DEBATES – Wednesday 25 May 2016
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DEBATES – Wednesday 25 May 2016 Madam Speaker Purick took the Chair at 10 am. They were given the responsibility of leading a Northern Territory brimming with opportunity. We VISITORS were growing faster than anywhere else in the nation, and we were consistently number one in Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I economic reports across the country. advise of the presence in the gallery of two Year 5/6 classes from Malak Primary School, Our important and valuable public assets were accompanied by their teachers Lorraine Kingham strategic levers and we made steady and and Zowie Sumendra. Welcome to Parliament sustained investments in education, health and House. I hope you enjoy your time here. housing, and had delivered improvements for the lives of Territorians. Members: Hear, hear! The Territory was led for 11 years by a Labor STATEMENT BY SPEAKER government creating opportunity. While being far Permission to Film Budget Reply Speech from perfect, we always put the public interest ahead of the private interest. Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise that, pursuant to sessional order and as is Territorians were entitled to take Terry Mills and the normal practice each year, I have given the CLP at their word when they voted for a permission to film the Leader of the Opposition’s change of government and leader in 2012. reply to the budget speech. Territorians were entitled to expect that the Chief APPROPRIATION (2016-2017) BILL Minister they voted for would still be their leader in (Serial 170) seven months’ time. We were entitled to trust the CLP to support Territory jobs. We were entitled to Continued from 24 May 2016. expect our strategic public assets would not be sold against our wishes. We were entitled to trust Mr GUNNER (Opposition Leader): Madam the CLP to continue to invest in education, health Speaker, it is safe to say there is much that and housing. Territory Labor and the CLP disagree on. However, one thing the Chief Minister and I agree We were entitled to expect that the public interest on is that on 27 August the people of the Northern would come before the private interests of the Territory will have a clear choice. Today I lay out CLP, its mates and the chosen few in the the agenda for a Territory Labor government and government’s inner sanctum. It is absolutely clear a clear vision for the Territory I want to lead and that this trust was misplaced. live in, a Territory that is confident and growing, which values its people and natural resources, Every day under this CLP government has seen a and where we say goodbye less often and hello betrayal of that trust. We were betrayed when this more often. I want a Territory that invests in our Chief Minister stabbed Terry Mills in the back children, setting them up for a healthy and while Terry was in Japan representing the productive future, with a government that Northern Territory. understands investigating in education is the key to unlocking their future. We were betrayed when the CLP sold our TIO and our port against the clear wishes of Territorians are crying out for a government Territorians. We were betrayed when the CLP worthy of their trust. I understand that winning this took an axe to education and refused to continue trust means putting trust in Territorians. A investing in health and housing. Territory Labor government will create the certainty and confidence we need to create and We were betrayed when the members of the CLP support jobs in partnership with the private sector. continually put their interests and those of their mates ahead of Territorians’ interests. We are a team united in a common cause of putting the Territory and our people first, a team This breach of trust represents a much broader that believes our best days are ahead of us, and failure of leadership, one which is inflicting we can achieve and overcome anything we put enormous damage on the Northern Territory and our minds to. making it harder to seize incredible opportunities and confront the complex challenges we face. A The one thing standing in the way of creating a government without integrity is a government better future for all Territorians is the CLP without credibility. A government without government sitting opposite us today. A little credibility cannot provide the leadership we need under four years ago Terry Mills and the CLP to secure our future. were entrusted with the great honour of leading the Northern Territory. 8315 DEBATES – Wednesday 25 May 2016 The Northern Territory needs a government with mismanagement, driven by the distraction of credibility if we are to create jobs and build scandal and infighting, has taken away the focus economic security in an increasingly volatile and needed to do the necessary hard work and grind dynamic global economy. We need a government of government. Territorians have seen this. It has with credibility if we are to successfully invest in been written in the NT News, screened on the our children and confront the unacceptable ABC and Channel Nine, and broadcast on education, health and employment outcomes Mix 104.9 FM. across the Northern Territory. A government without credibility simply cannot build the Territorians have cringed as we have watched our partnerships we need to successfully meet these government ridiculed for its lack of integrity and its challenges. Partnerships with the Commonwealth instability. This attention to self-interest, rather and other states and territories, as well as our than the Territory’s best interest, has led the CLP friends across Asia, NGOs, business, industry, to fail in the most important economic job it had to unions, Indigenous Territorians and environmental do, which was to prepare the Territory for the groups, are the key to unlocking opportunity and post-INPEX construction phase. The fallout of this creating a better future. failure is being felt by Territorians. As a born-and-raised Territory kid who has lived, Yesterday’s budget was an excuse for the learnt and worked across the Territory, I know we damaging loss of certainty and confidence that are at our best when we stick together. If we treat swept through Territory business. It is a tidal people with respect and are genuine about wave that has not yet receded. The loss of jobs, listening and understanding, we can build trust population and confidence in our future falls at the and establish partnerships that allow us to feet of the CLP. confront any challenge the Territory faces and make the most of our boundless opportunities. For the first time since the late 1990s the number of jobs and the work available in the Territory is This is the government I will lead if Territory Labor falling. This is driving a population exodus. Since wins the trust of Territorians on 27 August. It will the CLP took office, 8000 more people have gone be a government that listens to and respects interstate than have arrived here. This is an all- Territorians, and is open, transparent and time low and a tragic record. Our population accountable. Importantly, it will be a government growth is the lowest in the nation. Five major with plans to tackle our immediate and long-term national leading economic organisations have economic, social and environmental challenges. reported their deep concerns about the Territory’s lack of jobs and population loss. Over the last 12 months I have begun outlining Territory Labor’s plans for our future to create jobs The March 2016 Deloitte Access Economics and support local business in the immediate, report shows that car sales have slumped, medium and long term. Our plan is to put children population gains have dropped, job levels are at the centre of government’s focus and invest in fragile, room occupancy rates have slumped and the early years to improve health, education and retail turnover growth has been on the back foot employment outcomes in the long term, and for over a year. restore integrity, trust and confidence in government in the Northern Territory. The Manpower national survey on employment shows that job seekers can expect the weakest Today I will expand on these plans and how they hiring climate since the region was first measured. will meet the considerable challenges Territorians The real estate local market report shows that face in the coming months, years and decades house and unit sales across the Territory have ahead. I will also outline how we will work to fix plummeted. House sales have dropped by 30% in the enormous damage inflicted on the Territory by Darwin, 47% in Palmerston and 50% in Alice four years of CLP government. Delivering these Springs. Unit sales are lower. plans takes a team, united in purpose and focused on stable and mature government, which always The Real Estate Institute of the Northern Territory puts the Territory people first. When last in has said these are the lowest figures since government, Territory Labor delivered seven records began. The Sensis Business Index has surplus budgets in a row. We will deliver these attitudes across Territory government policies plans in a fiscally responsible way that supports at -7%. Worse still, expectations for the year jobs and Territory business. ahead are the lowest nationally at -29%. The Commonwealth Bank CommSec State of the We are facing difficult and challenging economic States report has the Territory economy slipping times. The Chief Minister said, ‘The Territory from first to third with a downward arrow. economy is in a bit of a hole’. This hole has been dug by the CLP government and is larger than the CLP is prepared to admit.