Ms WALKER - 2009-05-05
A total of $390m has been committed to housing in Budget 2009-10, almost double last year’s allocation. How will you ensure that this housing investment is rolled out quickly to protect Territory …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Nhulunbuy, could you please start again as I was unable to hear the question.
Ms WALKER: Minister, $390m has been committed to housing in Budget 2009-10, almost double last year’s allocation. How will you ensure that this housing investment is rolled out quickly …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question is awfully long.
Madam SPEAKER: This is not awfully long, member for Port Darwin.
Ms WALKER: How will you ensure that this housing investment is rolled out quickly to protect Territory jobs and support families?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I congratulate the Treasurer on a fine budget. I also attended the Chamber of Commerce lunch, and the people around my table were also very complimentary, as were other members who were there. The Leader of the Opposition came very late into the proceedings. At least, this year he actually turned up to the Chamber of Commerce lunch, which is encouraging for the business community in a little way, but he did come very late. The members for Fong Lim and Braitling could not even get organised to get a ticket ...
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was about housing, not the menu.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, if you can get to the point of the question.
Mr KNIGHT: It seems to be a problem today, Madam Speaker. It is a great budget, it does …
Mr Tollner: He cannot answer this question. He has no idea how to build a house.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim, cease interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: I just wonder where he went for lunch, because he did not go to the one ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Sorry, but this is twice that we have now heard the same sort of allegation from that side of the House. We have been through this; it is just a stupid allegation to make. It gets trotted out that all parliamentarians have been on the booze at lunch, and it is bad. Madam Speaker, as far as I am concerned they should be ashamed of themselves.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, member for Port Darwin, they are referring to lunch.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, resume your seat. I refer honourable members to Standing Order 69 in addition to Standing Order 51:
It does not appear that many of those things have been happening recently. Minister, I call you again.
Mr KNIGHT: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The fundamental focus of this budget is about protecting jobs in these toughest times. It is a very serious matter. We are facing the biggest challenge, economically, that the Territory has ever faced. I commend the Treasurer, and Treasury, for delivering an excellent budget which does everything to protect jobs.
Members interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: This budget, as has been said, delivers a $1.3bn infrastructure spend, and as the Housing Minister, I am very proud that within that $1.3bn spend is a record spending …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 51. The member for Braitling steadfastly ignores what you have to say and just has a continual undercurrent of interjection. I cannot hear what the member for Daly is saying.
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, cease interjecting. I am not aware that the member for Braitling in particular has been interjecting any more than other members. Honourable members, I remind you of Standing Order 69, and also Standing Order 51, and would appreciate some cooperation in Question Time.
Mr KNIGHT: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I was saying, within that $1.3bn infrastructure spend is $390m-worth of investment in housing projects. That is up 92% from last financial year.
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim!
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Speaker, these housing projects will deliver roughly 355 jobs across the Territory. This is about building the Territory, and it is also about protecting jobs.
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The members are consistently interjecting and it is getting more and more difficult to hear the answers. Standing Order 51.
Madam SPEAKER: Standing Order 51 - indeed, it seems to be so well worn:
There have certainly been many interruptions. I will be putting members on warnings from now on. Minister, you have the call.
Mr KNIGHT: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I alluded to this morning, this government is doing everything it can. It has that infrastructure spend. It has the new Homestart NT program which allows young families, low to middle income earners, to buy their own home. With that new program we have allocated $28m in Budget 2009-10. It is an excellent initiative. I learned this morning that we have had 18 expressions of interest in the last week. I think that will no doubt increase. In addition to that, this government has the $7000 First Home Owner Grant, the first homeowner concession, and $20m has also been allocated for the Palmerston East headworks.
With all those programs – we have the Nation Building project, the $4.1bn going to upgrade 175 public housing properties across the Territory. Also, we have tenders being called for 22 new properties in Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. We have the $7.1m second stage of the stimulus package of which $6.2m will be in the 2009-10 Budget.
This is an excellent budget. It delivers in the housing sector. I know it is needed. I know the investment that is going into Palmerston - the $10m for a new 44 unit seniors village which is much needed by that sector. I look forward to working within the public housing sector to get all those things delivered. We also have the redevelopment of Parap Gateway, a significant investment by this government in getting that started. Work has already begun.
Madam Speaker, as the Housing Minister, I commend the Treasurer and I commend my colleagues on this side of the House on prioritising housing as a significant part of this budget: $390m will protect jobs, and it will deliver for Territorians.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Nhulunbuy, could you please start again as I was unable to hear the question.
