Department of the Legislative Assembly, Northern Territory Government

Minutes of Proceedings - 1993-10-14

Sixth Assembly First Session 12/10/1993 Parliamentary Record No. 20
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Date : 14/10/1993
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(IN CONTINUATION)

The Assembly resumed at 10.00 a.m., pursuant to resolution suspending the sitting, dated 13 October 1993. The
Speaker, the Honourable N.M. Dondas, took the Chair.

12. APPROPRIATION BILL 1993-94 (Serial 266):
The order of the day having been read for further consideration in Committee of the Whole - Division 81 - of
the Appropriation Bill 1993-94 (Serial 266) -
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(In the Committee)
(Chairman - Mr McCarthy)
(10.00 a.m.)

Proposed expenditure for Division 81 agreed to, after debate.
Proposed expenditure for Division 69 agreed to, after debate.
Proposed expenditure for Division 70 read -
Debate ensued.
Paper tabled: The Minister for Health and Community Services (Mr Reed) laid on the Table the following Paper -

Table, 1993-94 Budget Allocation by Cost Centre.

Debate continued.
Paper tabled: Mr Reed laid on the Table the following Paper -

Table, Factors which affected the final 1992-93 expenditure figures.

Debate continued.
Paper tabled: Mr Reed laid on the Table the following Paper -

Table, organisations receiving funding, 1992-93 and 1993-94.

Debate continued.
Papers tabled: Mr Reed laid on the Table the following Papers -

Media Release, by Hon. Mike Reed, MLA, dated 13 October 1993;
Article, "Poor Man's Plague", by Steve Dow, The Australian, dated 14 April 1993; and
Program Allocations, 1992-93 and 1993-94 for Tuberculosis, Leprosy, HIV/AIDS, STD (Excl. HIV/AIDS) and Other.

Debate continued.
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Suspension of sitting: The sitting was suspended between 12.06 p .m . and 2.00 p.m.
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Debate resumed.
Paper tabled: Mr Reed laid on the Table the following Paper -

Table, Programs that received HACC Money in 1992-93.

Debate continued.
Paper tabled: Mr Reed laid on the Table the following Paper -

Table, Patient Assistance Travel Scheme, Actual expenditure 1992-93; Budget expenditure 1992-93 and 1993-94.

Debate continued.
Paper tabled: Mr Reed laid on the Table the following Paper -

Table, Visits Program, 1992-93 and 1993-94.

Debate continued.
Paper tabled: Mr Reed laid on the Table the following Paper -

Tables, Average Occupancy Rates - 1992-93 and January to June 1993, Average Unit Occupancy - January to June 1993.

Debate continued.
Paper tabled: Mr Reed laid on the Table the following Paper -

Table, Funding Requirements for Darwin and Alice Springs for years 1993-94 and 1994-95.

Debate continued.
Proposed expenditure for Division 70 agreed to.
Proposed expenditure for Division 92 read -
Debate ensued.
Paper tabled: The Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries (Mr Reed) laid on the Table the following
Paper -

Specific Recurrent Purpose Payments, 1992-93; and Specific Capital-Purpose Payments.

Debate continued.
Proposed expenditure for Division 92 agreed to.
Proposed expenditure for Division 79 agreed to, after debate.
Proposed expenditure for Division 50 agreed to, after debate.
Proposed expenditure for Division 71 agreed to, after debate.
Proposed expenditure for Division 12 agreed to.
Schedule 2 agreed to.
Remainder of the Bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill to be reported without amendment.
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(7.07 p.m.)

The Speaker (Mr Dondas) resumed the Chair; the Deputy Chairman (Mr Collins) reported accordingly; and the report
was adopted.
The Treasurer (Mr Coulter) moved - That the Bill be now read a third time.
Debate ensued.
The Bill was read a third time and passed to be a proposed law.

Page 708

13. PRIVILEGE - ALLEGED BREACH OF SECTION 21(3) OF THE NORTHERN TERRI TORY (SELF-GOVERNMENT) ACT 1978 - REQUEST FOR
REFERRAL TO COMMITTEE OF PRIVILEGES - STATEMENT - SPEAKER'S DECISION:
The Speaker advised the Assembly that he had further considered the request of the Member for Millner (Mr Parish)
on Wednesday 13 October 1993 to refer a matter to the Committee of Privileges.
The Speaker made a statement and then informed the Assembly of hi s decision in the following terms:

I now advise Honourable Members that, in this matter, I h ave restricted my approach to appropriate
procedures rather than the substance of the matter raised by the Member for Millner.

I have further considered the matter and, in the absence of standing orders or any relevant
precedent in this Parliament, have considered the practice in relevant similar matters in the House of
Representatives and the House of Commons.

The House of Representatives Standing Order 196 relating to t he disallowance of a member's vote on
the ground of direct pecuniary interest provides that "A member's vote shall not be challenged, except on a
substantive motion".

Similarly, the established practice in the House of Commo ns i s that 'An objection to a vote on
the ground of personal interest cannot be raised, except upon substantive motion'. (Erskine May, 21st
Edition, p.357/8).

Accordingly, I advise Honourable Members that, in the absence of any relevant standing order or
precedent in this Parliament, I rule that the matter raised by the Honourable Member for Millner is not an
appropriate one for referral to the Committee of Privileges, but is a matter which could be raised upon
substantive motion.

I would also make the observation that the appropriate pr oces s for dealing with such matters in
future could be a subject of consideration by the Standing Orders Committee.

14. ADJOURNMENT:
The Leader of Government Business (Mr Setter) moved - That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Debate ensued.
Paper tabled: The Minister for Ethnic Affairs (Mr Stone) laid on t he Table the following Paper -

Guest list, Opening of new buildings at Nungalinya College.

Debate continued.
Paper tabled: The Member for Barkly (Mrs Hickey), by leave, laid on the Table the following Paper -

Cartoon, '....And here, the reason why you wi sh to kill your husband - briefly, it's just a formality', The
Australian, dated 16 September 1993.

Debate continued.
Question - put and passed.

Page 709

The Assembly adjourned at 8.54 p.m. until Tuesday 19 October 1993 , at 10.00 a.m.
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PAPER:
The following Paper was deemed to have been presented on Thursday 14 October 1993:

Annual Report:
Listening Devices Act, 1992-93.

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ATTENDANCE:
All Members attended the sitting

IAN McNEILL
Clerk of the Legislative Assembly

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Last updated: 04 Aug 2016