Mr MILLS - 2004-12-01
You are committing Territorians to a project they know little about. You refuse to tell Territorians what their land component is worth. Apart from that, and the $100m, can you tell taxpayers what other contributions they will be making to this project so that they can fully understand this investment?
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is Question Time; it is not the time for the Leader of the Opposition to be making a statement. I urge him to get on with his question.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Complete your question. Repeat the last question again.
Mr MILLS: They did not understand the question? I had a question mark at the end.
You refuse to tell Territorians what their land component is worth. Apart from that, and the $100m, can you tell taxpayers what other contributions they will be making to this project so that they can fully understand their investment?
ANSWER
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, the tone of the Opposition Leader’s question is one of accusation, and lacks any sense of support for this project. Again, we hear that knock, knock, knock.
Up-front, when we called for expressions of interest, we said $100m goes towards supporting the convention and exhibition centre, so that we can have it happen, as opposed to what the CLP did when in government, which was talk about it a lot. They knocked down the Hotel Darwin and we got nothing. So, $100m to the convention …
Mr Baldwin interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: Listen. It is $100m to the convention centre and some associated infrastructure.
I cannot give you the market value of the land. However, I can give you the unimproved capital value - the market value is a very different thing - and that is $25m. Okay? The market value is a very different aspect …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: Of course, the market value is different. It is very different.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, it is important for the opposition that we make this very clear: part of the negotiating process is what return to government, to taxpayers, there will be from that land over the time of the construction of the project. We are looking at 11 years. Part of our negotiations - and I am not going to spell out any details here - are about return to taxpayers, to Territorians, on that land over the development time. Many things are associated with that - final zoning and infrastructure development. You cannot say what the market value is; it is just impossible. We can say what the unimproved capital value is; that is a very different question - it was not asked - and that is $25m.
When you are talking about Territory contribution, there is also the work that is being done now by the waterfront team. Of course, that could have a dollar value on it. However, why the nitpicking when I have said, when this project has finalised - and I hope it does finalise - I will be accountable? I will account for every dollar. We are going to make this great project happen. I want to stand and tell Territorians that I have jobs and business opportunities secured for a decade.
We are putting in place something that the previous government made lots of words about, made trips about - and nothing ever happened. We are going to make this happen. We are going to have a development for the Territory’s future.
In the words of the Editorial in the NT News: the development will add sophistication, outline and excitement to the Darwin skyline; a new recreation for Territorians; new living, new lifestyle for Territorians. All we are getting from that side of the House is knock, knock, knock.
Territorians are excited about this project. If the Opposition Leader - and if his former Opposition Leader would have a word to him about it; although from the questions he has asked, he obviously does not understand - when you are doing a process like this, it requires commercial-in-confidence. At the end of the project, we will spell out what the costs are and what the return and the benefit to Territorians is. I know who will be excited at that time. It will be Territorians, but not this bunch. Not the anti-development, knocking CLP. I remember a time …
Madam SPEAKER: Wrap up, Chief Minister.
Ms MARTIN: … and you probably remember a time, Madam Speaker, when the CLP would be the Territory party and proudly developing our Territory. What a different sound now. What a sad little team.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Chief Minister I really believe you have answered the question.
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is Question Time; it is not the time for the Leader of the Opposition to be making a statement. I urge him to get on with his question.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Complete your question. Repeat the last question again.
Mr MILLS: They did not understand the question? I had a question mark at the end.
You refuse to tell Territorians what their land component is worth. Apart from that, and the $100m, can you tell taxpayers what other contributions they will be making to this project so that they can fully understand their investment?
ANSWER
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, the tone of the Opposition Leader’s question is one of accusation, and lacks any sense of support for this project. Again, we hear that knock, knock, knock.
Up-front, when we called for expressions of interest, we said $100m goes towards supporting the convention and exhibition centre, so that we can have it happen, as opposed to what the CLP did when in government, which was talk about it a lot. They knocked down the Hotel Darwin and we got nothing. So, $100m to the convention …
Mr Baldwin interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: Listen. It is $100m to the convention centre and some associated infrastructure.
I cannot give you the market value of the land. However, I can give you the unimproved capital value - the market value is a very different thing - and that is $25m. Okay? The market value is a very different aspect …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: Of course, the market value is different. It is very different.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, it is important for the opposition that we make this very clear: part of the negotiating process is what return to government, to taxpayers, there will be from that land over the time of the construction of the project. We are looking at 11 years. Part of our negotiations - and I am not going to spell out any details here - are about return to taxpayers, to Territorians, on that land over the development time. Many things are associated with that - final zoning and infrastructure development. You cannot say what the market value is; it is just impossible. We can say what the unimproved capital value is; that is a very different question - it was not asked - and that is $25m.
When you are talking about Territory contribution, there is also the work that is being done now by the waterfront team. Of course, that could have a dollar value on it. However, why the nitpicking when I have said, when this project has finalised - and I hope it does finalise - I will be accountable? I will account for every dollar. We are going to make this great project happen. I want to stand and tell Territorians that I have jobs and business opportunities secured for a decade.
We are putting in place something that the previous government made lots of words about, made trips about - and nothing ever happened. We are going to make this happen. We are going to have a development for the Territory’s future.
In the words of the Editorial in the NT News: the development will add sophistication, outline and excitement to the Darwin skyline; a new recreation for Territorians; new living, new lifestyle for Territorians. All we are getting from that side of the House is knock, knock, knock.
Territorians are excited about this project. If the Opposition Leader - and if his former Opposition Leader would have a word to him about it; although from the questions he has asked, he obviously does not understand - when you are doing a process like this, it requires commercial-in-confidence. At the end of the project, we will spell out what the costs are and what the return and the benefit to Territorians is. I know who will be excited at that time. It will be Territorians, but not this bunch. Not the anti-development, knocking CLP. I remember a time …
Madam SPEAKER: Wrap up, Chief Minister.
Ms MARTIN: … and you probably remember a time, Madam Speaker, when the CLP would be the Territory party and proudly developing our Territory. What a different sound now. What a sad little team.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Chief Minister I really believe you have answered the question.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016