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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by application of a range of professional marketing, economic and business skills to issues affecting the development of Territory industries. The Commercial Development Program is designed to further develop and promote Territory primary industries by addressing the issues of infrastructure development and services, economic efficiency, social relevance, profitable technologies and commodities, business skills, education and training, multiple and sustainable uses of natural resources and the development of more diverse and productive farming systems exploiting any comparative economic advantages. The Corporate Management Activity has been allocated $4.897m. This is a decrease of $42 000 compared with the previous year. This activity provides executive and policy guidance to the department and its clients. It also incorporates the service units of the organisation. Reductions to the 1995-96 budget when compared with 1994-95 are minor, and are consequent on productivity gains. During 1994-95, significant steps have been taken to develop and formalise planning processes. This has helped, and will continue to help, the department in achieving the important goals that have been developed in consultation with clients for the organisation and for the industries it serves. This strategic planning process has now linked all activities of the department to its mission statement to ensure that only priority tasks are undertaken. These planning tools will help to ensure that services provided by the department continue to be relevant, efficient and effective during 1995-96. This formal planning will also ensure that a whole-of-govemment approach is taken to the future directions of the rural and fishing industries. The Treasurers budget provides the platform for primary industries to expand and to play an even more important role in the Northern Territorys economy. I commend the bill to honourable members. Mr LANHUPUY (Arnhem): Mr Speaker, there is no doubt that these are the biggest tax increases in any budget, Territory or Commonwealth, in the last 15 years. When were any of these hikes in taxes and charges mentioned in the election campaign last year? I believe this is an ERC process for 1995. It is the families and the workers who have been asked to take the pain in this budget. The CLP government has set out deliberately to cut the living standards of ordinary hard-working Territorians. This is no great achievement for any government. The CLP government has pushed the Territorys taxation above the all-state average. If the government continues to claim that taxes and charges are still below those imposed in all the states, I challenge it to nominate those charges which it claims are below the all-state average. Water charges may be, but look at what is in this years budget, and the budget papers indicate that more of the same is planned for future years. PAWA: Aboriginal Essential Services has been cut, in real terms, by 6%. Why? You might well ask that question, Mr Speaker. Capital expenditure is down by $1.5m in Aboriginal communities. That needs to be questioned. This is the second year in a row that Aboriginal essential services has been cut in the budget, and it is crucial that this area continues to create employment and provide the essential services that are needed in remote communities, not only in my own electorate but throughout the Territory. Aboriginal housing infrastructure has been cut by 10% in real terms. There is no commitment of untied Territory funds or own-source revenue to remote area housing programs. Those programs seem to be surviving on a day-to-day basis with the support that DEBATES - Tuesday 23 May 1995 3519