Mr DUNHAM - 1998-02-18
Earlier this year, the minister advised that he would be making a submission to the Remuneration Tribunal that members be obliged to maintain their electorate offices either within the boundaries of their electorate or in the nearest urban centre. He noted in particular that the member for Arnhem had moved more than 300 km from his electorate to establish his electorate office at Casuarina. Can the Chief Minister outline to members the basis of the submission that he will be making to the Remuneration Tribunal?
Mr Ah Kit: What? Do you want me at Bickerton?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question and pick up the interjection from the member for Arnhem. I do not want him at Bickerton. He had a very good electorate office in Katherine. I would like him to keep faith with what he said to his own constituency. In fact, he said in his maiden speech: ‘At least 75% of the people in my electorate go to Katherine for one reason or another’. He then went on to name a number of the Aboriginal communities. He said: ‘It is the government regional centre for administering the schools, health and local government for communities in outlying areas. Feeder roads come into Katherine from Roper and Bulman. People come into Katherine for many reasons’. That was in his maiden speech.
I am trying to be reasonable in this. I accept that some people cannot live within the bounds of their electorate, but they can certainly operate from the nearest urban centre. I do not consider Casuarina the nearest urban centre to the electorate of Arnhem. The ever-absent member for Arnhem appeared in the Katherine Times on 10 December last year saying that the move to Darwin would gain better representation for his constituents, despite the fact that 60% ...
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr STONE: ... of the population of his electorate is located in the southern region, closer to Katherine than to Darwin. I know by his constant interjecting that he feels uncomfortable about this. He should be, because he is a fraud on the people whom he is attempting to represent. He campaigned on the basis that he would have his electorate office in Katherine, and he moved it as fast as he could. He was needed about 2 weeks ago, but he was nowhere to be seen. He was sitting in comfort in Casuarina.
I assure members that I will be making representations to the Remuneration Tribunal that members, including the member for Arnhem, have a responsibility, a duty and an obligation to be near the people who elected them.
Mr Ah Kit: What? Do you want me at Bickerton?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question and pick up the interjection from the member for Arnhem. I do not want him at Bickerton. He had a very good electorate office in Katherine. I would like him to keep faith with what he said to his own constituency. In fact, he said in his maiden speech: ‘At least 75% of the people in my electorate go to Katherine for one reason or another’. He then went on to name a number of the Aboriginal communities. He said: ‘It is the government regional centre for administering the schools, health and local government for communities in outlying areas. Feeder roads come into Katherine from Roper and Bulman. People come into Katherine for many reasons’. That was in his maiden speech.
I am trying to be reasonable in this. I accept that some people cannot live within the bounds of their electorate, but they can certainly operate from the nearest urban centre. I do not consider Casuarina the nearest urban centre to the electorate of Arnhem. The ever-absent member for Arnhem appeared in the Katherine Times on 10 December last year saying that the move to Darwin would gain better representation for his constituents, despite the fact that 60% ...
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr STONE: ... of the population of his electorate is located in the southern region, closer to Katherine than to Darwin. I know by his constant interjecting that he feels uncomfortable about this. He should be, because he is a fraud on the people whom he is attempting to represent. He campaigned on the basis that he would have his electorate office in Katherine, and he moved it as fast as he could. He was needed about 2 weeks ago, but he was nowhere to be seen. He was sitting in comfort in Casuarina.
I assure members that I will be making representations to the Remuneration Tribunal that members, including the member for Arnhem, have a responsibility, a duty and an obligation to be near the people who elected them.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016