Mr MILLS - 2011-05-04
Yesterday, you assiduously avoided committing to a date the budget would return to surplus, preferring to confuse the issue with the ridiculous phrase that you ‘have a step-out plan back into surplus’. Nonetheless, in the Northern Territory News reports, you said you would be back in surplus in 2015-16, a year after the forward estimates period. In the interests of openness, accountability and transparency, will you correct the public record and table the section of the budget papers that shows a return to budget surpluses in 2015-16? Show us the papers.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I made it consistently clear in every comment I have made that we forecast, in the estimates in the budget papers – we have a step-out of deficit strategy. That was in my speech. I made it clear in the media lockup and I reiterated it in the media conference. That the very clear position …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113 requires a succinct answer. The question is, on what date …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat. Treasurer, you have the call.
Ms LAWRIE: I have reiterated all along is it is very clear we have an absolute need in the Territory’s economic cycle now - and that has been backed up by all those third party reactions we have seen. The only ones out there arguing against it is the CLP, on their own, against business and industry. We have modest deficits as a result of the need for the high infrastructure spend. We have a step-out strategy, articulated through 2011-12, which is a predicted deficit of $387m, stepping down to a $260m deficit in 2012-13, down to $215m in 2013-14, and down to a deficit of $195m in 2014-15. I made it very clear and it is in the budget papers …
Mr Mills: Table the documents
Ms LAWRIE: I tabled it yesterday, you clown. I made it very clear in all the media lockups that we have very conservative GST revenue going through all of those forward estimates because there is a softening in the nation’s consumption as a result of the global financial crisis. We have lost around $600m in GST revenue we would otherwise have over three years because of the post-global financial crisis ...
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! A point of relevance. The specific aspect of this question, which the Treasurer has avoided, is the demonstration of the veracity of what she is saying by presenting the section from the budget paper that proves what she is saying is correct. Where is it? Table it.
Madam SPEAKER: Treasurer, if you can come to the point.
Ms LAWRIE: I tabled it yesterday. It is in Budget Paper No 2 if you want to have a look …
Mr Mills: What page?
Ms LAWRIE: I do not have the paper in front of me. It is one of the first few pages after the contents. It is about the second page on the left-hand side. Budget Paper No 2, check it out, it has all the deficit predictions there. I have made it clear; I have been consistent.
The CLP would want us to be in a position where we are just in surplus; we are pretending there is no credit constraint out there and there has not been a global financial crisis effect on private investment. They would like get back to seeing Territorians in the unemployment queues, quite frankly. That is their strategy; to sack public servants and pull back on infrastructure spending so money is not flowing through to business in the all-important construction sector of the Territory. Well, shame on you! Business thinks you are wrong. They have backed the responsible and responsive budget by the Northern Territory government.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I made it consistently clear in every comment I have made that we forecast, in the estimates in the budget papers – we have a step-out of deficit strategy. That was in my speech. I made it clear in the media lockup and I reiterated it in the media conference. That the very clear position …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113 requires a succinct answer. The question is, on what date …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat. Treasurer, you have the call.
Ms LAWRIE: I have reiterated all along is it is very clear we have an absolute need in the Territory’s economic cycle now - and that has been backed up by all those third party reactions we have seen. The only ones out there arguing against it is the CLP, on their own, against business and industry. We have modest deficits as a result of the need for the high infrastructure spend. We have a step-out strategy, articulated through 2011-12, which is a predicted deficit of $387m, stepping down to a $260m deficit in 2012-13, down to $215m in 2013-14, and down to a deficit of $195m in 2014-15. I made it very clear and it is in the budget papers …
Mr Mills: Table the documents
Ms LAWRIE: I tabled it yesterday, you clown. I made it very clear in all the media lockups that we have very conservative GST revenue going through all of those forward estimates because there is a softening in the nation’s consumption as a result of the global financial crisis. We have lost around $600m in GST revenue we would otherwise have over three years because of the post-global financial crisis ...
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! A point of relevance. The specific aspect of this question, which the Treasurer has avoided, is the demonstration of the veracity of what she is saying by presenting the section from the budget paper that proves what she is saying is correct. Where is it? Table it.
Madam SPEAKER: Treasurer, if you can come to the point.
Ms LAWRIE: I tabled it yesterday. It is in Budget Paper No 2 if you want to have a look …
Mr Mills: What page?
Ms LAWRIE: I do not have the paper in front of me. It is one of the first few pages after the contents. It is about the second page on the left-hand side. Budget Paper No 2, check it out, it has all the deficit predictions there. I have made it clear; I have been consistent.
The CLP would want us to be in a position where we are just in surplus; we are pretending there is no credit constraint out there and there has not been a global financial crisis effect on private investment. They would like get back to seeing Territorians in the unemployment queues, quite frankly. That is their strategy; to sack public servants and pull back on infrastructure spending so money is not flowing through to business in the all-important construction sector of the Territory. Well, shame on you! Business thinks you are wrong. They have backed the responsible and responsive budget by the Northern Territory government.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016