Mrs BRAHAM - 2008-05-07
Whoopee, thank you, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, if you are not happy with the call, you can resume your seat.
Mrs BRAHAM: I beg your pardon, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: If you are not happy with the call, you can resume your seat.
Mrs Braham: I am very happy, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Braitling.
Mrs BRAHAM: Madam Speaker, I am very pleased that you have acknowledged me for a question.
This Budget 2008-09 submission from the Northern Territory government was given to the then minister for Ageing in November last year and the current Minister for Senior Territorians in February this year but, as he seems rather reluctant to answer questions regarding policy for Territorians, I would like to ask the Treasurer.
In this submission - which I do not know whether you have read - senior Territorians make the point that many of them like to stay in the Territory and downsize. We have noticed that you have decreased the stamp duty rate for first homebuyers. Considering you gave no consideration to increasing the concession rate for pensioners yesterday, would you now provide the same concessional rate to seniors when downsizing their homes as first homebuyers so they can stay in the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Braitling for her question. She is a fantastic advocate for senior Territorians. I always enjoy her contribution with suggestions and ideas, and I will never dismiss anything that the member for Braitling says in any debate regarding seniors.
With the stamp duty concessions that the government announced as part of Budget 2008-09, senior Territorians are significant beneficiaries of this as well. The adjustment in the stamp duty rate does provide them with an opportunity to have a reduced stamp duty when they choose to downscale their housing options, as the member for Braitling suggested.
The principal place of residence concessions would apply. The reduction in the stamp duty rate that I announced as part of Budget 2008-09 would, indeed, apply. Depending on the value of the property and things like that, there would definitely be some savings there for senior Territorians who are downscaling their residence. Factoring in that they have a residence to sell, they are, obviously, comfortably off in the property market ...
Mrs Braham: So the answer is no.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I am saying that seniors also are winners in the stamp duty rate reductions announced yesterday. Indeed, if they are selling their principal place of residence for another principal place of residence, then the concessions there would apply to seniors equally.
Mr BONSON (Senior Territorians): Madam Speaker, just to add to the query from the member for Braitling.
I do not know if the member for Braitling is aware of some announcements that occurred last week, in particular, the announcement with Southern Cross Care about the old facility at the Waratah club. Basically, Southern Cross Care is putting in around $11m, the Commonwealth government is putting in $6.8m, and the Northern Territory government, in partnership with them, is donating the land at the Waratah Oval.
One of the issues, as she would be well aware, is appropriate housing for seniors. As we know, we have had a marked increase in seniors deciding to stay in the Northern Territory, and there are a number of reasons why. As we know, the history of the Northern Territory was that people came to the Territory, like most of the CLP, looking for opportunity. When they arrived here, they took those opportunities up, whether in small business, working for the public service, or whatever it might have been, and they raised families here. That is 20 to 30 years. However, what the tradition was …
Mrs BRAHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I am confused. Why is this minister standing up talking about anything except in relation to the question I asked?
Mr BONSON: Madam Speaker, I am addressing that. I am talking about housing, and if she would like to know about housing …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. It is the usual practice in this House that one minister receives a question and, if the minister who is asked the question originally wishes another minister to answer that question, they direct that minister to answer the question. That has not happened in this case so, minister, I ask you to give a very brief answer.
Mr BONSON: Madam Speaker, I picked up that the member for Braitling mentioned both me as Senior Territorians Minister and the Treasurer. I thought she would like to know the answer if she mentioned both of us, rather than grandstanding ...
Mrs Braham: Is it going to be different from the Treasurer’s?
Mr BONSON: The reality is that housing is a big issue in the Northern Territory for seniors. We are right across it. Hopefully, we will make some very big announcements about seniors and working groups between different departments to address these issues. However, we are very pleased to be working in partnership with both the Commonwealth government and Southern Cross Care on an initiative that will provide $42m of options for seniors.
