Mr WOOD - 2001-11-28
On page 8 of the budget statement under the heading ‘Temporary Budget Improvement Levy’, it states the following:
Certain vehicles including heavy vehicles, trailers, caravans, tractors and mobile plant machinery are excluded from
the levy to minimise the impact on business.
Also, in the proposed Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill 2001 under section 4(12)(1)(e), motorised golf buggies are excluded.
Bearing in mind the statement that the above vehicles are excluded from the levy to minimise the impact on business, isn’t the government being unfair by not exempting utes and vans which are commonly used by those self-employed - many of them rural - carpenters, couriers, electricians, plumbers, gardeners, smoko deliverers, labourers and others who rely on these vehicles for their business? Does it recommend to these self-employed people that they should switch to a golf buggy as their means of transport and tow a caravan to carry their tools of trade? Would the government please consider reviewing section 4(12)(1)(e) before this act is presented to parliament?
Madam SPEAKER: That was a very long question. I hope, Chief Minister, you were able to get the gist of it. It was about golf buggies.
ANSWER
Thank you, Madam Speaker, it is about golf buggies. The Temporary Budget Improvement Levy is an unfortunate fact of the deficit left by the previous administration. We have been very clear about that. It is to raise the funds to be able to fix the deficit – be very clear about that. It is for three years and that will be enshrined in legislation. Its intent is to share the pain - and I am saying pain - to share the measures needed across the Territory because of the dishonesty - the very poor and dishonest financial management - of the previous administration. Now we all have to share this.
If you look at the response we have seen from many sectors of the community, they recognise that we have been very careful about making sure that the burden of this deficit, this unacceptable level of debt that the CLP has landed the Territory with, has to be shared as widely as possible. Every Territorian ...
Mr Reed: Mythical black hole $107m, what you are raising is $162m. You are a thief.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine!
Ms MARTIN: Yes, I think that is an unnecessary word. I think it should be withdrawn.
Madam SPEAKER: I think that should be withdrawn.
Mr REED: I am happy to withdraw it, if they heard it in ...
Ms MARTIN: The intent of this Temporary Budget Improvement Levy is that it will be shared across-the-board, and so all Territorians have to be able to take part in this. We have, as wide as possible, pensioner concessions which takes it to $45, so $90 once a year, $45 on a wide range of pensioner concessions. I say to Territorians, I am sorry about this measure, but if we are going to tackle an unsustainable deficit, an unsustainable financial situation that we inherited from the previous administration, then these types of measures have to be put in place. They have to be put in place and in three years time it will be gone and we will have tackled the worst of the deficit left by the Country Liberal Party.
Certain vehicles including heavy vehicles, trailers, caravans, tractors and mobile plant machinery are excluded from
the levy to minimise the impact on business.
Also, in the proposed Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill 2001 under section 4(12)(1)(e), motorised golf buggies are excluded.
Bearing in mind the statement that the above vehicles are excluded from the levy to minimise the impact on business, isn’t the government being unfair by not exempting utes and vans which are commonly used by those self-employed - many of them rural - carpenters, couriers, electricians, plumbers, gardeners, smoko deliverers, labourers and others who rely on these vehicles for their business? Does it recommend to these self-employed people that they should switch to a golf buggy as their means of transport and tow a caravan to carry their tools of trade? Would the government please consider reviewing section 4(12)(1)(e) before this act is presented to parliament?
Madam SPEAKER: That was a very long question. I hope, Chief Minister, you were able to get the gist of it. It was about golf buggies.
ANSWER
Thank you, Madam Speaker, it is about golf buggies. The Temporary Budget Improvement Levy is an unfortunate fact of the deficit left by the previous administration. We have been very clear about that. It is to raise the funds to be able to fix the deficit – be very clear about that. It is for three years and that will be enshrined in legislation. Its intent is to share the pain - and I am saying pain - to share the measures needed across the Territory because of the dishonesty - the very poor and dishonest financial management - of the previous administration. Now we all have to share this.
If you look at the response we have seen from many sectors of the community, they recognise that we have been very careful about making sure that the burden of this deficit, this unacceptable level of debt that the CLP has landed the Territory with, has to be shared as widely as possible. Every Territorian ...
Mr Reed: Mythical black hole $107m, what you are raising is $162m. You are a thief.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine!
Ms MARTIN: Yes, I think that is an unnecessary word. I think it should be withdrawn.
Madam SPEAKER: I think that should be withdrawn.
Mr REED: I am happy to withdraw it, if they heard it in ...
Ms MARTIN: The intent of this Temporary Budget Improvement Levy is that it will be shared across-the-board, and so all Territorians have to be able to take part in this. We have, as wide as possible, pensioner concessions which takes it to $45, so $90 once a year, $45 on a wide range of pensioner concessions. I say to Territorians, I am sorry about this measure, but if we are going to tackle an unsustainable deficit, an unsustainable financial situation that we inherited from the previous administration, then these types of measures have to be put in place. They have to be put in place and in three years time it will be gone and we will have tackled the worst of the deficit left by the Country Liberal Party.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016