Mr BALCH - 1999-10-21
The Leader of the Opposition said on ABC TV last night that she had the answers to native title. ‘I’ll do it. I’ll fix it’, she said. Thank goodness, we’re saved! Given that the opposition leader can’t even get the member for Arnhem to locate his electorate office closer than 300 km from his constituents, does the Deputy Chief Minister have any confidence in the her ability to fix anything?
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The member for Jingili has asked the Deputy Chief Minister for an opinion, not for a matter of fact. I believe that that question should be ruled out of order.
Mr SPEAKER: In fact, you mustn’t ask for opinion, that’s true. Perhaps you could rephrase your question to avoid that.
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Deputy Chief Minister has no jurisdiction over where the member for Arnhem’s electorate office is. It is totally outside anybody’s jurisdiction.
Mr Ah Kit: Approval was given by Mr Speaker.
Mr SPEAKER: There is some truth in that.
Mr PALMER (Leader of Government Business): Mr Speaker, I agree with the point of order raised by the Leader of the Opposition that the member for Arnhem’s electorate office and its location at Casuarina has absolutely nothing to do with the business of this House and this question before the House. The member for Jingili should not have included it in his preface to the question. But the fact is that he did, unfortunately. He shouldn’t have raised the issue of the member for Arnhem having his office at Casuarina, but he did and I apologise.
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! It’s a direct question. If it’s going to be a question, it should be directed to you.
Mr SPEAKER: I would appreciate hearing the question that you have for the Deputy Chief Minister, excluding matters of opinion and those matters relating to the member’s accommodation.
Mr BALCH: Mr Speaker, how does the Deputy Chief Minister believe we will deal with issues of native title?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker,in the context of the impact that native title is having on the economy, the matter should not be treated so frivolously by the Leader of the Opposition. It should attract a more serious response than the contribution she made to the debate yesterday. There were 10 very important issues that she should have raised, the outstanding issues that can be resolved in the Senate, that will allow mining exploration.
As the Minister for Resource Development indicated yesterday $500m-worth of investment has been lost to the Northern Territory. That is absolutely outrageous! You’re the lot that keeps dreaming about wanting more jobs and a stronger economy.
The Leader of the Opposition had the opportunity yesterday to demonstrate to Territorians through this parliament, in her contribution to a very important debate, what her view was in relation to the 10 issues. And she didn’t go anywhere near them. Reverting back to her old journalistic ways, she walks outside and says: ‘I’ll fix it’. And she can’t even get the member for Arnhem to live closer than 300 km from his electorate. She can’t instil any integrity in the member for Nhulunbuy. She doesn’t even pay attention.
Here’s a classic example, as I speak. I must explain to Territorians who are listening to this broadcast, who would want to see the native title issues resolved, who would want to see land released for development, that the Leader of the Opposition is sitting here having a chat about the brochure for her next holiday when she goes to the Great Barrier Reef. She has only got 3 working days until Christmas. Next month there are 3 sitting days. Now she will go back on holidays tomorrow. She will go to sleep and she will wake up ...
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I draw your attention to standing order 67. The minister is digressing from the subject.
Mr SPEAKER: There is some truth to that. I would appreciate the Deputy Chief Minister getting on to the point of native title and its impediments to the Territory.
Mr REED: Before the interjection, that is precisely where I was heading. I just ask if she could put in 4 working days before Christmas.
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I do think that it is important in this House that we do not have the Deputy Chief Minister being obsessed about my one week off all year. I think it is important that he does not show this obsession, particularly when we have schoolchildren in the gallery today.
Mr SPEAKER: Would the Deputy Chief Minister please get on with it.
Mr REED: I thank the honourable Leader of the Opposition for reaffirming my point.
In relation to her boast that she will ‘fix it’, this is how she can fix it. Ring Bolkus. Ring the Labor Party in Canberra and tell them that you collectively supported the legislation here in this House only to be gazumped by the land councils and the federal Labor Party. Now have the gumption to stand up for yourselves as a group of Territory politicians in the Labor Party, forming the alternative government as you suggest to Territorians, and tell the federal Labor Party that you supported that legislation in this House and as a matter of principle you’d like them to support you.
Because you are so uninfluential as a Leader of the Opposition, you don’t have the capacity to influence your federal colleagues. That’s why we’re experiencing the inability to turn off land, the inability to allow mining exploration companies to create jobs in the Northern Territory. You are no more interested in this ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: You are demonstrating your lack of interest in this matter, firstly by just sitting around having a little cosy chat to your colleagues and, secondly, by your inane interjections. I think that demonstrates to people listening to this broadcast that you’re not interested in job creation or economic development.
