Shadow Minister for Mining and Industry, Steve Edgington, says the Gunner Government’s
Statute Law Amendment (Territory Economic Reconstruction) Bill 2021 has absolutely no
vision to salvage our economy and kick start private investment.
“Instead, this omnibus bill is simply a box-ticking exercise to give the impression that Labor is
addressing key recommendations of the Territory Economic Reconstruction Committee
(TERC), when the reality is these changes will have no great impact and are merely
housekeeping matters to tidy up a number of Acts and Regulations that have various
anomalies.
“TERC recommended streamlining and providing greater certainty. This Bill amends 22 pieces
of legislation and 136 clauses, which are largely administrative. If this Bill was about the TERC
recommendations surely you would expect to see upfront changes to legislative process that
affect major projects in the Territory.
“A key finding of the TERC Report recommended a step change in the approach to investor
engagement for major projects. The TERC Report further recommended that the Investment
and Major Project Commissioner be appointed as a standalone function with a legislated
authorising environment.
“Instead, this Government appointed two new highly-paid public servants to the role of
commissioner with no legislative powers and no teeth. You will find nothing in the Bill about
major projects or about legislative power for the commissioners.
“The hallmarks of this legislation include things like changing wording from saying ‘one
month’ in the Food Act 2004 to ’30 days’. This is absolutely farcical and doesn’t get to the
heart of what we need to do, to support our private sector and grow our economy.
“Clearly, these are not amendments which will cut red tape or have any real impact on
Territorians. This has been a huge missed opportunity and proves the Gunner Government
has absolutely no plan to reboot our fragile economy.
“Frustratingly, we’ll do this all again in about six months’ time when Government agencies
will be asked by Labor to come up with more legislation that needs spelling or grammar
corrections, or other meaningless changes.
Shadow Minister for Mining and Industry
“This Government wants to keep everyone busy running around after such Bills in the hope
we don’t notice what is really going on in relation to economic reconstruction – absolutely
nothing.
“The Attorney General told us that this piece of legislation “offers vision”. If the Gunner Labor
government actually believe this, it is high time they paid a visit to the optometrist,” said Mr
Edgington.
ENDS