Ms WALKER: Minister, $390m has been committed to housing in Budget 2009-10, almost double last year’s allocation. How will you ensure that this housing investment is rolled out quickly …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question is awfully long.
Madam SPEAKER: This is not awfully long, member for Port Darwin.
Ms WALKER: How will you ensure that this housing investment is rolled out quickly to protect Territory jobs and support families?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I congratulate the Treasurer on a fine budget. I also attended the Chamber of Commerce lunch, and the people around my table were also very complimentary, as were other members who were there. The Leader of the Opposition came very late into the proceedings. At least, this year he actually turned up to the Chamber of Commerce lunch, which is encouraging for the business community in a little way, but he did come very late. The members for Fong Lim and Braitling could not even get organised to get a ticket ...
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was about housing, not the menu.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, if you can get to the point of the question.
Mr KNIGHT: It seems to be a problem today, Madam Speaker. It is a great budget, it does …
Mr Tollner: He cannot answer this question. He has no idea how to build a house.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim, cease interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: I just wonder where he went for lunch, because he did not go to the one ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Sorry, but this is twice that we have now heard the same sort of allegation from that side of the House. We have been through this; it is just a stupid allegation to make. It gets trotted out that all parliamentarians have been on the booze at lunch, and it is bad. Madam Speaker, as far as I am concerned they should be ashamed of themselves.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, member for Port Darwin, they are referring to lunch.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, resume your seat. I refer honourable members to Standing Order 69 in addition to Standing Order 51:
- No Member may interrupt another Member speaking unless –
It does not appear that many of those things have been happening recently. Minister, I call you again.
Mr KNIGHT: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The fundamental focus of this budget is about protecting jobs in these toughest times. It is a very serious matter. We are facing the biggest challenge, economically, that the Territory has ever faced. I commend the Treasurer, and Treasury, for delivering an excellent budget which does everything to protect jobs.
Members interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: This budget, as has been said, delivers a $1.3bn infrastructure spend, and as the Housing Minister, I am very proud that within that $1.3bn spend is a record spending …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 51. The member for Braitling steadfastly ignores what you have to say and just has a continual undercurrent of interjection. I cannot hear what the member for Daly is saying.
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, cease interjecting. I am not aware that the member for Braitling in particular has been interjecting any more than other members. Honourable members, I remind you of Standing Order 69, and also Standing Order 51, and would appreciate some cooperation in Question Time.
Mr KNIGHT: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I was saying, within that $1.3bn infrastructure spend is $390m-worth of investment in housing projects. That is up 92% from last financial year.
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim!
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Speaker, these housing projects will deliver roughly 355 jobs across the Territory. This is about building the Territory, and it is also about protecting jobs.
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The members are consistently interjecting and it is getting more and more difficult to hear the answers. Standing Order 51.
Madam SPEAKER: Standing Order 51 - indeed, it seems to be so well worn:
- No Member may converse aloud or make any noise or disturbance which in the opinion of the Speaker is designed to interrupt or has the effect of interrupting a Member speaking.
There have certainly been many interruptions. I will be putting members on warnings from now on. Minister, you have the call.
Mr KNIGHT: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I alluded to this morning, this government is doing everything it can. It has that infrastructure spend. It has the new Homestart NT program which allows young families, low to middle income earners, to buy their own home. With that new program we have allocated $28m in Budget 2009-10. It is an excellent initiative. I learned this morning that we have had 18 expressions of interest in the last week. I think that will no doubt increase. In addition to that, this government has the $7000 First Home Owner Grant, the first homeowner concession, and $20m has also been allocated for the Palmerston East headworks.
With all those programs – we have the Nation Building project, the $4.1bn going to upgrade 175 public housing properties across the Territory. Also, we have tenders being called for 22 new properties in Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. We have the $7.1m second stage of the stimulus package of which $6.2m will be in the 2009-10 Budget.
This is an excellent budget. It delivers in the housing sector. I know it is needed. I know the investment that is going into Palmerston - the $10m for a new 44 unit seniors village which is much needed by that sector. I look forward to working within the public housing sector to get all those things delivered. We also have the redevelopment of Parap Gateway, a significant investment by this government in getting that started. Work has already begun.
Madam Speaker, as the Housing Minister, I commend the Treasurer and I commend my colleagues on this side of the House on prioritising housing as a significant part of this budget: $390m will protect jobs, and it will deliver for Territorians.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016