Mr BALCH - 1998-02-18
This morning, the member for Barkly claimed on ABC radio that the Northern Territory government is keeping files on Territorians, and that public servants could not access their personnel files. Can the Chief Minister please tell Territorians what the real situation is?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I listened with some interest to the Leader of the Opposition’s claims on Fred McCue’s Morning Program. The most telling response that she gave was when she admitted that she had not made any approach to me to talk about these issues, nor had she sought a briefing. Had she bothered to do so, she would have discovered, firstly, that the Northern Territory government does not keep personal files on any Territorians.
Mrs Hickey: Personnel files. I am sure you keep personnel files.
Mr STONE: Secondly, she would have discovered that, in terms of those ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: You can interject all you like ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition.
Mr STONE: This is her big problem. We saw it in the report that was leaked on what the ALP would do over the next term. Remember the observation in their own report? ‘We are seen as being weakly led and not trusted to govern’. That was their own observation about themselves. The reason that they are not trusted to govern is because they go on radio programs and tell porkies.
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is quite clear that the Chief Minister’s use of the term ‘porkies’ implies that someone has lied, and he knows that he cannot imply lying without doing so by means of a substantive motion.
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, in deference to the sensibilities of the Leader of the Opposition, I withdraw the remark.
Quite clearly, one cannot go on a radio program and tell people things that are not true ...
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Chief Minister is implying that the Leader of the Opposition has told lies on radio.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr STONE: The point I am trying to make is that this assertion that Northern Territory public servants cannot access their files is completely false. Had she bothered to make the inquiry, she would have discovered that there is a process of grievance whereby any worker, from the tea lady right up to the head of a department, is able to go to the relevant supervisor ...
Mrs Hickey: Why should they need a grievance form in order to do something?
Mr STONE: That is a fascinating interjection. She realises she has been caught out and, as a defence mechanism, she asks why they should have a grievance process. I am sure that every Northern Territory public servant listening would tell her they want a process of grievance, a process whereby they can access their personnel files and obtain satisfaction at the end of the day. That is exactly what happens. All the way through to David Hawkes, there is a mechanism in place for people to see their files, to be able to register any concerns they may have and to have a say about things that may be on their files. There are some very narrow exemptions such as the results of examinations that may have been conducted internally or medical reports. What she said on radio was simply not true. That is why she cannot be trusted.
The Leader of the Opposition also flagged something quite novel this morning. She said that the Labor Party will let people have their medical files. Had she bothered to seek a briefing from the Minister for Health, Family and Children’s Services, she would have discovered that this is a very topical issue that has gone all the way to the High Court. The view is that those medical files belong to the doctor, not to the patient. Once again, she has blundered in. She has gone on the radio and has given misinformation. She has not told it as it is. She is misleading people. That is why, in the ALP’s own report on its own performance, the observation was made that it is not fit to govern and the people do not trust it. That is why they do not trust the ALP.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I listened with some interest to the Leader of the Opposition’s claims on Fred McCue’s Morning Program. The most telling response that she gave was when she admitted that she had not made any approach to me to talk about these issues, nor had she sought a briefing. Had she bothered to do so, she would have discovered, firstly, that the Northern Territory government does not keep personal files on any Territorians.
Mrs Hickey: Personnel files. I am sure you keep personnel files.
Mr STONE: Secondly, she would have discovered that, in terms of those ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: You can interject all you like ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition.
Mr STONE: This is her big problem. We saw it in the report that was leaked on what the ALP would do over the next term. Remember the observation in their own report? ‘We are seen as being weakly led and not trusted to govern’. That was their own observation about themselves. The reason that they are not trusted to govern is because they go on radio programs and tell porkies.
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is quite clear that the Chief Minister’s use of the term ‘porkies’ implies that someone has lied, and he knows that he cannot imply lying without doing so by means of a substantive motion.
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, in deference to the sensibilities of the Leader of the Opposition, I withdraw the remark.
Quite clearly, one cannot go on a radio program and tell people things that are not true ...
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Chief Minister is implying that the Leader of the Opposition has told lies on radio.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr STONE: The point I am trying to make is that this assertion that Northern Territory public servants cannot access their files is completely false. Had she bothered to make the inquiry, she would have discovered that there is a process of grievance whereby any worker, from the tea lady right up to the head of a department, is able to go to the relevant supervisor ...
Mrs Hickey: Why should they need a grievance form in order to do something?
Mr STONE: That is a fascinating interjection. She realises she has been caught out and, as a defence mechanism, she asks why they should have a grievance process. I am sure that every Northern Territory public servant listening would tell her they want a process of grievance, a process whereby they can access their personnel files and obtain satisfaction at the end of the day. That is exactly what happens. All the way through to David Hawkes, there is a mechanism in place for people to see their files, to be able to register any concerns they may have and to have a say about things that may be on their files. There are some very narrow exemptions such as the results of examinations that may have been conducted internally or medical reports. What she said on radio was simply not true. That is why she cannot be trusted.
The Leader of the Opposition also flagged something quite novel this morning. She said that the Labor Party will let people have their medical files. Had she bothered to seek a briefing from the Minister for Health, Family and Children’s Services, she would have discovered that this is a very topical issue that has gone all the way to the High Court. The view is that those medical files belong to the doctor, not to the patient. Once again, she has blundered in. She has gone on the radio and has given misinformation. She has not told it as it is. She is misleading people. That is why, in the ALP’s own report on its own performance, the observation was made that it is not fit to govern and the people do not trust it. That is why they do not trust the ALP.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016