Mr HATTON - 2000-02-29
Apparently Susan Bradley, one of the candidates for Port Darwin by-election, was on radio this morning complaining about the police resources in the Darwin Central Business District. The candidate was very critical of the Darwin CBD police station and how we needed a new one. I recall that the minister announced a new police station for Darwin CBD in November and I can understand that people like Susan Bradley who first made the mistake of standing for Labor and now has decided to stand as an independent, doesn’t know what the hell is going on. I wonder if the minister could please give us a progress report on this very important government capital works project.
ANSWER
The member for Nightcliff raises a few valid points there. I think the second Labor candidate for the by-election in Port Darwin, one could well believe she is indeed the second Labor candidate because she gets it as wrong as frequently as members opposite. Well, if its such a mirthful circumstance that you find yourself in, that it isn’t the second Labor candidate perhaps you might like to tell Territorians whether this particular lady is still a member of the ALP. Well is she a financial member, non financial member, just off the books for a little while? Because Territorians don’t have a short memory like you do. They remember that as recently as about this time last year, the second Labor candidate for the seat of Port Darwin was in fact a Senate nominee to fill the Senate vacancy on the retirement of Mr Bob Collins. Within a year there has been this amazing parting of the ways. What is all this. Would you care to tell us if she is a member or if she is not a member? In any event, I think her performance demonstrates that she probably is a second Labor candidate because like the members opposite she is 4, 5, 6 months behind the times.
Honourable members will recall that in November last year, I did announce that the government would be calling for expressions of interest for the construction of a new police station in the Central Business District, which will enhance further the policing of this part of Darwin, and provide an improved service to not only the people of Port Darwin but those people who come to do their business or otherwise, for other reasons, visit the CBD. In fact, on Friday last, the closure of the submissions period came to pass, and I’m pleased to announce that there were, in fact, 8 expressions of interest for the construction of a new police facility in central Darwin. It will be a comprehensive building that will include street level shop-front police presence, the Darwin city police and Darwin regional command, executive officers, CIB and Fraud Squad facilities, a watch house with cells and interview rooms, and car parking for about 90 vehicles. So it will be a complex that will serve the police well and, of course, it will provide them with a better place from which to work to provide services for Territorians.
So the second Labor candidate might just do a bit of catch-up in relation to where she’s coming from and what she thinks is an issue, because she’s certainly at least 4 months behind the times in relation to this matter. And from the ALP’s point of view, they might just tell us whether this particular person is in fact a member of the ALP. She certainly was this time last year, and if she has resigned, she’s obviously a disaffected member.
And so, the honourable member for Nightcliff, I can assure him that the program is well advanced. It continues in relation to the provision of improved policing services in the CBD, and it would be government’s wish that this new facility, the new central Darwin police facility, will be operational within about 18 months time, by the time the building’s designed, the processes that have to be pursued, and then constructed, we would hope that in about 18 months time it is serving the people of Darwin and providing a better working place from which police can provide those services.
ANSWER
The member for Nightcliff raises a few valid points there. I think the second Labor candidate for the by-election in Port Darwin, one could well believe she is indeed the second Labor candidate because she gets it as wrong as frequently as members opposite. Well, if its such a mirthful circumstance that you find yourself in, that it isn’t the second Labor candidate perhaps you might like to tell Territorians whether this particular lady is still a member of the ALP. Well is she a financial member, non financial member, just off the books for a little while? Because Territorians don’t have a short memory like you do. They remember that as recently as about this time last year, the second Labor candidate for the seat of Port Darwin was in fact a Senate nominee to fill the Senate vacancy on the retirement of Mr Bob Collins. Within a year there has been this amazing parting of the ways. What is all this. Would you care to tell us if she is a member or if she is not a member? In any event, I think her performance demonstrates that she probably is a second Labor candidate because like the members opposite she is 4, 5, 6 months behind the times.
Honourable members will recall that in November last year, I did announce that the government would be calling for expressions of interest for the construction of a new police station in the Central Business District, which will enhance further the policing of this part of Darwin, and provide an improved service to not only the people of Port Darwin but those people who come to do their business or otherwise, for other reasons, visit the CBD. In fact, on Friday last, the closure of the submissions period came to pass, and I’m pleased to announce that there were, in fact, 8 expressions of interest for the construction of a new police facility in central Darwin. It will be a comprehensive building that will include street level shop-front police presence, the Darwin city police and Darwin regional command, executive officers, CIB and Fraud Squad facilities, a watch house with cells and interview rooms, and car parking for about 90 vehicles. So it will be a complex that will serve the police well and, of course, it will provide them with a better place from which to work to provide services for Territorians.
So the second Labor candidate might just do a bit of catch-up in relation to where she’s coming from and what she thinks is an issue, because she’s certainly at least 4 months behind the times in relation to this matter. And from the ALP’s point of view, they might just tell us whether this particular person is in fact a member of the ALP. She certainly was this time last year, and if she has resigned, she’s obviously a disaffected member.
And so, the honourable member for Nightcliff, I can assure him that the program is well advanced. It continues in relation to the provision of improved policing services in the CBD, and it would be government’s wish that this new facility, the new central Darwin police facility, will be operational within about 18 months time, by the time the building’s designed, the processes that have to be pursued, and then constructed, we would hope that in about 18 months time it is serving the people of Darwin and providing a better working place from which police can provide those services.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016