Mr STIRLING - 1999-10-20
Did his department receive a report on the poor state of the Gove District Hospital incinerator in October 1996? That report outlined problems 3 years ago with the structure of the incinerator and its burning temperatures. It also expressed concerns about the toxic levels of the smoke and ash emitted onto surrounding areas. Is it a fact that exactly the same problems have been reported to him again in 1999? I ask the minister why he has left this incinerator in a dangerous state for 3 years without doing anything to fix it.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I welcome the fact that the opposition have promoted health up the ladder. I was a bit disappointed when the new member for Wanguri was elected and the important portfolio of health was demoted to 6 in the pecking order. I am very, very pleased that both the leader and the deputy leader have seen fit to make sure that health is rightly put in its place, being a very important issue.
We know what you think about this matter. We know because we have the policy document. There’s only one ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is too much interjection.
Mr DUNHAM: ... document we can go to, and that is the source document, not the document that they took to the last election.
Mr TOYNE: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The question was quite clearly about the incinerator issue in Gove. It’s not about our policy.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The minister has some leeway.
Mr DUNHAM: Now I’ll get to the question, which is remarkably similar to the last question. The point was put up last time: ‘Do you know about the incinerator? Do you know its burning temperature and how many burners are on?’ And I said I would find out.
Now, what the member for Nhulunbuy has cunningly done is ask more detailed questions on the same issue. I am going to give him exactly the same answer: yes, I will find out. The only difference is that this time he asked: ‘Did you get a letter in 1999 about it?’ No, I didn’t.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I welcome the fact that the opposition have promoted health up the ladder. I was a bit disappointed when the new member for Wanguri was elected and the important portfolio of health was demoted to 6 in the pecking order. I am very, very pleased that both the leader and the deputy leader have seen fit to make sure that health is rightly put in its place, being a very important issue.
We know what you think about this matter. We know because we have the policy document. There’s only one ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is too much interjection.
Mr DUNHAM: ... document we can go to, and that is the source document, not the document that they took to the last election.
Mr TOYNE: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The question was quite clearly about the incinerator issue in Gove. It’s not about our policy.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The minister has some leeway.
Mr DUNHAM: Now I’ll get to the question, which is remarkably similar to the last question. The point was put up last time: ‘Do you know about the incinerator? Do you know its burning temperature and how many burners are on?’ And I said I would find out.
Now, what the member for Nhulunbuy has cunningly done is ask more detailed questions on the same issue. I am going to give him exactly the same answer: yes, I will find out. The only difference is that this time he asked: ‘Did you get a letter in 1999 about it?’ No, I didn’t.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016