, one that I have been very closely involved with in its development phase, which is the Darwin Port. We will put extra conveyor belts in there, increase the land reclamation and put a new hard stand in at the port to cater to the increased activity, because that is a significant economic driver for the Territory. The activity that we have going across our port in exports …
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister is straying a long way from the point - a long way from the point.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, as you are aware, there is a fair bit of latitude in the asking and answering of questions. The Treasurer has the call.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I am clearly responding to the Leader of the Opposition’s question by explaining that, with increased revenue, you look at the opportunities and the priorities for spending that increased revenue. The opportunities that we chose as a government …
Mr Mills: In an election year.
Ms LAWRIE: He is choosing his own opportunities. He is choosing to waste $30m on infrastructure at Glyde Point, which is a beautiful environment. However with the $30m, I wonder what it is going to get you, because it will not even get you the road out there.
He can waste opportunities in that way, but the Northern Territory government made decisions to fund into core services of education, health and police. We made the decision, fundamentally, that while we have got strong economic growth, we turn a lot of the investment back into infrastructure that will help be an economic driver and contributor to sustaining economic growth. That is important. That is the fundamental approach that we have taken in the budget, delivering benefits for Territory families through those core services but, also, investing in the Territory’s future.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016