Mr GUNNER - 2010-11-30
- The Henderson government is rolling out the biggest ever spend in infrastructure in the Territory’s history, including the Building the Education Revolution. Can you please update the House on how this infrastructure investment is supporting jobs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. The Henderson government’s record $1.8bn infrastructure investment is currently rolling out across the Territory. This follows a record investment in 2009 to protect jobs against the tide of the global financial crisis. This included the Australian government’s stimulus program and Building the Education Revolution that delivered upgrades to every school.
Members opposite are on the public record as being against the Building the Education Revolution, against upgrading schools, even in their own electorates. The shadow Treasurer should understand the importance of the construction sector to our economy and the value of legacy infrastructure to school improvements across the Territory. Last week in this House, he stated:
- The BER is the rorted spendathon where our tax dollars have been pumped into school halls and pumped into science buildings that, in some cases, were neither wanted or needed.
Shame on the opposition. There is not one school community in the Territory that did not welcome the investment in their school, and the construction sector has welcomed the investment as well. Graham Kemp of the Master Builders Association of the Northern Territory has consistently supported the BER stimulus program and the jobs it has created. He stated:
- We have been able to hold the construction industry intact in the Northern Territory to be ready for the bigger projects when they come on.
I am quoting from Channel 9 News on 25 August this year.
The Masters Builders and the Chamber of Commerce have both welcomed and praised this government’s consecutive record infrastructure spends to support jobs. Recent economic data shows this investment helped create 5000 new jobs last year and protected our economy against contraction. We went out strongly and swiftly to protect and create jobs, compared to the CLP which wanted to slash jobs at the height of the global financial crisis. They have no creditability.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016