Ms MARTIN - 1998-04-28
All parliaments allow members of parliament and the community a break of at least 1 to 2 months to consider legislation. The Country Liberal Party administration is so arrogant and lazy that it has failed to adopt the normal process for 6 important bills in these sittings, on only 1 of which the opposition has been consulted. It wants to rush these matters through urgently, denying ordinary Territorians the right to examine and comment on the bills proposed. The administration wants to rush through legislation on power and water, unit titles, the gas pipeline, kava, gaming and motor accident insurance, all without appropriate consultation. Why is the Leader of Government Business unable to get his act together?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a very good question. There are 2 other bills involved. One relates to the Internet and the other to TIO. I will start with the TIO bill. It is a typical example. I would expect the opposition to support the implementation of that as soon as possible, to increase benefits ...
Mr Bailey: Why didn't you introduce it at the last sittings?
Mr COULTER: Do you have a problem with it?
Mr Bailey: The whole purpose is to allow for debate.
Mr COULTER: Absolutely, but do you have a problem with it?
Members interjecting.
Mr COULTER: You do not have a problem with it because I heard you tell the minister this morning that you support it and ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr COULTER: You did so. I heard you say it. Do you have a problem with it?
Mr Bailey: I have not read it yet. I received it only today, and you want to pass it today. That is what we are complaining about. He asked if I would
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read it and get back to him. We are complaining because it is becoming a regular occurrence.
Mr COULTER: This went through Cabinet on Friday. I believe it will be of benefit to Territorians and it should be implemented as soon as possible. Sometimes, that is what urgency on bills is about, to try to achieve that. In the past, we have tried to implement a bill as early as we possibly can. If it is to go through on urgency, we introduce it on the Tuesday and pass it on the Thursday. In this particular instance, we have the budget process to go through. It is essential that honourable members have the opportunity to speak on the budget. We need to go through that. I hope that we will be able to deal with most of the urgent legislation, which I understand has been the subject of some discussion between opposition spokesmen and ministers, and pass that today. Some of the feedback I have received from ministers indicates that the opposition does not have a problem with that and intends to pass ...
Mrs Hickey: That is not the point.
Mr COULTER: That is not the point?
Mr Bailey: The point is getting your act together.
Mr COULTER: Madam Speaker, I apologise to the House for not having been able to make available to members of the opposition the period of time that would normally be available. That is usually 30 days or 1 month. We have legislation before us at these sittings and it should be borne in mind that the next period of sittings available at which to discuss that legislation is not until August, because the June sittings will be devoted to the budget.
While we are talking about housekeeping matters, we intend to propose to the meeting of the Standing Orders Committee on Wednesday that, if the opposition has no questions for the government and intends to continue the practice of asking questions of its own members, then Question Time will be shut down.
Members interjecting.
Mr COULTER: That is the practice that is being implemented. Nobody abides by that tactic now in the House of Representatives. We closed Question Time on the last occasion on which that occurred and I place the opposition on notice that we will close it down again if members run out of questions for the government.
Ms Martin: Why didn't you do it today?
Mr COULTER: You know why we did not do it today. A process has been put in place to allow the budget to be brought down at 11 am.
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a very good question. There are 2 other bills involved. One relates to the Internet and the other to TIO. I will start with the TIO bill. It is a typical example. I would expect the opposition to support the implementation of that as soon as possible, to increase benefits ...
Mr Bailey: Why didn't you introduce it at the last sittings?
Mr COULTER: Do you have a problem with it?
Mr Bailey: The whole purpose is to allow for debate.
Mr COULTER: Absolutely, but do you have a problem with it?
Members interjecting.
Mr COULTER: You do not have a problem with it because I heard you tell the minister this morning that you support it and ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr COULTER: You did so. I heard you say it. Do you have a problem with it?
Mr Bailey: I have not read it yet. I received it only today, and you want to pass it today. That is what we are complaining about. He asked if I would
Page 214
read it and get back to him. We are complaining because it is becoming a regular occurrence.
Mr COULTER: This went through Cabinet on Friday. I believe it will be of benefit to Territorians and it should be implemented as soon as possible. Sometimes, that is what urgency on bills is about, to try to achieve that. In the past, we have tried to implement a bill as early as we possibly can. If it is to go through on urgency, we introduce it on the Tuesday and pass it on the Thursday. In this particular instance, we have the budget process to go through. It is essential that honourable members have the opportunity to speak on the budget. We need to go through that. I hope that we will be able to deal with most of the urgent legislation, which I understand has been the subject of some discussion between opposition spokesmen and ministers, and pass that today. Some of the feedback I have received from ministers indicates that the opposition does not have a problem with that and intends to pass ...
Mrs Hickey: That is not the point.
Mr COULTER: That is not the point?
Mr Bailey: The point is getting your act together.
Mr COULTER: Madam Speaker, I apologise to the House for not having been able to make available to members of the opposition the period of time that would normally be available. That is usually 30 days or 1 month. We have legislation before us at these sittings and it should be borne in mind that the next period of sittings available at which to discuss that legislation is not until August, because the June sittings will be devoted to the budget.
While we are talking about housekeeping matters, we intend to propose to the meeting of the Standing Orders Committee on Wednesday that, if the opposition has no questions for the government and intends to continue the practice of asking questions of its own members, then Question Time will be shut down.
Members interjecting.
Mr COULTER: That is the practice that is being implemented. Nobody abides by that tactic now in the House of Representatives. We closed Question Time on the last occasion on which that occurred and I place the opposition on notice that we will close it down again if members run out of questions for the government.
Ms Martin: Why didn't you do it today?
Mr COULTER: You know why we did not do it today. A process has been put in place to allow the budget to be brought down at 11 am.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016