Mr TOYNE - 1999-06-08
The Federal Liberal Government has identified the key challenges facing the Country Liberal Party in the training area by showing that Territory employers face chronic skill shortages in the areas of computer professionals, engineers, nurses, health professionals, teachers, machinists, tool makers, boiler makers, welders, mechanics, auto electricians, air-conditioning mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, plasterers, bakers, cooks - the list goes on and on. In the face of all these challenges, why is it that the 2 major initiatives of the Country Liberal Party in training in recent times are to cut the dollars allocated to NTETA and to the public sector training providers, and to change the name of NTETA to TAFE?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I will pick up on the last issue. We have not changed the name of NTETA to TAFE. The member is again, I suspect, partaking of some illegal substances, with the lunacy of that particular question. We are not changing the name of NTETA to TAFE. You’re mad. You are simply mad.
Members interjecting.
Mr BAILEY: Point of order, Mr Speaker.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will withdraw.
Mr ADAMSON: Mr Speaker, these are the facts. We are not changing the name of NTETA to TAFE. If the member isn’t mad, I am not sure what the explanation for that is – misinformed.
In terms of cutting the budget, the honourable member has claimed we have cut NTETA’s budget by half. We have not. He has a press release saying we have cut NTETA’s budget by half. The training dollar in the Northern Territory for this current coming financial year has been increased. I am happy to table again the press release from this person over there that claimed our budget for NTETA was halved. That, I can assure Territorians, is a total misplaced fallacy. It is a bald-faced misrepresentation of facts in the grossest of terms. We are not halving the budget. We have increased the budget and we are not changing the name of NTETA to TAFE. He’s mad.
Mr TOYNE: Mr Speaker, point of order. I ask that comment be withdrawn.
Mr SPEAKER: The minister should withdraw that final remark.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I will pick up on the last issue. We have not changed the name of NTETA to TAFE. The member is again, I suspect, partaking of some illegal substances, with the lunacy of that particular question. We are not changing the name of NTETA to TAFE. You’re mad. You are simply mad.
Members interjecting.
Mr BAILEY: Point of order, Mr Speaker.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will withdraw.
Mr ADAMSON: Mr Speaker, these are the facts. We are not changing the name of NTETA to TAFE. If the member isn’t mad, I am not sure what the explanation for that is – misinformed.
In terms of cutting the budget, the honourable member has claimed we have cut NTETA’s budget by half. We have not. He has a press release saying we have cut NTETA’s budget by half. The training dollar in the Northern Territory for this current coming financial year has been increased. I am happy to table again the press release from this person over there that claimed our budget for NTETA was halved. That, I can assure Territorians, is a total misplaced fallacy. It is a bald-faced misrepresentation of facts in the grossest of terms. We are not halving the budget. We have increased the budget and we are not changing the name of NTETA to TAFE. He’s mad.
Mr TOYNE: Mr Speaker, point of order. I ask that comment be withdrawn.
Mr SPEAKER: The minister should withdraw that final remark.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016