Mr STIRLING - 2000-05-10
The Power and Water Authority and its subsidiary, GASCO, have been involved in litigation concerning a licence for Paul Everingham’s NT Power for almost a year. So far, that defence has cost Territorians around $12m. I ask the Treasurer whether this demonstrates the incompetence of the CLP that a relatively simple process can be so badly handled as to cost Territorians $12m so far in unnecessary and avoidable costs?
Mr Burke: You can’t even run chook raffles you lot, you will never convince Territorians that you are economic managers.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer has the floor.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I would like to know where the honourable member gets the figure for $12m.
Mr Stirling: Well, you tell us what it is.
Mr REED: So, it is not $12m? It was a guess. I thank the honourable member for disclosing the fact that that was a bit of a fib. Any figure will do says the honourable member. ‘I will use $12m; you like $12m?’, he asked the Caucus this morning. ‘Sounds good to me’, he says. ‘Okay, go in there and tell them it cost $12m’. Don’t worry about telling Territorians the truth. $12m is the Caucus figure so that’s got to be right. We have substantiated the fact that you are gilding the lily a little bit there, and in doing so, you, by your admission, have proved to Territorians that you can’t be truthful or factual with them. Thank you for the admission.
To get to the point, what would the Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition say if legal action was taken against the Northern Territory government, and in this case it was taken against the Power and Water Authority, and we said, ‘We will fold our arms and hope it goes away’. When legal action is taken against a body, whether it be an individual or a corporate institution such as the Power and Water Authority, one has little alternative but to respond.
So, action having been taken against the Power and Water Authority, it was incumbent upon them, in fact they had a legal responsibility to take part in that action. They could not do anything else. In taking part in an action, an assessment was made as to whether or not there were matters to argue on behalf of the Power and Water Authority. That decision having been made, okay, we think we have a case here and we can substantiate our position, the legal matters were taken into account and the process proceeded into the courts - no alternative to do it. Whether or not the action costs a lot, whilst this will be a substantial amount of money and it will have to be paid for, the fact is the legal action had to be undertaken. It is a matter that is before the courts. It is a substantial amount of money, it is in excess of $8m, I can tell you, and it is certainly not $12m, you have upped that by a substantial factor and we know you are a bit of a fibber.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr REED: I pick up the interjection from the honourable member for Arnhem? He croaked: ‘What is the actual figure?’ The legal action has not yet been finalised and until the legal action is finalised you won’t know a final figure, you goose! Again, not only have we exposed the fact that it was a figure they just plucked out of the air - $12m – but they now expect me, as Treasurer, to say what the amount was before the action was finalised and before we know what the bill is. For heaven’s sake, can’t you understand why they are on the opposition benches and that Territorians would not trust them with running government.
Mr Burke: You can’t even run chook raffles you lot, you will never convince Territorians that you are economic managers.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer has the floor.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I would like to know where the honourable member gets the figure for $12m.
Mr Stirling: Well, you tell us what it is.
Mr REED: So, it is not $12m? It was a guess. I thank the honourable member for disclosing the fact that that was a bit of a fib. Any figure will do says the honourable member. ‘I will use $12m; you like $12m?’, he asked the Caucus this morning. ‘Sounds good to me’, he says. ‘Okay, go in there and tell them it cost $12m’. Don’t worry about telling Territorians the truth. $12m is the Caucus figure so that’s got to be right. We have substantiated the fact that you are gilding the lily a little bit there, and in doing so, you, by your admission, have proved to Territorians that you can’t be truthful or factual with them. Thank you for the admission.
To get to the point, what would the Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition say if legal action was taken against the Northern Territory government, and in this case it was taken against the Power and Water Authority, and we said, ‘We will fold our arms and hope it goes away’. When legal action is taken against a body, whether it be an individual or a corporate institution such as the Power and Water Authority, one has little alternative but to respond.
So, action having been taken against the Power and Water Authority, it was incumbent upon them, in fact they had a legal responsibility to take part in that action. They could not do anything else. In taking part in an action, an assessment was made as to whether or not there were matters to argue on behalf of the Power and Water Authority. That decision having been made, okay, we think we have a case here and we can substantiate our position, the legal matters were taken into account and the process proceeded into the courts - no alternative to do it. Whether or not the action costs a lot, whilst this will be a substantial amount of money and it will have to be paid for, the fact is the legal action had to be undertaken. It is a matter that is before the courts. It is a substantial amount of money, it is in excess of $8m, I can tell you, and it is certainly not $12m, you have upped that by a substantial factor and we know you are a bit of a fibber.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr REED: I pick up the interjection from the honourable member for Arnhem? He croaked: ‘What is the actual figure?’ The legal action has not yet been finalised and until the legal action is finalised you won’t know a final figure, you goose! Again, not only have we exposed the fact that it was a figure they just plucked out of the air - $12m – but they now expect me, as Treasurer, to say what the amount was before the action was finalised and before we know what the bill is. For heaven’s sake, can’t you understand why they are on the opposition benches and that Territorians would not trust them with running government.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016