Mr REED - 2001-10-17
My question relates to the importance that the government’s capital works and maintenance program plays in the Territory economy in driving the economy and creating jobs. She has said that the capital works program already in place will be adhered to - and she said that many times in here and publicly - yet today we have heard from her minister that the $30m port project, stage 2A, tenders for which closed some six weeks ago, has not proceeded. We have heard that the Berrimah gaol contract that was tendered, and tenders closed eight weeks ago - nothing has happened. We have heard, of course, that the Mereenie loop road - notwithstanding the Chief Minister’s assertions that the capital works program is in place – is, in fact, under review and is not proceeding.
When will the Chief Minister get away from the nonsense about what happened in historic terms, and start creating jobs for Territorians by proceeding with the capital works programs, which she says are in place, which her minister on the other hand contradicts her and says are not in place, but under review or been scrapped?
ANSWER
I am surprised that the Deputy Opposition Leader can stand and ask a question like this, because he should be ashamed of himself, absolutely ashamed. Let me get down to some detail here. From the Deputy Opposition Leader’s mouth, let us go to that project for the Darwin gaol, for the low-security area. Tenders closed eight weeks ago. Tenders went out in the run-up to the last election, and this was typical of what the CLP did. In a frenzy of ‘anything will go if we can win this election’, an absolute frenzy of anything will go, tenders were called for. Tenders were called for and tenders closed eight weeks ago. But, in the fraud that is continually perpetrated by that previous administration on Territorians - and we saw it in their budget, and we are seeing it every time we lift another lid on the detail of what happened in that budget - there was no cash allocation against that.
There was no cash allocation - that is an absolute disgrace. Tenders were called for when there was no cash allocation. We have seen this over years. We have seen this over years, because what we have had happen - and we have seen it in previous years from the previous administration – is there were all these projects promised and was there a cash allocation against it? Not a skerrick! ‘Let us just make a big list. Let us just perpetrate a fraud on Territorians and particularly perpetrate a fraud on Territory businesses’.
We made it very clear that we will honour all commitments. We will honour all commitments, and I do believe that the then government read the Access Economics document that we went through extensive time and effort with - so that our promises were properly costed, unlike yours, which were the greatest lot of rubbish and we are just seeing it continually. Our commitment was that the capital works that had been committed would go ahead. An absolutely iron cast one. But we have seen a fraud from this administration, from the CLP, promises made without cash allocation.
The port will go ahead. The port will absolutely go ahead - a fundamental piece of our infrastructure – yes, it will. We have had the most hypocritical previous administration in this Country Liberal Party, who went to the last budget and said: ‘We have a forward estimate for this year of a $12m deficit’, and it was within seconds that that changed to $107m. The fraud perpetrated here is the one that this government is now dealing with. I am honestly taken aback at the hypocrisy that we would see the kind of questions asked that you are - talk about leading with your collective chins.
Mr DUNHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The word fraud has been used frequently in this debate and I ask your guidance as to whether it is an acceptable word to be used in the Chamber.
Madam SPEAKER: I did hear that word fraud and I believe in the context of what it was used it may be acceptable. I would caution the Chief Minister not to use it too freely in the future.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to point out that the first Question Time under this government produced 17 questions. The hour has come and gone and I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
When will the Chief Minister get away from the nonsense about what happened in historic terms, and start creating jobs for Territorians by proceeding with the capital works programs, which she says are in place, which her minister on the other hand contradicts her and says are not in place, but under review or been scrapped?
ANSWER
I am surprised that the Deputy Opposition Leader can stand and ask a question like this, because he should be ashamed of himself, absolutely ashamed. Let me get down to some detail here. From the Deputy Opposition Leader’s mouth, let us go to that project for the Darwin gaol, for the low-security area. Tenders closed eight weeks ago. Tenders went out in the run-up to the last election, and this was typical of what the CLP did. In a frenzy of ‘anything will go if we can win this election’, an absolute frenzy of anything will go, tenders were called for. Tenders were called for and tenders closed eight weeks ago. But, in the fraud that is continually perpetrated by that previous administration on Territorians - and we saw it in their budget, and we are seeing it every time we lift another lid on the detail of what happened in that budget - there was no cash allocation against that.
There was no cash allocation - that is an absolute disgrace. Tenders were called for when there was no cash allocation. We have seen this over years. We have seen this over years, because what we have had happen - and we have seen it in previous years from the previous administration – is there were all these projects promised and was there a cash allocation against it? Not a skerrick! ‘Let us just make a big list. Let us just perpetrate a fraud on Territorians and particularly perpetrate a fraud on Territory businesses’.
We made it very clear that we will honour all commitments. We will honour all commitments, and I do believe that the then government read the Access Economics document that we went through extensive time and effort with - so that our promises were properly costed, unlike yours, which were the greatest lot of rubbish and we are just seeing it continually. Our commitment was that the capital works that had been committed would go ahead. An absolutely iron cast one. But we have seen a fraud from this administration, from the CLP, promises made without cash allocation.
The port will go ahead. The port will absolutely go ahead - a fundamental piece of our infrastructure – yes, it will. We have had the most hypocritical previous administration in this Country Liberal Party, who went to the last budget and said: ‘We have a forward estimate for this year of a $12m deficit’, and it was within seconds that that changed to $107m. The fraud perpetrated here is the one that this government is now dealing with. I am honestly taken aback at the hypocrisy that we would see the kind of questions asked that you are - talk about leading with your collective chins.
Mr DUNHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The word fraud has been used frequently in this debate and I ask your guidance as to whether it is an acceptable word to be used in the Chamber.
Madam SPEAKER: I did hear that word fraud and I believe in the context of what it was used it may be acceptable. I would caution the Chief Minister not to use it too freely in the future.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to point out that the first Question Time under this government produced 17 questions. The hour has come and gone and I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016