2016-02-11
Deputy Chief Minister – CT Group
Mr GUNNER to DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday you claimed your failure to purchase shares in the CT Group meant you had done nothing wrong. Clauses 3.1 and 8.8 of the Ministerial Code of Conduct require you to take active steps to avoid conflicts of interest, declare them to the Chief Minister and ensure you do not misuse your position to gain private advantage.
Section 77 of the NT Criminal Code Act also makes attempting to gain advantage by virtue of your public office an offence punishable by seven years’ imprisonment.
Whether or not you purchased the shares is irrelevant. Does your attempt to purchase shares and your sharing of expression of interest information with the CT Group not represent a clear breach …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have taken the liberty of reading section 77 of the Criminal Code Act. It is an extremely long, impossible bow to draw.
Madam SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
Mr ELFERINK: The point of order is that raising that issue is the imputation you are counselling against.
Madam SPEAKER: No, please be seated. Member, have you finished your question?
Mr GUNNER: Does your attempt to purchase shares and your sharing of expression of interest information with the CT Group not represent a clear breach of the code of conduct and a possible breach of the Criminal Code Act?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his cheap shot of a question again. We are in this House of debate, where debates are supposed to be about the good things happening in the Northern Territory. That is what we would rather talk about, but the opposition is all too happy to continue to muckrake. You can see that from the tone of all the questions yesterday and from the first question fired across the Chamber by the Leader of the Opposition today.
As I said yesterday in my personal explanation, I considered taking out some investments with the CT Group and desisted of my own motion because of the potential for a conflict of interest. I will explain something about conflicts of interest. At least in my understanding, it is, under many circumstances, perfectly okay to have a conflict of interest as long as you declare it and do not put yourself in …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. The minister is saying there is a conflict of interest. When will you do the right thing and resign?
Madam SPEAKER: No, that is not a point of order.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: That is not true. As long as the interest is declared and the person who has this potential conflict of interest does not allow decisions made – in my case in my formal position as a minister of the Crown – to be influenced by that conflict, then there is no problem.
At the end of the day, what the Leader of the Opposition cannot seem to grasp is that I do not have a conflict of interest because I did not make any investments with the CT Group, a company with which the Northern Territory government has a relationship. I clearly articulated why yesterday. I take my responsibilities as a minister very seriously and I consider my duties as a minister of the Crown, particularly that of the Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, to be paramount and more important than any personal investments I might make.
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Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of Year 11 legal students from Marrara Christian College accompanied by Darrell Leng. Welcome to Parliament House. I hope you learn something, legally-wise that is.
Distinguished Visitor
Madam SPEAKER: I also acknowledge the presence in the gallery of former Deputy Chief Minister, Syd Stirling, and Jenny Djerrkura. Welcome to Parliament House.
Members: Hear, hear!
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SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Deputy Chief Minister – CT Group
Deputy Chief Minister – CT Group
Mr GUNNER to DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER
Will you categorically rule out that any portion of the $650 000 you borrowed or any of your private funds have been invested with the CT Group or any projects or subsidiaries of the CT Group?
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 106. It is in relation to the supplementary question. The supplementary question has to arise out of the original question. This is a new question. He can ask it, but he has to wait until the next question.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, could you repeat the question for me please?
Mr GUNNER: Will you categorically rule out that any portion of the $650 000 you borrowed or any of your private funds have been invested with the CT Group or any projects or subsidiaries of the CT Group? May I speak to the point of order, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: Yes.
Mr GUNNER: My original question asked about the purchase of shares and this question goes to the purpose of shares. It is based on the original question. We want a categorical ruling out that any of the funds or any other funds of the minister were used to purchase those shares.
Madam SPEAKER: I will rule the question in order because the answer the minister gave, from my recollection, went to conflict of interest, alleged or not. Minister, you can answer the question if you want to.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, first of all I will correct the record. The Leader of the Opposition said in the last few words ‘to purchase shares’. That is categorically wrong. As I said before, I desisted of my own motion in making any investments with the CT Group. Let us get that perfectly clear.
I can categorically rule it out. In saying this I refer to the personal explanation I provided in this House yesterday ...
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! He is not answering the question.
