Mr MILLS - 2011-05-03
Your Treasurer told the media she would today tell Territorians when the budget would be returned to surplus. Today, your Treasurer revealed nothing, instead delivering a budget of deceit, deficit, and debt. When will the budget be back in surplus to give Territorians certainty about the Territory’s economic future?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a budget that provides for jobs and businesses, and supports families across the Northern Territory. It does so responsibly with a deficit position the senior economist from National Australia Bank said today was a responsible and modest cash deficit. The budget paper very clearly shows a step-out path back to surplus in the out years. In the context of the global economy, the Australian economy, and the fact that we are so reliant on GST revenues, the step-out path is there in the forward estimates. Let us look at our plan that delivers for jobs, business …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 111. I ask him to answer the question: when will the budget be returned to surplus? What date?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat. Chief Minister, come to the point, please.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, the step-out plan is very clear in the budget papers. Explicit dates in regard to returning to surplus will depend on the size of the national GST pull, and the fact that we have a modest cash deficit. When we look at the charts of various countries around the world and their financial positions, we are very well placed.
If we look to the opposition and their opportunity to respond tomorrow, last year in the Leader of the Opposition’s budget response, he said they would save $4.8bn over four years. Apart from sacking 800 public servants, he did not outline how they were going to do that, so he has to do that tomorrow. Since that time, they have made funding commitments in media releases of over $400m, with recurrent costs of more than $3m a year, without indicating at all how they would pay for that. It is very easy to be in opposition and to be critical, but you actually have to put forward an alternative, Leader of the Opposition. You have to put forward an alternative, not a magic pudding of ideas.
The challenge you have tomorrow, Leader of the Opposition, is to say what you would cut; what infrastructure projects would not proceed; which services to Territorians would be cut; and what subsidies would you cut in regard to the electricity budget. Maybe we could save - how much has that paid for, $70m a year?
Ms Lawrie: It is $820 per household.
Mr HENDERSON: Yes, $820 per household. Perhaps you would cut that budget. We know you would cut expenditure in the bush.
This is a responsible budget which protects jobs between major projects. It is a budget that is being applauded by business. The Leader of the Opposition, and the opposition, has no alternatives …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a budget that provides for jobs and businesses, and supports families across the Northern Territory. It does so responsibly with a deficit position the senior economist from National Australia Bank said today was a responsible and modest cash deficit. The budget paper very clearly shows a step-out path back to surplus in the out years. In the context of the global economy, the Australian economy, and the fact that we are so reliant on GST revenues, the step-out path is there in the forward estimates. Let us look at our plan that delivers for jobs, business …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 111. I ask him to answer the question: when will the budget be returned to surplus? What date?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat. Chief Minister, come to the point, please.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, the step-out plan is very clear in the budget papers. Explicit dates in regard to returning to surplus will depend on the size of the national GST pull, and the fact that we have a modest cash deficit. When we look at the charts of various countries around the world and their financial positions, we are very well placed.
If we look to the opposition and their opportunity to respond tomorrow, last year in the Leader of the Opposition’s budget response, he said they would save $4.8bn over four years. Apart from sacking 800 public servants, he did not outline how they were going to do that, so he has to do that tomorrow. Since that time, they have made funding commitments in media releases of over $400m, with recurrent costs of more than $3m a year, without indicating at all how they would pay for that. It is very easy to be in opposition and to be critical, but you actually have to put forward an alternative, Leader of the Opposition. You have to put forward an alternative, not a magic pudding of ideas.
The challenge you have tomorrow, Leader of the Opposition, is to say what you would cut; what infrastructure projects would not proceed; which services to Territorians would be cut; and what subsidies would you cut in regard to the electricity budget. Maybe we could save - how much has that paid for, $70m a year?
Ms Lawrie: It is $820 per household.
Mr HENDERSON: Yes, $820 per household. Perhaps you would cut that budget. We know you would cut expenditure in the bush.
This is a responsible budget which protects jobs between major projects. It is a budget that is being applauded by business. The Leader of the Opposition, and the opposition, has no alternatives …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016