Mr McADAM - 2003-05-27
Economic development and jobs are important to the Territory. Minister, can you advise this government’s commitment to jobs and growth as outlined in budget 2003-04?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his very good question. Last year, I was very proud to announce the highest ever capital works and infrastructure budget in the history of the Territory. We are very proud, once again, to announce the second-highest capital works and infrastructure budget in the Territory - $434m, my friends. This means a lot of work out there, a lot of vital infrastructure to be constructed for the Territory.
In the first two years of our government, we spent $900m - $102m more than the last two years of the Burke government. Let me tell you more of what they did. They made a lot of announcements. What they did not tell us was how big the revote was. They did not have any money to do any of their projects they promised, because the revote was so high there was no money left. In 2003, we had a $157m revote. That was still high, and we brought it down to $119m. That still is too high for me. It is going to go down next year to $102m. That will leave a lot of money to do the projects we promised today, and will be promising, because a lot of these projects have not been done for years and years in the Territory.
I will outline a few of the projects that we are going to do this year: $4m for the Parap Primary School Stage 2; $3m for remote schools upgrade; $2.5m for Traeger Park upgrade; $2m for Tanami Road; $2m for the road to Kings Canyon; $1m for the Stokes Hill Wharf Precinct; $3m for preliminary work on the Darwin Convention Centre; $2.2m for the Desert Knowledge Precinct headworks in Alice Springs; and $1.4m set aside for the Police, Fire and Emergency Service facility at Humpty Doo. Why were there projects not done in 26 years of your government? Why was the road to Tanami not sealed? Why was the road to Kings Canyon not sealed? Why did you not upgrade any of the schools in remote areas? Why did you not provide any houses for public servants in the bush? In my previous life, I had to issue condemnation notices under the Health Act for substandard public housing.
Mr Burke: You were in charge of clear water at Lake Bennett, weren’t you?
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, that is a very interesting point that the Leader of the Opposition brings up. It was a project that was started by the CLP government and so badly done, that I had a member from the other side telling me that he is going to support me when I bring legislation in to sort it out.
The other thing about the clear water is that he refers to 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999 to May 2001. I recall very well that the CLP government was in power then. I am aware of the comments by the Ombudsman, and I am telling you now that the mess you left the department will be fixed, and will be fixed once and for all and that stuff-up, that fiasco of the CLP government, will never be repeated.
It is a wonderful budget. It is a budget that means jobs, and a lot of work, not only for Darwin, but also south of the Berrimah Line.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his very good question. Last year, I was very proud to announce the highest ever capital works and infrastructure budget in the history of the Territory. We are very proud, once again, to announce the second-highest capital works and infrastructure budget in the Territory - $434m, my friends. This means a lot of work out there, a lot of vital infrastructure to be constructed for the Territory.
In the first two years of our government, we spent $900m - $102m more than the last two years of the Burke government. Let me tell you more of what they did. They made a lot of announcements. What they did not tell us was how big the revote was. They did not have any money to do any of their projects they promised, because the revote was so high there was no money left. In 2003, we had a $157m revote. That was still high, and we brought it down to $119m. That still is too high for me. It is going to go down next year to $102m. That will leave a lot of money to do the projects we promised today, and will be promising, because a lot of these projects have not been done for years and years in the Territory.
I will outline a few of the projects that we are going to do this year: $4m for the Parap Primary School Stage 2; $3m for remote schools upgrade; $2.5m for Traeger Park upgrade; $2m for Tanami Road; $2m for the road to Kings Canyon; $1m for the Stokes Hill Wharf Precinct; $3m for preliminary work on the Darwin Convention Centre; $2.2m for the Desert Knowledge Precinct headworks in Alice Springs; and $1.4m set aside for the Police, Fire and Emergency Service facility at Humpty Doo. Why were there projects not done in 26 years of your government? Why was the road to Tanami not sealed? Why was the road to Kings Canyon not sealed? Why did you not upgrade any of the schools in remote areas? Why did you not provide any houses for public servants in the bush? In my previous life, I had to issue condemnation notices under the Health Act for substandard public housing.
Mr Burke: You were in charge of clear water at Lake Bennett, weren’t you?
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, that is a very interesting point that the Leader of the Opposition brings up. It was a project that was started by the CLP government and so badly done, that I had a member from the other side telling me that he is going to support me when I bring legislation in to sort it out.
The other thing about the clear water is that he refers to 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999 to May 2001. I recall very well that the CLP government was in power then. I am aware of the comments by the Ombudsman, and I am telling you now that the mess you left the department will be fixed, and will be fixed once and for all and that stuff-up, that fiasco of the CLP government, will never be repeated.
It is a wonderful budget. It is a budget that means jobs, and a lot of work, not only for Darwin, but also south of the Berrimah Line.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016