Mr ELFERINK - 2010-05-04
You keep announcing record spends in infrastructure each year, but you do not spend it in the years that you make those record announcements. This graph shows how addicted you have become to revoting works from one year to another. Can you explain to Territory businesses why you keep building expectations that you have no intention of fulfilling?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I really like this graph on page 3 of Budget Overview, which shows the cash - cash not program - cash allocations to infrastructure since 2001. I know it is a little small but, for members opposite, it just goes up into record levels, and we do spend it. We have spent $919m in 2009-10 as at March. We do spend it. Go out ask …
Mr Elferink: You are so deceitful.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin!
Ms LAWRIE: They will never listen to what government says. Ask the construction sector if they have been getting paid for those contracts. Ask them if they have capacity - and they have been increasing capacity in their workforce, courtesy of the government’s infrastructure spend, and the answer is yes, okay? They are building and growing their businesses to the point where they are actually building more warehouses in Winnellie and the industrial areas to increase their capacity to respond to government contracts, which is the infrastructure spend. It is not the program, it is the actual spend.
We are proud of our record spend. I will table the 2009-10 infrastructure program, which shows, as at March 2010, total infrastructure payments at $919m. I table that for members opposite, seeing as I have been accused of all manner of things by the member for Port Darwin.
One thing this opposition does not quite understand is the construction cycle in the Territory. I will just spell it out, because it is pretty simple. The bulk of construction occurs in the Dry Season. Why? Because it is not raining. Okay? It is pretty hard to do the bulk of your construction in the Wet Season because you have to down tools because it is raining. Therefore, you do your major spend and major work in the Dry Season.
Keeping it simple for members opposite, what happens in the Dry Season? Oh, my goodness, it straddles financial years. It goes from one financial year to another financial year. Oh my goodness me! Okay! The capital program …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Port Darwin!
Ms LAWRIE: I will keep it simple …
Mr Henderson: 101.
Ms LAWRIE: 101. A couple of examples that maybe even they could get.
Here we go: Rosebery, primary and middle schools. That would appear in a capital works program for a financial year, but the reality is - guess what? - it takes you a couple of years to physically build a couple of schools across the Dry Seasons.
Or another simple one for you: Tiger Brennan Drive extension. That is a multi-year project because it is more than $110m worth of road spend. I kept it simple for them.
Madam SPEAKER: Treasurer, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I really like this graph on page 3 of Budget Overview, which shows the cash - cash not program - cash allocations to infrastructure since 2001. I know it is a little small but, for members opposite, it just goes up into record levels, and we do spend it. We have spent $919m in 2009-10 as at March. We do spend it. Go out ask …
Mr Elferink: You are so deceitful.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin!
Ms LAWRIE: They will never listen to what government says. Ask the construction sector if they have been getting paid for those contracts. Ask them if they have capacity - and they have been increasing capacity in their workforce, courtesy of the government’s infrastructure spend, and the answer is yes, okay? They are building and growing their businesses to the point where they are actually building more warehouses in Winnellie and the industrial areas to increase their capacity to respond to government contracts, which is the infrastructure spend. It is not the program, it is the actual spend.
We are proud of our record spend. I will table the 2009-10 infrastructure program, which shows, as at March 2010, total infrastructure payments at $919m. I table that for members opposite, seeing as I have been accused of all manner of things by the member for Port Darwin.
One thing this opposition does not quite understand is the construction cycle in the Territory. I will just spell it out, because it is pretty simple. The bulk of construction occurs in the Dry Season. Why? Because it is not raining. Okay? It is pretty hard to do the bulk of your construction in the Wet Season because you have to down tools because it is raining. Therefore, you do your major spend and major work in the Dry Season.
Keeping it simple for members opposite, what happens in the Dry Season? Oh, my goodness, it straddles financial years. It goes from one financial year to another financial year. Oh my goodness me! Okay! The capital program …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Port Darwin!
Ms LAWRIE: I will keep it simple …
Mr Henderson: 101.
Ms LAWRIE: 101. A couple of examples that maybe even they could get.
Here we go: Rosebery, primary and middle schools. That would appear in a capital works program for a financial year, but the reality is - guess what? - it takes you a couple of years to physically build a couple of schools across the Dry Seasons.
Or another simple one for you: Tiger Brennan Drive extension. That is a multi-year project because it is more than $110m worth of road spend. I kept it simple for them.
Madam SPEAKER: Treasurer, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016