Member for Braitling, any time you would like a briefing, I would love to give you one.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, if you are not happy with the call, you can resume your seat.
Mrs BRAHAM: I beg your pardon, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: If you are not happy with the call, you can resume your seat.
Mrs Braham: I am very happy, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Braitling.
Mrs BRAHAM: Madam Speaker, I am very pleased that you have acknowledged me for a question.
This Budget 2008-09 submission from the Northern Territory government was given to the then minister for Ageing in November last year and the current Minister for Senior Territorians in February this year but, as he seems rather reluctant to answer questions regarding policy for Territorians, I would like to ask the Treasurer.
In this submission - which I do not know whether you have read - senior Territorians make the point that many of them like to stay in the Territory and downsize. We have noticed that you have decreased the stamp duty rate for first homebuyers. Considering you gave no consideration to increasing the concession rate for pensioners yesterday, would you now provide the same concessional rate to seniors when downsizing their homes as first homebuyers so they can stay in the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Braitling for her question. She is a fantastic advocate for senior Territorians. I always enjoy her contribution with suggestions and ideas, and I will never dismiss anything that the member for Braitling says in any debate regarding seniors.
With the stamp duty concessions that the government announced as part of Budget 2008-09, senior Territorians are significant beneficiaries of this as well. The adjustment in the stamp duty rate does provide them with an opportunity to have a reduced stamp duty when they choose to downscale their housing options, as the member for Braitling suggested.
The principal place of residence concessions would apply. The reduction in the stamp duty rate that I announced as part of Budget 2008-09 would, indeed, apply. Depending on the value of the property and things like that, there would definitely be some savings there for senior Territorians who are downscaling their residence. Factoring in that they have a residence to sell, they are, obviously, comfortably off in the property market ...
Mrs Braham: So the answer is no.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I am saying that seniors also are winners in the stamp duty rate reductions announced yesterday. Indeed, if they are selling their principal place of residence for another principal place of residence, then the concessions there would apply to seniors equally.
Mr BONSON (Senior Territorians): Madam Speaker, just to add to the query from the member for Braitling.
I do not know if the member for Braitling is aware of some announcements that occurred last week, in particular, the announcement with Southern Cross Care about the old facility at the Waratah club. Basically, Southern Cross Care is putting in around $11m, the Commonwealth government is putting in $6.8m, and the Northern Territory government, in partnership with them, is donating the land at the Waratah Oval.
One of the issues, as she would be well aware, is appropriate housing for seniors. As we know, we have had a marked increase in seniors deciding to stay in the Northern Territory, and there are a number of reasons why. As we know, the history of the Northern Territory was that people came to the Territory, like most of the CLP, looking for opportunity. When they arrived here, they took those opportunities up, whether in small business, working for the public service, or whatever it might have been, and they raised families here. That is 20 to 30 years. However, what the tradition was …
Mrs BRAHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I am confused. Why is this minister standing up talking about anything except in relation to the question I asked?
Mr BONSON: Madam Speaker, I am addressing that. I am talking about housing, and if she would like to know about housing …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. It is the usual practice in this House that one minister receives a question and, if the minister who is asked the question originally wishes another minister to answer that question, they direct that minister to answer the question. That has not happened in this case so, minister, I ask you to give a very brief answer.
Mr BONSON: Madam Speaker, I picked up that the member for Braitling mentioned both me as Senior Territorians Minister and the Treasurer. I thought she would like to know the answer if she mentioned both of us, rather than grandstanding ...
Mrs Braham: Is it going to be different from the Treasurer’s?
Mr BONSON: The reality is that housing is a big issue in the Northern Territory for seniors. We are right across it. Hopefully, we will make some very big announcements about seniors and working groups between different departments to address these issues. However, we are very pleased to be working in partnership with both the Commonwealth government and Southern Cross Care on an initiative that will provide $42m of options for seniors.
Member for Braitling, any time you would like a briefing, I would love to give you one.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016