Ms MARTIN - 1999-02-24
Yesterday, and again just now, the Chief Minister made serious allegations about Labor’s electoral returns. Labor has made many serious allegations about what we say are corrupt Country Liberal Party polling tactics. To deal with these matters once and for all, will the Chief Minister establish an independent inquiry ...
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: Sanctimonious words! Come on …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! A question has been asked and I would appreciate, and I’m sure listeners out there would appreciate, reasonable silence in order to hear an answer.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I’ve answered fully any questions in that regard in this House, but I’ll tell members opposite what I’ll do. If you want to roll out some more information and give it to me, I will read it. I will have a read when I get a chance because for the last 24 hours I have been reading federal ALP returns and Territory returns trying to figure out where the dollars went in this last little exercise.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: Listen to these pious promoters of freedom of information. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. On Friday night I am going to the Palmerston Golf Club, because that’s where Territorians gather in my constituency. It has become a real social centre in Palmerston, and when I am there on Friday night I will be talking to Territorians and I will be asking them things like: ‘Do you have a job?’, ‘Are you happy in Palmerston?’, ‘What more can I do for you now that I’m Chief Minister?’
If they start telling me they don’t have a job, then I will start getting concerned and I will really worry about what sort of strategiesand what additional effort this particular government needs to put in.
The other thing that I will be trying to explain to my constituents and to Territorians generally is this - Darwin will die as a public service town ...
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The question was quite simply: ‘Will the minister establish an independent inquiry?’ Can’t he just say ‘no’ and sit down, rather than talk about his social life on the weekend.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Chief Minister has some leeway in answering the question as he believes he should, and I don’t believe that you could claim a point of order in that regard.
Mr BURKE: The things I will be trying to explain to my constituents and to Territorians generally, in the time ahead, is that Darwin will die as a public service town. We live in a global economy, we have to compete in a global economy, and one of the ways ...
Ms Martin: The way you are going it will. Cutbacks in the public service.
Mr BURKE: Well, you think about this. The Leader of the Opposition is supposed to be leading a party that purports to be an alternative government in the Northern Territory. When you stand up and run your ideological rot, try and think ahead and be responsible to Territorians.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members opposite, if you have a problem, there are a number of ways you can raise this issue in a substantive motion if you wish, and you can talk to your heart’s content. But please, keep reasonably quiet during Question Time.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I will be trying to explain to my constituents and Territorians generally that Darwin ...
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! Under Standing Order 113, the answer has to be relevant to the question. That is quite clearly irrelevant to the question before us.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr BAILEY: The question quite simply Mr Speaker, asked whether or not he would have an inquiry.
Mr SPEAKER: As I have said many times before, I have always given ministers some leeway in answering and I would expect ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am convinced the answer would have been completed by now had there not been so much interruption.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I am amazed that they would object to the sorts of comments I am making, because I am sure it is of interest to Territorians and the betterment of their lives and their families’ lives for the future. For the fourth time, I say that I will be trying to explain to my constituents and Territorians over time, that Darwin, for example, will die as a public service town. It will die, as surely as Canberra almost died, if it depends on the largesse of government. Those days are long gone. What we have to do is grow ...
Mr Stirling: The CLP depends on the largesse of taxpayers’ money. That is what the question is about.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: He has missed the point. You’ve missed the point. The question is about corruption. It is about stealing taxpayers’ dollars.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! If the member for Wanguri wishes to make those sorts of claims he can do so by way of a substantive motion. I ask him to refrain from being provocative.
Mr BURKE: I will be explaining to Territorians that if we continue as a predominantly public service town and hope to be a city of the future and a gateway to Asia, we must grow the private sector. We must grow the private sector in a way that value adds to the Territory economy. That value adds in a number of ways. That value adds in the way that qualities and services are delivered to Territorians. That value adds in the way the Northern Territory and Darwin present to other Australians ...
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I am really struggling to come to terms with the Chief Minister’s response, and the relevance of that response to the question which asked if he would have an inquiry into the corrupt polling practices of the CLP and any allegations he wants to make against us. He cannot come into the Chamber, day after day, and raise these allegations against the Labor party without supporting some form of inquiry so we can have a look at the whole lot. That is the question, and what the Palmerston Golf Club or what his grand vision for the Northern Territory has to do with whether or not he will support an inquiry is frankly beyond me.
Mr SPEAKER: While I rule that there is no point of order, I would ask the Chief Minister to finalise the answer as quickly as possible.
Mr Bailey: Can we cross out Standing Order 113?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: I am sure it is beyond the capacity of the member for Nhulunbuy to grasp, but it might be of interest to Territorians, and it is particularly relevant to the petition that 566 Territorians have tabled in this parliament today. What I will be explaining to Territorians is that we must value add to the Northern Territory. We must value add to Darwin. We must improve the range of private sector capability, and in doing so we will encourage other Australian companies to see the Northern Territory and Darwin as a place in which they can do business and a place from which they can launch into Asia. In doing so, we will create more jobs and will improve the lot of Territorians.