All you’ve got to do to fix it, if you want to fix it, is make a phone call to the federal Labor Party, Bolkus in particular, and tell them in the Senate to support the legislation that you supported in this House.
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The member for Jingili has asked the Deputy Chief Minister for an opinion, not for a matter of fact. I believe that that question should be ruled out of order.
Mr SPEAKER: In fact, you mustn’t ask for opinion, that’s true. Perhaps you could rephrase your question to avoid that.
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Deputy Chief Minister has no jurisdiction over where the member for Arnhem’s electorate office is. It is totally outside anybody’s jurisdiction.
Mr Ah Kit: Approval was given by Mr Speaker.
Mr SPEAKER: There is some truth in that.
Mr PALMER (Leader of Government Business): Mr Speaker, I agree with the point of order raised by the Leader of the Opposition that the member for Arnhem’s electorate office and its location at Casuarina has absolutely nothing to do with the business of this House and this question before the House. The member for Jingili should not have included it in his preface to the question. But the fact is that he did, unfortunately. He shouldn’t have raised the issue of the member for Arnhem having his office at Casuarina, but he did and I apologise.
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! It’s a direct question. If it’s going to be a question, it should be directed to you.
Mr SPEAKER: I would appreciate hearing the question that you have for the Deputy Chief Minister, excluding matters of opinion and those matters relating to the member’s accommodation.
Mr BALCH: Mr Speaker, how does the Deputy Chief Minister believe we will deal with issues of native title?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker,in the context of the impact that native title is having on the economy, the matter should not be treated so frivolously by the Leader of the Opposition. It should attract a more serious response than the contribution she made to the debate yesterday. There were 10 very important issues that she should have raised, the outstanding issues that can be resolved in the Senate, that will allow mining exploration.
As the Minister for Resource Development indicated yesterday $500m-worth of investment has been lost to the Northern Territory. That is absolutely outrageous! You’re the lot that keeps dreaming about wanting more jobs and a stronger economy.
The Leader of the Opposition had the opportunity yesterday to demonstrate to Territorians through this parliament, in her contribution to a very important debate, what her view was in relation to the 10 issues. And she didn’t go anywhere near them. Reverting back to her old journalistic ways, she walks outside and says: ‘I’ll fix it’. And she can’t even get the member for Arnhem to live closer than 300 km from his electorate. She can’t instil any integrity in the member for Nhulunbuy. She doesn’t even pay attention.
Here’s a classic example, as I speak. I must explain to Territorians who are listening to this broadcast, who would want to see the native title issues resolved, who would want to see land released for development, that the Leader of the Opposition is sitting here having a chat about the brochure for her next holiday when she goes to the Great Barrier Reef. She has only got 3 working days until Christmas. Next month there are 3 sitting days. Now she will go back on holidays tomorrow. She will go to sleep and she will wake up ...
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I draw your attention to standing order 67. The minister is digressing from the subject.
Mr SPEAKER: There is some truth to that. I would appreciate the Deputy Chief Minister getting on to the point of native title and its impediments to the Territory.
Mr REED: Before the interjection, that is precisely where I was heading. I just ask if she could put in 4 working days before Christmas.
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I do think that it is important in this House that we do not have the Deputy Chief Minister being obsessed about my one week off all year. I think it is important that he does not show this obsession, particularly when we have schoolchildren in the gallery today.
Mr SPEAKER: Would the Deputy Chief Minister please get on with it.
Mr REED: I thank the honourable Leader of the Opposition for reaffirming my point.
In relation to her boast that she will ‘fix it’, this is how she can fix it. Ring Bolkus. Ring the Labor Party in Canberra and tell them that you collectively supported the legislation here in this House only to be gazumped by the land councils and the federal Labor Party. Now have the gumption to stand up for yourselves as a group of Territory politicians in the Labor Party, forming the alternative government as you suggest to Territorians, and tell the federal Labor Party that you supported that legislation in this House and as a matter of principle you’d like them to support you.
Because you are so uninfluential as a Leader of the Opposition, you don’t have the capacity to influence your federal colleagues. That’s why we’re experiencing the inability to turn off land, the inability to allow mining exploration companies to create jobs in the Northern Territory. You are no more interested in this ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: You are demonstrating your lack of interest in this matter, firstly by just sitting around having a little cosy chat to your colleagues and, secondly, by your inane interjections. I think that demonstrates to people listening to this broadcast that you’re not interested in job creation or economic development.
All you’ve got to do to fix it, if you want to fix it, is make a phone call to the federal Labor Party, Bolkus in particular, and tell them in the Senate to support the legislation that you supported in this House.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016