NT Barramundi License Buy Back Promise Recycled

Today’s announcement that the Henderson Government is just beginning to negotiate buying back commercial barramundi fishing licences makes a trifecta of re-heated, regurgitated promises in one week alone.

“Promised parks, promised netball courts and now promised buybacks of fishing licences show that the Labor Government is good at making promises,” says Terry Mills, Leader of he Opposition, “it’s just a shame Labor can’t be trusted to deliver its promises.”

“With the rivers of revenue flowing into the Territory Government’s coffers this buy back should have been a done deal by now.

“Instead we have a re-announcement of the original promise made during the last election to negotiate the buyback of 3 commercial barramundi fishing licences.

“The failure to deliver the promised Marrara netball courts on time has seen the cost jump from $4.8 million to $5.8 million - a 16% budget blow-out on the project.

“And of course on Monday the Government announced it was set to begin Flagstaff Park when it should have been celebrating the opening of the park.

“These failures are just the tip of the iceberg - the list of broken promises runs very deep indeed.

“In 2001 Labor promised Territorians an oncology unit so cancer suffers wouldn’t have to fly interstate for treatment.

“Despite the promise people with cancer are still forced to travel thousands of miles away from home and loved ones to seek treatment.

“At the 2005 election the Government promised legislation to deal with habitual drunks on our streets – that promise proved to as honest as drunks humbugging for a ‘bus fare’.

“When the extension of Tiger Brennan was first announced by Territory Labor in 2003-04, it was budgeted to cost $27.3 million.

“As of today not a metre of extra road had been added to Tiger Brennan but it is now going to cost $110 million – at least.”

2008-07-10