Let’s be honest
TOGETHER as Territorians, we should be demanding integrity in our community especially in public office, not accepting deceit.
The Fiscal Integrity and Transparency Act was enacted in 2002 to ensure that governments are transparent with the Territory’s books.
That law says that Governments MUST give Territorians an up to date financial report prior to an election.
The Act was brought in after the 2001 election, when the pre-election report said we had a $12 million debt, and a post-election report said we had a $100 million debt.
When the Labor government was elected in 2016 they promised to be “open, accountable and transparent”.
In December 2018 the Government was borrowing $4 million a day to pay daily expenses.
At the same time, 640 contract public servants were being paid between $200,000 and $500,000 a year, and likely still are, yet we haven’t had a financial report so we don’t know.
Did you know that most executives in the private sector have taken 20–30 per cent pay cuts?
The Labor Government has not given Territorians a financial report since November 2019.
In February this year Robyn Lambley asked for a law – if the Territory debt reached $7 billion, an independent report would be given to Territorians. The Labor Government refused to make the law.
In March this year the Labor Government changed the Fiscal Integrity and Transparency Act so they don’t have to provide Territorians with a financial report.
Where is Labor’s fiscal integrity and transparency?
Everywhere across the world businesses are closing. Those employees who still have jobs have been asked to take paid/unpaid leave, work hours have been reduced and pays cut. These measures are necessary – we are in a global economic crisis.
It is not sustainable for the Territory to borrow millions of dollars a day to pay wages we can’t afford. Reduction of the public sector by natural attrition is essential. It’s not that hard to do, and can be done without offending sensibilities. It’s simple – don’t replace nonessential jobs as they are vacated and start multi-skilling staff and teams. The Langoulant Audit report sought by Labor highlighted the necessity for this. At the time of the Greece financial crisis, public servants voluntarily took pay cuts. That’s integrity. The Territory is going to be a very sad and lonely place if we continue on this path of politicians looking after their voter base to the detriment of the Territory.
Think about it – If $100 million in 2001 was a ‘black hole’, what is a $7 billion debt? Kings Canyon?
Don’t be fooled by the spin. A budget is not the same as a financial statement or fiscal report. A budget explains how much money will be spent and where.
A financial statement explains how much has been spent, what on, and how much is in the bank. In the Territory’s case we have no money, just debt.
It has been over 60 days since the Territory reported a case of COVID-19, the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly has not sat since 24 April, 2020 and there does not appear to be any basis for the “special exemption” amendment of the Fiscal Integrity and Transparency Act or failure by the Northern Territory Government not to:
- Publish a pre-election fiscal outlook once an election is called (clause 2(7)); and
- Publish a pre-election fiscal outlook report within 10 days after the issue of the writ or an election (clause 17).
Why is Labor hiding the books? One can only assume it would be like looking in the mirror – they don’t like what they see.
Not showing us the books, which we are entitled to see, in my respectful opinion, is not dissimilar to the federal government’s actions in 2011, it is wrongful use of a lawful power.
The joke’s on us – Labor is abusing the trust we gave them in 2016.