Mr MILLS - 2006-02-22
Last week, you told Territorians that you would keep your promises. On page 23 of Budget Paper No 2 for the year 2003-04, you told Territorians then that you would make: ‘a commitment to a balanced budget through continuation of the deficit reduction strategy’. You also told Territorians that that would result in: ‘a resultant decline in nett debt and total liabilities’. This is a graph representing NT debt. The three red lines show where the Territory was two years ago, is now and will be in three years’ time. Why have you not kept your promise to Territorians to reduce debt?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I believe what the member for Blain is doing is saying that we as government should sit on our hands. That is simply what he is saying.
Mr Mills: Not at all.
Ms MARTIN: The member for Blain is saying that government should have, regardless of what happens in the wider economy, a deficit reduction strategy that would never change, regardless of the circumstances of maybe an economy that is not moving as we would like it.
We, very strategically, made a decision three years ago that we would pursue a waterfront development because it was very important for the Territory’s economy that we had a stimulus like a convention centre, like a major development, to move an economy that was not moving with great strength, and give it that important job generation and business opportunity.
We made that decision strategically. We did the work. We were criticised by the opposition, however, I make no apology. I make no apology for all those Territorians who are going to work on the waterfront, for all those Territory businesses …
Mr Mills: That is not the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: … which are going to get opportunities year after year, after year, as the waterfront development is being built, and then the opportunities that flow from a new economic generator for the Territory. The convention centre will be that.
Now, what the commitment I might have made to a balanced budget was, we changed it. We came into this parliament and explained why we were changing it, and said we would have deficits for three years, based on the fact that we were going to have that capital expenditure from the waterfront reflected in our budgets each year, a deficit of $68m, $53m, $31m and zero in 2008-09.
Madam Speaker, I make no apology to Territorians, none at all. We revised our budget position. We revised our deficit and when we would be back into a balanced position, and that will be 2008-09. Do you know what we are going to have for it? We are going to have a magnificent start of a development that is worth $1.1bn, hundreds and hundreds of jobs, millions of dollars worth of business opportunities, and a development that will add a new dimension to the City of Darwin. No apologies, member for Blain.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I believe what the member for Blain is doing is saying that we as government should sit on our hands. That is simply what he is saying.
Mr Mills: Not at all.
Ms MARTIN: The member for Blain is saying that government should have, regardless of what happens in the wider economy, a deficit reduction strategy that would never change, regardless of the circumstances of maybe an economy that is not moving as we would like it.
We, very strategically, made a decision three years ago that we would pursue a waterfront development because it was very important for the Territory’s economy that we had a stimulus like a convention centre, like a major development, to move an economy that was not moving with great strength, and give it that important job generation and business opportunity.
We made that decision strategically. We did the work. We were criticised by the opposition, however, I make no apology. I make no apology for all those Territorians who are going to work on the waterfront, for all those Territory businesses …
Mr Mills: That is not the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: … which are going to get opportunities year after year, after year, as the waterfront development is being built, and then the opportunities that flow from a new economic generator for the Territory. The convention centre will be that.
Now, what the commitment I might have made to a balanced budget was, we changed it. We came into this parliament and explained why we were changing it, and said we would have deficits for three years, based on the fact that we were going to have that capital expenditure from the waterfront reflected in our budgets each year, a deficit of $68m, $53m, $31m and zero in 2008-09.
Madam Speaker, I make no apology to Territorians, none at all. We revised our budget position. We revised our deficit and when we would be back into a balanced position, and that will be 2008-09. Do you know what we are going to have for it? We are going to have a magnificent start of a development that is worth $1.1bn, hundreds and hundreds of jobs, millions of dollars worth of business opportunities, and a development that will add a new dimension to the City of Darwin. No apologies, member for Blain.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016