Ms WALKER - 2009-06-09
Can you please inform the House about community feedback you received from across the Territory on the initiatives in Budget 2009-10?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. I was very pleased to catch up with a wide range of Territorians, including local community members and business people, as I travelled across the Territory to our main regional centres to discuss what Budget 2009-10 means for our important regions.
Budget 2009-10 is focused on protecting Territory jobs and, at the same time, building the Territory, but right across our Territory, right across our regions.
In Alice Springs, I attended a jointly hosted event with the Chamber of Commerce and the Territory Construction Association; in Tennant Creek, Katherine and Nhulunbuy, the attendance was at record levels as Territorians came to hear how Budget 2009-10 would support their local economy and local services.
The reaction from the regions was very positive to the news that the budget would deliver an unprecedented infrastructure spending of $1.3bn to support 2500 jobs in the construction sector across our economy. The first $1bn Health budget was very warmly received across the regions as they understand the importance of good quality health care. $118m to rebuild Territory schools was very warmly received; as was $108m to fast-track land release across the Territory to support that community infrastructure. There is a 92% increase in funding for Housing, for public and social housing,. We had a great deal of discussion on that, and it was very welcomed …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 51: the members opposite are designing their interjections so people cannot hear the good news the Treasurer has to deliver. I ask them to desist.
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The good news the Treasurer is delivering is, in fact, a ministerial statement.
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: Let me finish!
Dr Burns: What standing order number is it?
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat, Leader of Government Business.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, this is a ministerial statement and its motive here is to eat up as much of Question Time as possible.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat. There is no point of order.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, there have been far too many interjections. Member for Fong Lim! Member for Greatorex!
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I find it extraordinary that members opposite would not want to hear the regional response to Budget 2009-10.
People came in record numbers because they saw the daily news in the national media regarding the global financial crisis. They were genuinely interested to hear the government’s effort and focus in Budget 2009-10. Clearly. they heard this is a budget focused on protecting jobs and providing that all important stimulus through construction to support economic growth. They were vitally interested in the record spending on roads of $322m; roads are critical to growing the regions, the record spending on schools infrastructure, the 92% increase in Housing, and building those core services across Police, Health and Education.
There is heightened interest in the community around the government’s budget. People are aware that there is a global economic downturn and they wanted to hear how the Territory economy was tracking;, how we are in growth, they were very positive about the growth we were in, and what government spending was doing to ensure we were pushing spending into infrastructure, while we knew private sector contraction would occur as a result of the squeeze on the credit markets.
They were pleased to hear we are tracking at 4.1% economic growth this year. They were pleased to hear that not only the Territory government’s own Treasury has growth across the forward years, but also Access Economics, independently, has growth across forward years ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! By the Leader of Government Business’ own yardstick, this is repetitive. This is just the second reading speech for the budget repeated.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The minister has been asked a question. If you could come to the point fairly soon, Treasurer.
Ms LAWRIE: Absolutely, Madam Speaker. I recognise the members opposite simply do not want to hear what the people in the regions of the Territory think about the budget; that people in the regions actually care about their needs in infrastructure, education, health, police and housing. It was very warmly received, with record attendances across our regions.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. I was very pleased to catch up with a wide range of Territorians, including local community members and business people, as I travelled across the Territory to our main regional centres to discuss what Budget 2009-10 means for our important regions.
Budget 2009-10 is focused on protecting Territory jobs and, at the same time, building the Territory, but right across our Territory, right across our regions.
In Alice Springs, I attended a jointly hosted event with the Chamber of Commerce and the Territory Construction Association; in Tennant Creek, Katherine and Nhulunbuy, the attendance was at record levels as Territorians came to hear how Budget 2009-10 would support their local economy and local services.
The reaction from the regions was very positive to the news that the budget would deliver an unprecedented infrastructure spending of $1.3bn to support 2500 jobs in the construction sector across our economy. The first $1bn Health budget was very warmly received across the regions as they understand the importance of good quality health care. $118m to rebuild Territory schools was very warmly received; as was $108m to fast-track land release across the Territory to support that community infrastructure. There is a 92% increase in funding for Housing, for public and social housing,. We had a great deal of discussion on that, and it was very welcomed …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 51: the members opposite are designing their interjections so people cannot hear the good news the Treasurer has to deliver. I ask them to desist.
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The good news the Treasurer is delivering is, in fact, a ministerial statement.
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: Let me finish!
Dr Burns: What standing order number is it?
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat, Leader of Government Business.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, this is a ministerial statement and its motive here is to eat up as much of Question Time as possible.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat. There is no point of order.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, there have been far too many interjections. Member for Fong Lim! Member for Greatorex!
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I find it extraordinary that members opposite would not want to hear the regional response to Budget 2009-10.
People came in record numbers because they saw the daily news in the national media regarding the global financial crisis. They were genuinely interested to hear the government’s effort and focus in Budget 2009-10. Clearly. they heard this is a budget focused on protecting jobs and providing that all important stimulus through construction to support economic growth. They were vitally interested in the record spending on roads of $322m; roads are critical to growing the regions, the record spending on schools infrastructure, the 92% increase in Housing, and building those core services across Police, Health and Education.
There is heightened interest in the community around the government’s budget. People are aware that there is a global economic downturn and they wanted to hear how the Territory economy was tracking;, how we are in growth, they were very positive about the growth we were in, and what government spending was doing to ensure we were pushing spending into infrastructure, while we knew private sector contraction would occur as a result of the squeeze on the credit markets.
They were pleased to hear we are tracking at 4.1% economic growth this year. They were pleased to hear that not only the Territory government’s own Treasury has growth across the forward years, but also Access Economics, independently, has growth across forward years ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! By the Leader of Government Business’ own yardstick, this is repetitive. This is just the second reading speech for the budget repeated.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The minister has been asked a question. If you could come to the point fairly soon, Treasurer.
Ms LAWRIE: Absolutely, Madam Speaker. I recognise the members opposite simply do not want to hear what the people in the regions of the Territory think about the budget; that people in the regions actually care about their needs in infrastructure, education, health, police and housing. It was very warmly received, with record attendances across our regions.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016