Mr BONSON - 2001-11-27
How does the mini-budget address the unsustainable financial deficit left by the previous CLP government?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! I think the member for Millner is on his feet and has the floor. I hope we are not going to have a lot of repetitious questions. Could you please ask your question, and Chief Minister, perhaps, keep your answer short.
ANSWER
One of the ways we are going to tackle the unsustainable debt left by the previous administration is to assist our construction industry. We all recognise how important the construction industry is for the Territory’s future. The construction industry is a key industry. It feeds many other sectors and it is critical to our economy. The Economic Development Summit made that point very clearly, and it is one that this side of the House also understands very clearly.
Let us look at some of the initiatives we have put in place to address the needs of the construction sector. Last week, this government announced the calling of expressions of interest for government office space. We have identified the needs over the next two years for government office rentals, and that is now put out on the market, clearly put out on the market, 90002m. Building owners and developers can then understand what the need is and calculate that into their future developments, and the needs they have within their own buildings - something we never saw from the previous administration. This is the end of the deal making and it has been welcomed by our developers and our building owners.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister will you resume your seat. We are getting interjections from both sides and I am quite sure people listening to this broadcast have no idea what the answer is. So, could we ask both sides to restrain.
Ms MARTIN: Thank you. We have put out the needs for office rental space for the next two years, something that was never done under the previous administration. This is open, accountable, fair government at work - take note.
Today’s mini-budget provides welcome assistance for the construction industry. A further $8.7m has been allocated for capital works. An additional $6m for repairs and maintenance expenditure has been allocated as well. We made those announcements a few weeks ago, formalised today in the budget, because we were to be confronted with the spend that was to happen between November and June within the transport and works area in the repairs and maintenance and minor new works, when there was nothing, zero. Zero across those categories for the rest of the year, left by the previous administration. Of course, we were going to tackle the problem, it is a major problem. It is tackled, and that $15m extra will make a substantial difference right across the Territory. These initiatives will be good news for construction in the Territory, both small and big operators.
Another initiative in today’s mini-budget is that the government has reinstated QuickStart II from tomorrow.
Mr Reed: Good CLP initiative, that one.
Ms MARTIN: I say to the former Treasurer, when it was introduced back earlier this year, I welcomed it …
Mr Reed: You rubbished it!
Ms MARTIN: I supported it wholeheartedly. I said I would like it extended, but I supported you wholeheartedly. Such was the state of the then Treasurer’s blinkers, he could not even listen to the response coming from the then opposition.
QuickStart II will operate under the same guidelines as previously, and will continue until 31 January 2002. The extension of the scheme will be welcomed by potential home builders and by the construction industry. So, one of the ways to tackle our current unsustainable deficit situation is to support construction and to support the intrinsic role that construction plays in building the Territory economy.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! I think the member for Millner is on his feet and has the floor. I hope we are not going to have a lot of repetitious questions. Could you please ask your question, and Chief Minister, perhaps, keep your answer short.
ANSWER
One of the ways we are going to tackle the unsustainable debt left by the previous administration is to assist our construction industry. We all recognise how important the construction industry is for the Territory’s future. The construction industry is a key industry. It feeds many other sectors and it is critical to our economy. The Economic Development Summit made that point very clearly, and it is one that this side of the House also understands very clearly.
Let us look at some of the initiatives we have put in place to address the needs of the construction sector. Last week, this government announced the calling of expressions of interest for government office space. We have identified the needs over the next two years for government office rentals, and that is now put out on the market, clearly put out on the market, 90002m. Building owners and developers can then understand what the need is and calculate that into their future developments, and the needs they have within their own buildings - something we never saw from the previous administration. This is the end of the deal making and it has been welcomed by our developers and our building owners.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister will you resume your seat. We are getting interjections from both sides and I am quite sure people listening to this broadcast have no idea what the answer is. So, could we ask both sides to restrain.
Ms MARTIN: Thank you. We have put out the needs for office rental space for the next two years, something that was never done under the previous administration. This is open, accountable, fair government at work - take note.
Today’s mini-budget provides welcome assistance for the construction industry. A further $8.7m has been allocated for capital works. An additional $6m for repairs and maintenance expenditure has been allocated as well. We made those announcements a few weeks ago, formalised today in the budget, because we were to be confronted with the spend that was to happen between November and June within the transport and works area in the repairs and maintenance and minor new works, when there was nothing, zero. Zero across those categories for the rest of the year, left by the previous administration. Of course, we were going to tackle the problem, it is a major problem. It is tackled, and that $15m extra will make a substantial difference right across the Territory. These initiatives will be good news for construction in the Territory, both small and big operators.
Another initiative in today’s mini-budget is that the government has reinstated QuickStart II from tomorrow.
Mr Reed: Good CLP initiative, that one.
Ms MARTIN: I say to the former Treasurer, when it was introduced back earlier this year, I welcomed it …
Mr Reed: You rubbished it!
Ms MARTIN: I supported it wholeheartedly. I said I would like it extended, but I supported you wholeheartedly. Such was the state of the then Treasurer’s blinkers, he could not even listen to the response coming from the then opposition.
QuickStart II will operate under the same guidelines as previously, and will continue until 31 January 2002. The extension of the scheme will be welcomed by potential home builders and by the construction industry. So, one of the ways to tackle our current unsustainable deficit situation is to support construction and to support the intrinsic role that construction plays in building the Territory economy.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016