Madam SPEAKER: No, that is not a point of order. Member for Katherine, you have the call.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: I quote from my personal explanation:
- Firstly – and it is extremely important that this is on the record – I do not have, and never have had, any financial or legal interest or investment with the CT Group whatsoever.
Fuel Pricing
Mr BARRETT to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you outline what the government is doing to help ensure Territorians are paying a fair price for fuel? It is a question about something that is important to Territorians.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is only members on this side of the Chamber who care about Territorians and asks questions about the Territory. Labor members are too busy worrying about personal attacks.
The member for Blain would know that in 11-and-a-half years of Labor we heard promises about petrol prices but nothing was delivered. I have a couple of flyers here of former members of the Labor Party talking about how they would campaign on petrol price action.
Here is an old flyer from the former member for Nightcliff who happened to be the Speaker for a long period of time, Ms Jane Aagaard, talking about petrol price petitions and taking action on petrol prices. Here is another one from Matthew Bronson talking about another petrol price petition, doing all he could to talk about trying to reduce petrol prices. The Minister for Business has a lovely flyer of the member for Karama talking about what she would do about petrol prices.
Here is an illustration of the gap between the Australian average fuel price versus the Northern Territory from 2009 to 2015. Many will see that in about 2010 the jaws on the crocodile started opening up and the gap between the Australian price and the Northern Territory price of unleaded fuel got higher and higher.
That is why we have been doing a lot of work to provide downward pressure on fuel prices in the Northern Territory. We did not just put flyers out or run pretend petitions; we took action on the fuel price in 2014.
Here is the timing of the fuel summit in 2004. You can see where we were at that point after the summit where the prices came together. What we saw in 2014 …
Ms Fyles: You were not even in the Territory then.
Mr GILES: Can you please be quiet. It is becoming too relentless, member for Nightcliff.
Since the fuel price summit, every time we take action as a government the fuel price comes down. There might be pressure from media, me or politicians on this side of the Chamber, and the prices will come down.
Every time we stop talking about it, making phone calls, writing letters, or whatever that pressure point may be, whether it is an investigation or the tabling of a bill, the price gap seems to widen. That is why we made the decision to introduce the Fuel Price Disclosure Bill to parliament.
It is good to see the price of fuel at Daly Street is now 116.7c. More needs to be done. We are committed to passing this bill to make sure there is more transparency and accountability on fuel companies to keep the price of fuel in the Northern Territory at the lowest point.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Deputy Chief Minister – CT Group
Mr GUNNER to DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER
An e-mail tabled in parliament yesterday between you and your current partner shows you were contemplating and taking active steps to purchase shares in the CT Group as early as February 2015, a full eight months before you apparently recognised it might not be a bright idea. During these eight months you had a multitude of dealings with the same company in your official capacity as a minister of the Crown.
What do you understand by the term ‘conflict of interest’? How is it possible that you did not declare a conflict of interest at any time in those eight months? Do these facts not call into question every action and decision you have made regarding the CT Group during those eight months?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, no.
I have said numerous times now, both in the House and in the media, that I had completely separated my duties as a minister from my personal and private matters whilst dealing with the CT Group or any other entity in Vietnam or Indonesia. Therefore, there is no conflict of interest.
I do not know how many times I have to say this in the parliament so those opposite understand.
We are hearing the Leader of the Opposition’s tainted view, his personal opinion that he would like to be broadly accepted in the Northern Territory community.
There are allegations, unfounded in many cases, being spread all around the place. The net result is another wasted Question Time with the Leader of the Opposition asking me the same questions he asked in Question Time yesterday ...
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. This is a clear and direct question. The facts call into question every action you took over eight months. Answer the question!
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: I repeat for the benefit of those opposite that I desisted, of my own motion, in making any investments with the CT Group as it would have created a conflict of interest to the point where my position as the minister for Primary Industry would be, at best, difficult and possibly untenable. Therefore, I desisted.
My work as a minister of the Crown in pursuing agribusiness opportunities for the Northern Territory and improving our economy through the growth of our agricultural sector is far more important to me than any private investments I might make.
