Ms MARTIN - 1999-10-21
The member for Casuarina has been Minister for Education for almost 2 years. Has the Minister for Education shown the Chief Minister this internal report on Aboriginal education? Was the Chief Minister aware that the Education Department has misused and misspent Commonwealth money allocated for Aboriginal education? And in light of the fact that the Minister for Education has breached a contract he has signed with the federal government, will the Chief Minister sack his incompetent minister?
Mr ADAMSON: A point of order, Mr Speaker! Again, ‘breach of contract’. The Leader of the Opposition is alleging that we have breached a contract. We deny that. That is a serious allegation, because again it alleges we have broken the law.
Mr SPEAKER: While you could ask the question, has there been such a thing, I don’t think you can outright claim there has been. So I ask that you rephrase your question.
Ms MARTIN: Very clearly, I ask the Chief Minister whether the Minister for Education has in his view breached a contract with the Commonwealth government, and will he, in light of the minister’s incompetent performance for 2 years, today sack him?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, with regard to the performance of the Minister for Education, I can tell you that he remains Minister for Education. As has been reported on a number of occasions, that is a clear demonstration of my confidence in him.
With regard to this particular report, I haven’t had the chance to peruse it. As I said earlier in this Question Time, too often the opposition throws out allegations in various forms and expects the government to respond immediately. More often than not, as I demonstrated with regard to the member for Nhulunbuy’s allegations, these things are proved to be at the very least not what they seem in the initial allegation.
I undertake to have a look at this report. I expect, though, that the sorts of allegations that the opposition have been making with regards to education and indigenous education per se - I certainly have a great deal of confidence in the rigour and effort that Bob Collins put into his report – if these things have any substance they will be incorporated in that report.
I certainly undertake that this government will move in a constructive way to respond to the comments and criticisms contained in the Collins report. I’m very concerned that the outcomes in indigenous education are simply not adequate. And it is simply too cute again ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Chief Minister is still on his feet. Please wait until the Chief Minister has completed his answer.
Mr BURKE: Show a little respect for the conventions of this House, at the very least.
With regard to indigenous education and the Collins report I undertake personally to ensure that that report is dealt with positively and constructively. As I said in this Chamber the other day, I am quite saddened at the poor outcomes that we have in indigenous education in the Northern Territory.
Any responsible approach to that would recognise that there are a myriad issues and problems involved, not the least the attitude of the families themselves. I understand that we also have problems with the concentration on process rather than outcomes in the Education Department, which we are already moving to fix. To my mind, it is an extremely serious subject. I invite the member Stuart, if he feels so aggrieved, to censure the minister.
Mr ADAMSON: A point of order, Mr Speaker! Again, ‘breach of contract’. The Leader of the Opposition is alleging that we have breached a contract. We deny that. That is a serious allegation, because again it alleges we have broken the law.
Mr SPEAKER: While you could ask the question, has there been such a thing, I don’t think you can outright claim there has been. So I ask that you rephrase your question.
Ms MARTIN: Very clearly, I ask the Chief Minister whether the Minister for Education has in his view breached a contract with the Commonwealth government, and will he, in light of the minister’s incompetent performance for 2 years, today sack him?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, with regard to the performance of the Minister for Education, I can tell you that he remains Minister for Education. As has been reported on a number of occasions, that is a clear demonstration of my confidence in him.
With regard to this particular report, I haven’t had the chance to peruse it. As I said earlier in this Question Time, too often the opposition throws out allegations in various forms and expects the government to respond immediately. More often than not, as I demonstrated with regard to the member for Nhulunbuy’s allegations, these things are proved to be at the very least not what they seem in the initial allegation.
I undertake to have a look at this report. I expect, though, that the sorts of allegations that the opposition have been making with regards to education and indigenous education per se - I certainly have a great deal of confidence in the rigour and effort that Bob Collins put into his report – if these things have any substance they will be incorporated in that report.
I certainly undertake that this government will move in a constructive way to respond to the comments and criticisms contained in the Collins report. I’m very concerned that the outcomes in indigenous education are simply not adequate. And it is simply too cute again ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Chief Minister is still on his feet. Please wait until the Chief Minister has completed his answer.
Mr BURKE: Show a little respect for the conventions of this House, at the very least.
With regard to indigenous education and the Collins report I undertake personally to ensure that that report is dealt with positively and constructively. As I said in this Chamber the other day, I am quite saddened at the poor outcomes that we have in indigenous education in the Northern Territory.
Any responsible approach to that would recognise that there are a myriad issues and problems involved, not the least the attitude of the families themselves. I understand that we also have problems with the concentration on process rather than outcomes in the Education Department, which we are already moving to fix. To my mind, it is an extremely serious subject. I invite the member Stuart, if he feels so aggrieved, to censure the minister.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016