Mr KNIGHT - 2005-12-01
At the economic summit held last week, industry called on the Northern Territory government to even out the peaks and troughs and build an underlying base of our economy. Can you advise the House on what the Northern Territory government is doing to build the capacity of local industry and smooth out the economic growth of our economy?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine – the member for Daly whose office is in Katherine - for his question. Yes …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, opposition members!
Mrs Braham: I do not blame you crying, mate, I am too!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling!
Mr Mills: You might have to kick her out!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain!
Mr Mills: Sorry.
Mr HENDERSON: I thank the member for Daly for his question, because the economic summit that was held here in this very parliament was not only a magnificent occasion, but it was an occasion where everybody who attended had time to think about where our economy should be heading in the next 10 years, and had time to network amongst business and community people from across the Northern Territory around a theme that should be important to everybody - economic growth and jobs for Territorians.
One of those issues that came up was the fact that the Territory economy, being a fairly small economy, has an undeveloped manufacturing sector. We have been doing a lot of work over the last couple of years to understand the drivers of that manufacturing sector and what we can do with industry to encourage investment in, and growth of, that particular sector. One of the ways that government is working with the industry was that last year we released the Manufacturing Industry Strategy. There is a full-time resource from my department working with the Manufacturers Council, a position that government funds in the Chamber of Commerce, and there is a lot of commitment to progressing the themes in that strategy.
A concrete initiative of this government is the requirement for any project that has a government financial commitment or contribution of $5m or more, for people who tender to lodge a local industry participation plan as a result of that policy. These plans are now starting to be worth their weight in gold for Territory business. Just a few examples of industry participation plans that are showing real benefits …
Dr Lim: Adjournment speech again! Another adjournment speech!
Mr HENDERSON: The member for Greatorex is not interested in the economy? We know why. We have the information about why …
Dr Lim: This is Question Time! Not for you to make a statement!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr Lim: This is Question Time!
Mr HENDERSON: … the Leader of the Opposition …
Members interjecting.
Dr Lim: Not for you to do a dorothy dixer!
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, please resume your seat! I remind you of the standing order relating to interjections. From now on, unfortunately, I will have to call warnings. Minister, continue.
Mr HENDERSON: I can understand the sensitivity of the member for Greatorex and the Leader of the Opposition, because they were conspicuous by their absence at that particular summit ...
Dr Lim: I was here!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: The question I asked the other day was: what was more important for the Leader of the Opposition to be doing? She was invited to the summit.
Ms Carney: On the Friday before! Not only are you incompetent, but you have appalling manners!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr HENDERSON: Looking at the Territory in 10 years time … The invitations went out to the Leader of the Opposition at the same time it did to the 150-odd members of the business community - and they could be bothered to turn up. We asked the Leader of the Opposition, rhetorically, what was more important, and we found out that a local branch function in Katherine was …
Members interjecting.
Mrs BRAHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was not about what the Leader of the Opposition was doing. I ask the minister to complete his answer on the question given and let us get on with some questions!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, there is no point of order.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I do have a further point of order. I know it is very embarrassing for government that 50% of the parliamentary wing attended this economic summit, unlike 50% of the …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Wait a moment, minister. We will wait for a bit of silence. Minister, please continue.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The question was in part related to the economic summit and the sensitivity of the opposition. However, the rhetorical question was: what was more important for the Leader of the Opposition than coming to this parliament and meeting with and working with 100 of the Territory’s business elite to determine the future of our economy for the next 10 years? What was more important was a local branch function in Katherine. That had a higher priority than attending a very important summit to plan for the Territory’s economic future growth over the next 10 years. I suppose it is shoring up the last vestiges of party support. That, we found, was more important than attending the summit.
Ms Carney: Oh, get on with the answer, you dill. Go back to the separation of powers.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please resume your seat. Leader of the Opposition, I would ask you to withdraw.
Ms Carney: I do withdraw it, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, you have been making a lot of interjections.
Ms Carney: Very provocative, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition! I would remind you of Standing Order 51. I am sure you have a book of the standing orders right there. You might like to read that.
Ms Carney: I do indeed, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Minister, please continue.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, getting to the success of the industry participation plans, I hope the member for Greatorex is listening, because this is good news. The Alcan G3 project has seen over $72m of manufacturing, construction, and goods and services being placed with Northern Territory business. The member for Nhulunbuy would be very interested that $35m of that is being spent with the local Nhulunbuy business community. A huge tick of success for the Industry Participation Plans.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs Braham: Finish, minister. Get on with it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling!
Mr HENDERSON: They just do not like good news, Madam Speaker.
Mrs Braham: You have had long enough.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, cease interjecting!
Mr HENDERSON: The Natural Fuels biodiesel plant, a $73m project, will see local business as an integral parts of the construction of that plant. The LNG plant is 97% complete and involved 25 major subcontracts valued at $230m which have gone to local business. The Palmerston Recreation Centre is worth $8.2m, and built by a local company, Norbuilt. The bulk materials handling facilities at the port is a $19.7m project of which the vast majority will go to Territory business.
