Debates Day 1 - Tuesday 23 May 1995
Parliamentary Record 11
Debates for 7th Assembly 1994 - 1997; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 7th Assembly 1994 - 1997
1995-05-23
Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
English
Debates
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
Darwin
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Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
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https://hdl.handle.net/10070/281694
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/413979
DEBATES - Tuesday 23 May 1995 been put to me that it might be much more sensible to have the health functions administered from Darwin because, as people in the Katherine area have said, almost without exception all of the evacuations are to Darwin and many of their riding instructions come from Darwin. Given some of the administrative problems that we have seen between Katherine and Borroloola in the health area over the ... Mr Reed: Why do you think that would be? Because that is where the highest level of treatment is available for the patient. Mrs HICKEY: ... last few months, it might make more sense if that were to be administered from Darwin. I can hear the member for Katherine interjecting, but I think it is probably his turn to speak next and we will hear more from him then. Mr Coulter: All in all, it is not a bad budget! Mrs HICKEY: In concluding, I have to say that it is a dreadful budget, a deplorable budget and one that gives little hope to people at the lower-income levels. As I said, the families and workers have been asked to bear the pain in this budget. The CLP has set out deliberately to cut the living standards of ordinary, hardworking Territorians. That is not a great achievement for any government. The CLP has pushed Territory taxation above the all-state average now. Mr Coulter: Rubbish! Mrs HICKEY: If you can tell me that taxes and charges are still below the all-state average... Mr Coulter: No, you made the statement. Members interjecting. Mrs HICKEY: Nominate the charges that you claim are below the all-state average. Mr Coulter: You back it up. Mrs HICKEY: Water charges may be lower, but look at what has happened to those in this years budget. The budget papers indicate there is more planned for future years. Perhaps the Treasurer can explain that. All in all, this is not a budget that gives much hope to ordinary Territorians, particularly those living south of the Berrimah Line. Everything in the garden may be pretty rosy, although not necessarily thanks entirely to the Northern Territory government. In fact, it is due in very small part to the Northern Territory government. However, in the areas for which it does have responsibility, it is drawing away. It is not providing the capital infrastructure that is desperately needed in emerging areas such as Borroloola and it is doing a pea-and-thimble trick with the moneys that it is allocating to the emerging Aboriginal areas. It is putting more money into health in response to the justified outrage from around the country and internationally about the state of health in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. 3481