Mr TOYNE - 1999-08-12
Schoolchildren at Papunya endure appalling conditions including illegal wiring, insufficient heating and airconditioning, and substandard facilities in their school building. Last week it was reported that senior officials of the minister’s department said responsibility for these appalling conditions lay with the school principal because she had failed to apply for funds to improve conditions. I have received advice from the Papunya Community Council that, in fact, dozens of written requests to lift Papunya school out its slum-like condition have been sent to the minister’s department. I seek leave to table a sample of these requests sent by the council, and ask an attendant also to deliver copies to the minister.
Leave granted.
Mr TOYNE: What responsibility does the Territory Liberal Party take for the disgrace of Papunya, and will the minister see to it that the requests for funds are acted on?
ANSWER
For starters, Mr Speaker, if the honourable member had in any way a shred of honesty in his question, he wouldn’t call us the Liberal Party. Are you an honest man, sir? Through you, Mr Speaker, I ask the member for Stuart, do you have a shred of honesty about you?
My second question is, why are you making this community yet another political football, if you have an ounce of compassion or decency? The honourable member has entirely misrepresented the situation. There are a number of issues at this particular community that are being looked at. Quite frankly, I think the community itself could have handled the situation a lot better in the past. But I note that I have received no correspondence …
Mr Toyne interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: The honourable member won’t even listen to the answer. He constantly mumbles his interjections. He is not even game to make his interjections heard loudly enough.
The fact of the matter is this that there are some issues in that community that could have been addressed earlier, had there been earlier action from that community. There are some issues that are of concern to my department. But why is this the first contact that the honourable member has made about this matter? If he was serious, if he was genuinely serious …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ADAMSON: I suspect that the honourable member is aware of many of these issues. As to why he hasn’t contacted us in the past, I think that is a disgraceful performance by the member. If he was that concerned, why is this the first time he has made a response? I am more than happy to give the honourable member a briefing and discuss some of the issues with him. At no stage, however, has the member raised this as an issue on which he would request a briefing. He has made requests in other areas. I suspect that the member has no interest in this situation whatsoever. But I can assure him that the Department of Education definitely does.
Leave granted.
Mr TOYNE: What responsibility does the Territory Liberal Party take for the disgrace of Papunya, and will the minister see to it that the requests for funds are acted on?
ANSWER
For starters, Mr Speaker, if the honourable member had in any way a shred of honesty in his question, he wouldn’t call us the Liberal Party. Are you an honest man, sir? Through you, Mr Speaker, I ask the member for Stuart, do you have a shred of honesty about you?
My second question is, why are you making this community yet another political football, if you have an ounce of compassion or decency? The honourable member has entirely misrepresented the situation. There are a number of issues at this particular community that are being looked at. Quite frankly, I think the community itself could have handled the situation a lot better in the past. But I note that I have received no correspondence …
Mr Toyne interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: The honourable member won’t even listen to the answer. He constantly mumbles his interjections. He is not even game to make his interjections heard loudly enough.
The fact of the matter is this that there are some issues in that community that could have been addressed earlier, had there been earlier action from that community. There are some issues that are of concern to my department. But why is this the first contact that the honourable member has made about this matter? If he was serious, if he was genuinely serious …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ADAMSON: I suspect that the honourable member is aware of many of these issues. As to why he hasn’t contacted us in the past, I think that is a disgraceful performance by the member. If he was that concerned, why is this the first time he has made a response? I am more than happy to give the honourable member a briefing and discuss some of the issues with him. At no stage, however, has the member raised this as an issue on which he would request a briefing. He has made requests in other areas. I suspect that the member has no interest in this situation whatsoever. But I can assure him that the Department of Education definitely does.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016