Therefore, despite what the Leader of the Opposition would have people believe with his one-sided tainted opinion, there is no conflict of interest.
NT Government Support
of Tourism Industry
of Tourism Industry
Mr CONLAN to CHIEF MINISTER
The Country Liberals government has formulated a strong plan to deliver on a prosperous economy. Can you outline to the House how the government is planning to support a prosperous Territory tourism industry?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex, a former Tourism minister who did a great job in setting up the tourism industry for a rebound following not only eleven-and-a-half years of a Labor government, but 10 years of decline in tourism, both on the domestic and international fronts.
We have done a good job in turning around tourism in the Northern Territory. We have seen big rebounds in Uluru and Alice Springs, smaller rebounds in the Barkly and Katherine, and a slight rebound in Darwin. There is much more work to be done.
I spoke yesterday about how our domestic campaign, Do the NT is enormously successful.
We still have challenges on the international front, particularly with our major partners throughout the UK and Europe. The Americas are doing quite well. Part of that is a change in the flight paths from Singapore through to Dubai, but that is my opinion, and people have different levels of opinion. The global economy is having a significant impact as well.
It was great to be in Melbourne on Friday night for the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards to see Geoff McGeary named Australian Tourism Legend. Three other tourism operators in the Northern Territory won gold, including Venture North on the Cobourg Peninsula; Voyages at Yulara, which is doing a great job; and the Central Australian Visitors Centre in Alice Springs. Congratulations to those guys and to the people who took out silver and bronze.
I mentioned yesterday when I talked about some of the major initiatives we are working on that I am working very hard with the tourism industry to get direct airline access between China and the Northern Territory. On a trip to China nine or 10 weeks ago we had conversations with Chinese government and airline officials in Beijing, Xian and Hong Kong. Things are progressing well.
The opportunity for direct access into China, particularly with a wide-body aircraft, has a benefit for the tourism sector, mainly in the Top End and some in Uluru. Also, a wide-body aircraft will give us a greater level of cargo capacity, which will support the agricultural industry.
Finally I touch on an issue I have been pushing pretty hard, which is backpackers. I am very critical of changes that have been made at the federal level to the visa process and the backpackers’ tax-free threshold. That is seeing a significant reduction in the number of backpackers coming to Australia, which is having a huge effect on our agricultural sector, but particularly our tourism sector, not just in the number of tourists visiting but also the workforce. There are reports that backpacker numbers were down some 48 000 in the last two years. That is significantly affecting the Australian economy but particularly the Darwin economy.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Deputy Chief Minister – CT Group
Mr GUNNER to DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER
Despite your and the Chief Minister’s claims to the contrary yesterday, your e-mail of 30 August shows you provided information to the CT Group regarding expressions of interest for the luxury hotel proposal in Darwin on 15 August, a full seven days before the Chief Minister’s media release announcing details of the EoI. At the same time you were in discussions with the same company to purchase $570 000 of shares in one of its projects.
Based on your travel and e-mail, you gave them information seven days before that media release. What were you hoping to gain by sharing EoI information with the CT Group while at the same time you were seeking to invest over $0.5m with them?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I missed the question. Was there a question there?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fannie Bay, can you repeat the question, please, for the Deputy Chief Minister?
Mr GUNNER: Despite your and the Chief Minister’s claims to the contrary yesterday, your e-mail of 30 August shows you provided information to the CT Group regarding expressions of interest for the luxury hotel proposal in Darwin on 15 August, a full seven days before the Chief Minister’s media release announcing the details of the EoI. At the same time you were in discussions with the same company to purchase $570 000 of shares in one of its projects.
What were you hoping to gain by sharing the EoI information with the CT Group while you were seeking to investment over $0.5m in the company?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I happen to know that discussions about the luxury hotel had been ongoing for months before any formal announcement came from the Chief Minister, so there were no secrets being given away prior to that becoming reasonably common knowledge.
I am passionate about the Northern Territory and ensuring this jurisdiction and the people who live here have every opportunity to benefit from investments locally, interstate and overseas.
In answer to the question from the Leader of the Opposition, what I hoped to benefit from providing information about a luxury hotel was to see the Territory develop in the tourism sector, to give a breath of fresh air and put some light on a new project that would put the Northern Territory on the map for tourism. That was the motivation.