In answering and making these sorts of statements, I hope it shows something more substantial than the trivia that we have had from that side of the House over the last few days.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: Sanctimonious words! Come on …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! A question has been asked and I would appreciate, and I’m sure listeners out there would appreciate, reasonable silence in order to hear an answer.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I’ve answered fully any questions in that regard in this House, but I’ll tell members opposite what I’ll do. If you want to roll out some more information and give it to me, I will read it. I will have a read when I get a chance because for the last 24 hours I have been reading federal ALP returns and Territory returns trying to figure out where the dollars went in this last little exercise.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: Listen to these pious promoters of freedom of information. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. On Friday night I am going to the Palmerston Golf Club, because that’s where Territorians gather in my constituency. It has become a real social centre in Palmerston, and when I am there on Friday night I will be talking to Territorians and I will be asking them things like: ‘Do you have a job?’, ‘Are you happy in Palmerston?’, ‘What more can I do for you now that I’m Chief Minister?’
If they start telling me they don’t have a job, then I will start getting concerned and I will really worry about what sort of strategiesand what additional effort this particular government needs to put in.
The other thing that I will be trying to explain to my constituents and to Territorians generally is this - Darwin will die as a public service town ...
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The question was quite simply: ‘Will the minister establish an independent inquiry?’ Can’t he just say ‘no’ and sit down, rather than talk about his social life on the weekend.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Chief Minister has some leeway in answering the question as he believes he should, and I don’t believe that you could claim a point of order in that regard.
Mr BURKE: The things I will be trying to explain to my constituents and to Territorians generally, in the time ahead, is that Darwin will die as a public service town. We live in a global economy, we have to compete in a global economy, and one of the ways ...
Ms Martin: The way you are going it will. Cutbacks in the public service.
Mr BURKE: Well, you think about this. The Leader of the Opposition is supposed to be leading a party that purports to be an alternative government in the Northern Territory. When you stand up and run your ideological rot, try and think ahead and be responsible to Territorians.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members opposite, if you have a problem, there are a number of ways you can raise this issue in a substantive motion if you wish, and you can talk to your heart’s content. But please, keep reasonably quiet during Question Time.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I will be trying to explain to my constituents and Territorians generally that Darwin ...
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! Under Standing Order 113, the answer has to be relevant to the question. That is quite clearly irrelevant to the question before us.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr BAILEY: The question quite simply Mr Speaker, asked whether or not he would have an inquiry.
Mr SPEAKER: As I have said many times before, I have always given ministers some leeway in answering and I would expect ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am convinced the answer would have been completed by now had there not been so much interruption.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I am amazed that they would object to the sorts of comments I am making, because I am sure it is of interest to Territorians and the betterment of their lives and their families’ lives for the future. For the fourth time, I say that I will be trying to explain to my constituents and Territorians over time, that Darwin, for example, will die as a public service town. It will die, as surely as Canberra almost died, if it depends on the largesse of government. Those days are long gone. What we have to do is grow ...
Mr Stirling: The CLP depends on the largesse of taxpayers’ money. That is what the question is about.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: He has missed the point. You’ve missed the point. The question is about corruption. It is about stealing taxpayers’ dollars.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! If the member for Wanguri wishes to make those sorts of claims he can do so by way of a substantive motion. I ask him to refrain from being provocative.
Mr BURKE: I will be explaining to Territorians that if we continue as a predominantly public service town and hope to be a city of the future and a gateway to Asia, we must grow the private sector. We must grow the private sector in a way that value adds to the Territory economy. That value adds in a number of ways. That value adds in the way that qualities and services are delivered to Territorians. That value adds in the way the Northern Territory and Darwin present to other Australians ...
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I am really struggling to come to terms with the Chief Minister’s response, and the relevance of that response to the question which asked if he would have an inquiry into the corrupt polling practices of the CLP and any allegations he wants to make against us. He cannot come into the Chamber, day after day, and raise these allegations against the Labor party without supporting some form of inquiry so we can have a look at the whole lot. That is the question, and what the Palmerston Golf Club or what his grand vision for the Northern Territory has to do with whether or not he will support an inquiry is frankly beyond me.
Mr SPEAKER: While I rule that there is no point of order, I would ask the Chief Minister to finalise the answer as quickly as possible.
Mr Bailey: Can we cross out Standing Order 113?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: I am sure it is beyond the capacity of the member for Nhulunbuy to grasp, but it might be of interest to Territorians, and it is particularly relevant to the petition that 566 Territorians have tabled in this parliament today. What I will be explaining to Territorians is that we must value add to the Northern Territory. We must value add to Darwin. We must improve the range of private sector capability, and in doing so we will encourage other Australian companies to see the Northern Territory and Darwin as a place in which they can do business and a place from which they can launch into Asia. In doing so, we will create more jobs and will improve the lot of Territorians.
In answering and making these sorts of statements, I hope it shows something more substantial than the trivia that we have had from that side of the House over the last few days.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016