The government is supporting the manufacturing industry in very practical ways, as well as a broad strategy envelope for investment in that particular sector. If the opposition would really like to make serious contribution to economic development as opposed to grandstanding, the Leader of the Opposition should have been at the summit two weeks ago.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine – the member for Daly whose office is in Katherine - for his question. Yes …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, opposition members!
Mrs Braham: I do not blame you crying, mate, I am too!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling!
Mr Mills: You might have to kick her out!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain!
Mr Mills: Sorry.
Mr HENDERSON: I thank the member for Daly for his question, because the economic summit that was held here in this very parliament was not only a magnificent occasion, but it was an occasion where everybody who attended had time to think about where our economy should be heading in the next 10 years, and had time to network amongst business and community people from across the Northern Territory around a theme that should be important to everybody - economic growth and jobs for Territorians.
One of those issues that came up was the fact that the Territory economy, being a fairly small economy, has an undeveloped manufacturing sector. We have been doing a lot of work over the last couple of years to understand the drivers of that manufacturing sector and what we can do with industry to encourage investment in, and growth of, that particular sector. One of the ways that government is working with the industry was that last year we released the Manufacturing Industry Strategy. There is a full-time resource from my department working with the Manufacturers Council, a position that government funds in the Chamber of Commerce, and there is a lot of commitment to progressing the themes in that strategy.
A concrete initiative of this government is the requirement for any project that has a government financial commitment or contribution of $5m or more, for people who tender to lodge a local industry participation plan as a result of that policy. These plans are now starting to be worth their weight in gold for Territory business. Just a few examples of industry participation plans that are showing real benefits …
Dr Lim: Adjournment speech again! Another adjournment speech!
Mr HENDERSON: The member for Greatorex is not interested in the economy? We know why. We have the information about why …
Dr Lim: This is Question Time! Not for you to make a statement!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr Lim: This is Question Time!
Mr HENDERSON: … the Leader of the Opposition …
Members interjecting.
Dr Lim: Not for you to do a dorothy dixer!
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, please resume your seat! I remind you of the standing order relating to interjections. From now on, unfortunately, I will have to call warnings. Minister, continue.
Mr HENDERSON: I can understand the sensitivity of the member for Greatorex and the Leader of the Opposition, because they were conspicuous by their absence at that particular summit ...
Dr Lim: I was here!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: The question I asked the other day was: what was more important for the Leader of the Opposition to be doing? She was invited to the summit.
Ms Carney: On the Friday before! Not only are you incompetent, but you have appalling manners!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr HENDERSON: Looking at the Territory in 10 years time … The invitations went out to the Leader of the Opposition at the same time it did to the 150-odd members of the business community - and they could be bothered to turn up. We asked the Leader of the Opposition, rhetorically, what was more important, and we found out that a local branch function in Katherine was …
Members interjecting.
Mrs BRAHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was not about what the Leader of the Opposition was doing. I ask the minister to complete his answer on the question given and let us get on with some questions!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, there is no point of order.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I do have a further point of order. I know it is very embarrassing for government that 50% of the parliamentary wing attended this economic summit, unlike 50% of the …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Wait a moment, minister. We will wait for a bit of silence. Minister, please continue.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The question was in part related to the economic summit and the sensitivity of the opposition. However, the rhetorical question was: what was more important for the Leader of the Opposition than coming to this parliament and meeting with and working with 100 of the Territory’s business elite to determine the future of our economy for the next 10 years? What was more important was a local branch function in Katherine. That had a higher priority than attending a very important summit to plan for the Territory’s economic future growth over the next 10 years. I suppose it is shoring up the last vestiges of party support. That, we found, was more important than attending the summit.
Ms Carney: Oh, get on with the answer, you dill. Go back to the separation of powers.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please resume your seat. Leader of the Opposition, I would ask you to withdraw.
Ms Carney: I do withdraw it, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, you have been making a lot of interjections.
Ms Carney: Very provocative, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition! I would remind you of Standing Order 51. I am sure you have a book of the standing orders right there. You might like to read that.
Ms Carney: I do indeed, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Minister, please continue.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, getting to the success of the industry participation plans, I hope the member for Greatorex is listening, because this is good news. The Alcan G3 project has seen over $72m of manufacturing, construction, and goods and services being placed with Northern Territory business. The member for Nhulunbuy would be very interested that $35m of that is being spent with the local Nhulunbuy business community. A huge tick of success for the Industry Participation Plans.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs Braham: Finish, minister. Get on with it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling!
Mr HENDERSON: They just do not like good news, Madam Speaker.
Mrs Braham: You have had long enough.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, cease interjecting!
Mr HENDERSON: The Natural Fuels biodiesel plant, a $73m project, will see local business as an integral parts of the construction of that plant. The LNG plant is 97% complete and involved 25 major subcontracts valued at $230m which have gone to local business. The Palmerston Recreation Centre is worth $8.2m, and built by a local company, Norbuilt. The bulk materials handling facilities at the port is a $19.7m project of which the vast majority will go to Territory business.
The government is supporting the manufacturing industry in very practical ways, as well as a broad strategy envelope for investment in that particular sector. If the opposition would really like to make serious contribution to economic development as opposed to grandstanding, the Leader of the Opposition should have been at the summit two weeks ago.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016