That is what I am here for and why I was elected. That is why I have been given the responsibility I have, which is to promote opportunities within the Northern Territory to grow our economy.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. The question went to the provision of information about an EoI seven days before the Chief Minister released the information to the public about the EoI, the nature of that conversation and what he attempted to gain from it.
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has time to answer the question.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: My answer is perfectly relevant. You asked me what I hoped to gain. That was the question, was it not – what I hoped to gain?
I hoped to gain benefit for the Northern Territory by having a new six-star hotel development in Darwin. That is the type of development that puts places like Darwin on the tourism map. It provides opportunities for all manner of things, not the least of which is jobs in the tourism sector, the hospitability sector and many other areas. That is what I was hoping to gain.
If you asked anyone who is courted by this government to invest in the Northern Territory the same question, that would be the answer: to promote the Northern Territory as a place to invest, live, work and play.
Infrastructure Development Fund
Mr KURRUPUWU to TREASURER
What has been the response to an EoI for the Northern Territory Infrastructure Development Fund investment manager role, and how will it help the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his great question. I am happy to give a response.
The Adam Giles government has a plan, which we discussed yesterday. I demonstrated the difference between a plan and a gammon Gunner plan or a Clayton’s plan – whatever it is you guys on the other side have.
When we came to government our plan was quite simple: clean up Labor’s mess, clean up the debt legacy, fix the finances and diversify and grow the economy. Government has stuck to that line and people are starting to see it pay dividends. As members know, the government has taken on some very difficult decisions over the last three-and-a-half years.
One of those decisions was to save TIO. We knew TIO was facing financial ruin. We took the hard decision to liberate TIO from government ownership and recycle those funds back into the Northern Territory economy. Members know that $50m of those funds is being spent on flood mitigation across Darwin and Katherine, and we are even looking at parts of Alice Springs.
The question the member for Arafura asked was in relation to the Infrastructure Development Fund. We set aside $200m of that TIO sale money to go into the Northern Territory Infrastructure Development Fund. That $200m will attract an additional $800m of funds from the private sector, Australian institutional investors and overseas investors. This will create a $1bn fund. It is the first of its kind in Australia and it has been designed to include an independent governance board. It is a standalone fund and will have a separate commercial specialist fund manager looking after those investments.
We advertised for the fund manager and have had a very good response from the financial sector. We have received six expressions of interest for the position of fund manager. They include Whitehelm Capital from Sydney, Infrastructure Capital Group from Melbourne, Palisade Investment Partners from Sydney, Foresight Group from London, Rod Hook and Associates from Adelaide and Blue Sky Alternative Investments Ltd from Brisbane. We will announce the winning tenderer by the end of March.
The NTIDF is a down payment on the Northern Territory’s future. It will change the economic landscape of the Territory. It clearly demonstrates that the Adam Giles Country Liberal Party government has a plan.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Water Allocation Committees
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Three years ago, government decisions about water usage were assisted by water management advisory committees. You scrapped the Daly River committee known as DRMAC, then let the Mataranka, Howard Springs and Berry Springs committees fade away without a ‘bless me, father’, ‘kiss my foot’ or even a thank you.
You then asked for expressions of interest in the Howard Springs Water Advisory Committee in October 2014. I wrote my expression of interest and waited. Then, on 31 August 2015, you asked if I was still interested in being part of the reconvening of the committee, and nothing has been heard since. I am still waiting and we are nearly at the end of your four years.
Is the government pretending it wants water advisory committees or is the whole thing a charade and water allocation is something you do not want scrutinised by these committees?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I can first assure him that we take our responsibilities as a government in relation to the allocation of water very seriously. I do not know if you used the words, but I will paraphrase. No, we are not paying lip service to the water advisory committee process either.
You may well be aware that in recent times the Katherine Water Advisory Committee was re-established to review the Katherine Tindall Aquifer Water Management Plan. That work has been done and I believe recommendations from that committee might well be back with the Department of Land Resource Management now.
