Mr STIRLING - 1999-02-16
For 8 months, Labor has been asking the Country Liberal Party for information on how it spends taxpayers’ money on property rentals. We want to know if taxpayers are getting the best possible deal, and to be able to scrutinise whether the CLP’s silver circle friends are being treated like other landlords. For 8 months, we have been stonewalled by the Deputy Chief Minister. Now that the new Chief Minister has ruled out support for a freedom of information bill and invited all requests for information to be channelled through him, will he direct his deputy to provide this information immediately?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I apologise. That is something that I haven’t quite got across in my capacity as Chief Minister. I would refer the question to the Treasurer at this point ...
Mr Toyne: He is the problem.
Mr BURKE: Well, he is working for me now, and he will give you a fulsome answer.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, honourable members might recall that one of the members opposite asked a question about this. In fact, I think it was the member for Nhulunbuy who asked about this matter in the Appropriation debate, and I believe that there has been some correspondence since then. From my recollection, only a week or 2 ago, some more information came across my desk in relation to this matter and I provided information to the honourable member. What I did advise the honourable member, as I recall it, is that the rents are determined in relation to advice received from the valuer-general, and they are based on market rentals …
Mr Bailey: Well, why aren’t they public?
Mr REED: … and that is the process that is applied. I will get back to the interjection. There are commercial sensitivities in relation to the rental of properties that government undertakes and, of course, there are market and commercial sensitivities that we have to abide by in relation to those persons ...
Mr Bailey: Rubbish!
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: Its all public, open, and accountable.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is far too much interjection. Interjections can be short and to the point, but they shouldn’t be prolonged as some of the interjections we are having today. I would appreciate hearing the Deputy Chief Minister in reasonable silence.
Mr REED: Those issues aside, we are very close to being able to provide some information to the honourable member.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: I am not going to proceed, Mr Speaker. We have had a commitment from these people that Question Time and the conduct of this House will be civil and humane. I think the demonstration that they can’t even do it for the first Question Time justifies any minister sitting down and not trying to argue against the interjections.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I apologise. That is something that I haven’t quite got across in my capacity as Chief Minister. I would refer the question to the Treasurer at this point ...
Mr Toyne: He is the problem.
Mr BURKE: Well, he is working for me now, and he will give you a fulsome answer.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, honourable members might recall that one of the members opposite asked a question about this. In fact, I think it was the member for Nhulunbuy who asked about this matter in the Appropriation debate, and I believe that there has been some correspondence since then. From my recollection, only a week or 2 ago, some more information came across my desk in relation to this matter and I provided information to the honourable member. What I did advise the honourable member, as I recall it, is that the rents are determined in relation to advice received from the valuer-general, and they are based on market rentals …
Mr Bailey: Well, why aren’t they public?
Mr REED: … and that is the process that is applied. I will get back to the interjection. There are commercial sensitivities in relation to the rental of properties that government undertakes and, of course, there are market and commercial sensitivities that we have to abide by in relation to those persons ...
Mr Bailey: Rubbish!
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: Its all public, open, and accountable.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is far too much interjection. Interjections can be short and to the point, but they shouldn’t be prolonged as some of the interjections we are having today. I would appreciate hearing the Deputy Chief Minister in reasonable silence.
Mr REED: Those issues aside, we are very close to being able to provide some information to the honourable member.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: I am not going to proceed, Mr Speaker. We have had a commitment from these people that Question Time and the conduct of this House will be civil and humane. I think the demonstration that they can’t even do it for the first Question Time justifies any minister sitting down and not trying to argue against the interjections.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016