The Leader of the Opposition has claimed that the government is considering the possibility of all the fire stations outside the main populations centres being contracted out to private enterprise. Can the minister give us an answer to these claims?

ANSWER

In short, Madam Speaker, more Labor lies and another very clear demonstration that the Labor Party is not concerned or interested in the facts. They are not interested in maintaining a good quality of service to Territorians through the public service agencies which provide those good services to Territorians. The moment the Leader of the Opposition hears a little whisper that she thinks she can score some political points out of, she is on the radio. The motor-mouth is running, the jelly-spine, just fades away. She has nothing to stand on, nothing to do, except to try to score some political points at the expense, in this case, of the Fire and Rescue Service, which provides an excellent service to Territorians across the Northern Territory.

The government’s commitment to the Fire and Rescue Service is demonstrated in the budget by a $5m, 8-year program to upgrade equipment in fire stations across the Northern Territory. That is an illustration of the fact that privatisation of those services is not being considered. But, did the honourable Leader of the Opposition ask the question when she was given this information - what is there to substantiate it? No, she did not. She immediately embarked on a false, unsubstantiated, public scare campaign, just to try to score a few political points.

That is what Gary Gray has to try to counter when he is here, trying to get them to work productively and to win government. He has an absolutely impossible task, and Territorians recognise it. That is why you lost seats at the last general election, and that is why you do not have the confidence of Territorians to be able to gain the government benches. They have never been on the Treasury benches, and the way they have been performing, they never will be, because they do not have the competence to ask the question ‘is there any truth in this...

Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker. The minister is going down his usual path, with three-quarters of his answer about the opposition. If you are lucky, he gives a quarter of the time on the subject. Perhaps you could direct him to get on with it.

Madam SPEAKER: Yes, minister, I would like you to wrap up your answer again if you please.

Mr REED: The question, Madam Speaker, was about opposition lies and had they again peddled untruths in relation to services provided by hard-working public servants. The answer to that question is yes, they have peddled lies in relation to the government’s intention to privatise the Fire and Rescue Service. Government is not of that mind. Notwithstanding that, only earlier this year, in this House, the Labor Party said, on receiving a copy of a report from a consultant done for government - and I forget the particular issue - why didn’t adopt a report in full. It was saying: ‘Do not question it, just do it’. On this occasion, they are saying: ‘Do not adopt the report because it will give us a chance to do a bit more scaremongering’. The opposition does not have the capacity to evaluate information which comes before them. All they want to do is get in the gutter, get the Territorians out there who receive these services, and those who provide them, all nervy and try to score some political points. I hope Gary Gray recognises the hard job he has ahead of him.