In relation to the other water advisory committees, the Alice Springs Water Advisory Committee has been worked on by the Department of Land Resource Management. That is in progress. The Howard Springs Water Advisory Committee has had a difficult past.
You are confusing two things. The Catchments Advisory Committee was put in place as a result of removing things like the Daly River Management Advisory Committee and so forth. The Catchments Advisory Committee could look at water strategically across the whole of the Northern Territory. That committee is up and running. I think it has its first meeting this month. Whether it has had it or is about it have it, I am not quite sure. That work is ongoing and it is providing strategic advice to the government in relation to matters of water across all the catchments in the Northern Territory. That work is important.
In relation to the Howard East Water Advisory Committee, that fell away a number of years ago, as you would be aware. There was a lack of interest and people dropped off. This government put together advertising for expressions of interest for new members of that committee. If I remember rightly, we received very few applications for membership in the first round. We then went back to the market to ask people whether they would be interested in forming that committee.
Based on a conversation you and I had, you are also now a member of that committee. I expect the Department of Land Resource Management – if it has not already done so, being very early in the year – will make sure those water advisory committees are up and running and meet as soon as practicable. I will be able to provide you with some further details in the not-too-distant future.
Live Export Industry – Government Support
Mr KURRUPUWU to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
Can the minister update the House on how the Country Liberals government is supporting the Northern Territory live export industry?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his question. It is very important as this goes to the nub of much of the work I have been doing as the Primary Industry minister over the past three-and-a-half years.
It gives me great pleasure to update the House on the thriving live cattle industry. Over the past three-and-a-half years the Country Liberals government has delivered on its commitment to drive growth in our live cattle trade. Today the sector is worth $201m with a multiplier effect of an additional $102.9m to the local economy. That is not small change.
Make no mistake, this has not happened by accident. The Northern Territory government has worked hard to build on new and existing live export markets. We worked hand in hand with industry to create a truly diversified market that is not reliant on a single country or importer. Under the previous Labor government, the Vietnam trade was virtually non-existent. Today in the Northern Territory it is the second-largest market, with nearly 64 000 head exported in 2015, and an estimated value of production of around $38.1m. Again, that is not small change.
We have also seen new markets, like Thailand, emerge where more than 3500 head of Northern Territory cattle were exported for the first time.
Indonesia remains the Territory’s largest trading partner, with 197 155 head of cattle exported in 2015. Those numbers were down due to an unexpected reduction in quota during July 2014. While the decision was undoubtedly a worrying time for industry, it showed how far we have come since the dark days of Labor’s rule.
Industry was able to maintain momentum due to the work we put in to diversify our live export markets. As well as moving to a new much-welcomed triannual permit system, the Indonesian government will be looking to issue quotas of up to 600 000 head in 2016, which is fantastic news for industry. That has not happened by accident. The change in the quota system is something I have been championing for some time.
The Country Liberals government has also achieved promising results in the live buffalo trade, which is doing extremely well, with 5097 head exported through the Port of Darwin, up from 628 head in 2012.
Much work still needs to be done on this part of our economy. It is a part of our plan as a Country Liberals government. You would not trust Labor to run the agricultural sector.
Deputy Chief Minister – CT Group
Mr GUNNER to DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER
You undertook official government travel to Vietnam on 15 August to meet with the CT Group at a cost to the taxpayer of $2000 plus $300 in entertainment expenses. Yesterday you refused to rule out discussing your plans to invest over $0.5m in a project by the CT Group and were only prepared to talk about the purpose of your official meeting with the company. Did you at any time on this trip engage in discussion regarding your planned purchase of $570 000 worth of shares in a CT Group development? Yes or no?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the relationship the Northern Territory government and the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries has with the CT Group is a very important one. The CT Group expressed an interest, in 2014 if my memory serves right, on expanding its operations of growing dragon fruit into the Northern Territory. That expansion was expected by the CT Group to be in the order of some 10 000 ha once they went to full production. They chose the Northern Territory because we are a friendly neighbour to Southeast Asia. We have …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Answer the question, yes or no.
Madam SPEAKER: No, it is not a point of order. The member has three minutes to answer the question.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: The CT Group chose the Northern Territory because we are a friendly neighbour to Southeast Asia and we are a government that is willing to work very hard on expanding opportunities for the agribusiness sector here, not only for growing our local industries but allowing private investment from overseas as well.
