Mr BAILEY - 1998-04-30
He refused me a briefing on the taxi industry. An issue I wished to raise with him at a briefing related to a very serious matter involving a taxi driver who was found guilty of asking a female customer for oral sex in lieu of a fare. I am alarmed to discover that the minister's department has given permission for this man to drive taxis again. Why is the minister too arrogant or lazy to conduct briefings at which matters of this sort can be raised, and why has his department given this man permission to drive taxis again?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, if the member for Wanguri believes that some form of sexual assault or some crime has been committed, he has a right and an obligation to report that matter to the police immediately.
Mr Bailey: He has been convicted.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr COULTER: He does not need a briefing from me to sit down and discuss such an issue. He can write to me and do anything else he chooses to raise such an important matter with me. Is he asking why this man is allowed to drive taxis? Is he still driving taxis?
Mr Bailey: I understand that you have relicensed him.
Mr COULTER: That is your understanding. I will seek further information and report back later in Question Time. I will ascertain what the facts are.
For the member for Wanguri to come in here and make allegations without knowing what he is talking ...
Mr Bailey: We come in here because you will not allow briefings to be given by your department to shadow ministers.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr COULTER: Your problem is that you have priors. As the opposition spokesman on treasury matters, you are not allowed to speak on treasury matters. I congratulate the Leader of the Opposition. You cannot be trusted to be in charge of the till.
At the moment, a very detailed, exhaustive consultative process is being followed through with the taxi companies, with the private hire car people, with the minibus operators ...
Mr Bailey: It has nothing to do with that.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr COULTER: You were trying to link the question with it. If it had nothing to do with it ...
Mr Bailey: I did not ask for a briefing on the review. I asked for a briefing in relation to shadow ministerial responsibilities.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, please resume your seat. Member for Wanguri, you are not listening to the answer the minister is trying to give you. You are on a warning. I am becoming a little fed up with your continual interjections. You know that.
Mr COULTER: Madam Speaker, I know of an occasion when the member for Wanguri left a PAC meeting and went to the steps of Parliament House. He called a reporter from the NT News to get the full story on a particular issue. When the reporter came to speak to him, he would not tell him anything. That was very smart, actually. Those are the kind of priors that this man has. That is a true story, isn't it?
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that you direct the Leader of Government Business to address his remarks through the Chair rather than directly to my colleague. It is very provocative. He is almost bound to respond.
Mr Bailey: He will not give a briefing.
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Madam SPEAKER: We hope the member for Wanguri will not respond.
Mr COULTER: Madam Speaker, that is simply an example of this man's ...
Mr Bailey: That is not true.
Mr COULTER: It is true, Madam Speaker.
Mr Bailey: It is a lie, Barry, and you know it.
Mr COULTER: It is true. It is not a lie, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr COULTER: I can name the reporter who came up to speak to him if you so wish.
Mr Bailey: He came and spoke to me. Of course I could not tell him what had occurred in a PAC meeting. You would refer me to the Privileges Committee if I did.
Mr COULTER: Madam Speaker, that is not what he told the reporter who had hurried around to hear what he had to say. He had a cooling-off period after hanging up the phone. He thought: 'What have I done now?' When the reporter arrived, he said it was a false alarm.
Mr Bailey: You are lying.
Mr COULTER: Madam Speaker, that is the way this man operates. I will provide him with information before the end of Question Time on the specific and very serious allegation that he has raised.
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, if the member for Wanguri believes that some form of sexual assault or some crime has been committed, he has a right and an obligation to report that matter to the police immediately.
Mr Bailey: He has been convicted.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr COULTER: He does not need a briefing from me to sit down and discuss such an issue. He can write to me and do anything else he chooses to raise such an important matter with me. Is he asking why this man is allowed to drive taxis? Is he still driving taxis?
Mr Bailey: I understand that you have relicensed him.
Mr COULTER: That is your understanding. I will seek further information and report back later in Question Time. I will ascertain what the facts are.
For the member for Wanguri to come in here and make allegations without knowing what he is talking ...
Mr Bailey: We come in here because you will not allow briefings to be given by your department to shadow ministers.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr COULTER: Your problem is that you have priors. As the opposition spokesman on treasury matters, you are not allowed to speak on treasury matters. I congratulate the Leader of the Opposition. You cannot be trusted to be in charge of the till.
At the moment, a very detailed, exhaustive consultative process is being followed through with the taxi companies, with the private hire car people, with the minibus operators ...
Mr Bailey: It has nothing to do with that.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr COULTER: You were trying to link the question with it. If it had nothing to do with it ...
Mr Bailey: I did not ask for a briefing on the review. I asked for a briefing in relation to shadow ministerial responsibilities.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, please resume your seat. Member for Wanguri, you are not listening to the answer the minister is trying to give you. You are on a warning. I am becoming a little fed up with your continual interjections. You know that.
Mr COULTER: Madam Speaker, I know of an occasion when the member for Wanguri left a PAC meeting and went to the steps of Parliament House. He called a reporter from the NT News to get the full story on a particular issue. When the reporter came to speak to him, he would not tell him anything. That was very smart, actually. Those are the kind of priors that this man has. That is a true story, isn't it?
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that you direct the Leader of Government Business to address his remarks through the Chair rather than directly to my colleague. It is very provocative. He is almost bound to respond.
Mr Bailey: He will not give a briefing.
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Madam SPEAKER: We hope the member for Wanguri will not respond.
Mr COULTER: Madam Speaker, that is simply an example of this man's ...
Mr Bailey: That is not true.
Mr COULTER: It is true, Madam Speaker.
Mr Bailey: It is a lie, Barry, and you know it.
Mr COULTER: It is true. It is not a lie, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr COULTER: I can name the reporter who came up to speak to him if you so wish.
Mr Bailey: He came and spoke to me. Of course I could not tell him what had occurred in a PAC meeting. You would refer me to the Privileges Committee if I did.
Mr COULTER: Madam Speaker, that is not what he told the reporter who had hurried around to hear what he had to say. He had a cooling-off period after hanging up the phone. He thought: 'What have I done now?' When the reporter arrived, he said it was a false alarm.
Mr Bailey: You are lying.
Mr COULTER: Madam Speaker, that is the way this man operates. I will provide him with information before the end of Question Time on the specific and very serious allegation that he has raised.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016