We have been very welcoming of that company and the project it wants to undertake. An enormous amount of work has been put in, particularly by the department of Primary Industry, after a project facilitation agreement was signed 18 or so months ago with the CT Group to bring it here and help it out. We have continued to do that.
Part of the work we are doing with the CT Group is done at the Primary Industry department level, and the rest is done at ministerial level to make sure the relationship is strong …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110. With less than 60 seconds to go, answer the question. Is it yes or no? Why will you not answer?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. Minister, you have the call.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: A part of what we have to do at ministerial level is ensure there is a direct line of communication between the company and the government. I, as the Primary Industry minister, make sure I am satisfied that we, as a government, and the department I have responsibility for, are doing everything we can to facilitate that investment. I meet with the CT Group and conduct those discussions when I am on official travel …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. He has time to answer the question.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: When I am on official travel I meet with the CT Group to establish whether there is anything further we can do. On the trip the Leader of the Opposition is referring to, I met with the CT Group to discuss the dragon fruit project.
Department of Business –
Restructure under Labor
Restructure under Labor
Mr BARRETT to MINISTER for BUSINESS
The Opposition Leader and shadow Business minister has announced that he intends to restructure the Department of Business. He said the restructure would include creating a unit that focuses on small business. What does this tell Territorians about the shadow Business minister?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question. This tells me that the Opposition Leader does not know what he is talking about, and clearly is not across his shadow portfolio of Business.
The shadow Business minister wants to create a unit that already exists. This is coming from the Leader of the Opposition, the shadow Business minister, who, when he organised portfolios, forgot about business. Was it in the front of his mind? It was not even in the back of his mind. He does not even know that business exists. It astounds me that the shadow Business minister …
Mr Giles: He never worked in business before.
Mr STYLES: That is true. The shadow Business minister did not know this.
For those members opposite, over two-thirds of the people on this side of the House have owned or operated a business. They have not worked for a business, but owned or operated businesses, so there is business experience on this side of the House. I threw that out as an opportunity for the Opposition Leader to say ‘Yes, I have people with business experience’, but they do not think about it, nor do they want the portfolio.
Because of that, the Leader of the Opposition picks up the CLP’s policy and launches it as his own. It is a clear endorsement of what we are doing; there is no clearer endorsement.
For the edification of those opposite who do not worry about business too much, Business NT initiatives support small and medium enterprises as well as not-for-profit organisations, which people on this side of the House have been fully involved in.
I talk to my colleagues about this. They talk to business people and SMEs and bring information back. We also talk to big business and we take it seriously …
Members interjecting.
Mr STYLES: They do not like hearing this, as you can hear by the level of interjections. They never like good news.
It is great that you endorse our policy.
Let us look at some of the things we have been doing over the last financial year.
Ms WALKER interjecting.
Mr STYLES: I note the continual interjections by the member for Nhulunbuy, who has all this business experience. I asked her the other day if she had ever owned or operated a business. I still do not have an answer, but I am happy to take one. I am happy to be corrected by any member on the other side who can tell me they have any idea what they are talking about.
This financial year 15 introductions to business workshops have been held in 15 major remote communities, with 123 participants. That was as at 15 December. There were 51 grant applications received for Aboriginal workforce initiative grants.
The shadow minister for Business should stop talking down business and find out what the Department of Business has done, instead of paying attention to what is happening in his portfolio. I am happy to give him a briefing any time he wants.
Deputy Chief Minister – Alleged Conflict of Interest
Mr GUNNER to DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER
When the Chief Minister verbally approved your trip on 15 August 2015 to Vietnam to meet the CT Group, did he know you were also preparing to purchase $570 000 worth of shares in a development being undertaken by the same company? Either he did, and he has condoned the use of public office for private gain, or he did not and you clearly breached your duty under section 3.1 of the Ministerial Code of Conduct, which requires ministers to immediately advise the Chief Minister of potential conflicts of interest?
Madam Speaker, I move that this House censures the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, the government will accept the censure motion. Let us get on with business.
I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016