Mr HENDERSON - 1999-08-11
The Minister for Housing has just announced that the government is going ahead with the construction of public housing in Leanyer. Will the Chief Minister explain how this can occur before the matter has even been heard by the Planning Authority? Is this typical of the new planning approach by this government?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I suggest the member for Wanguri seek communication with the Minister for Housing. She would explain to him that the process that she’s talking about is the normal process involved in these decisions.
There is an important point to emphasise to the member for Wanguri. I had direct feedback when I doorknocked that electorate from very concerned residents who had been told directly by the member for Fannie Bay and the new member for Wanguri that we would be conducting a construction which would be the Kurringal flats of their suburb. That was a downright lie, but certainly enough to alarm those residents. As the Minister for Housing has clearly explained, the density of those units for senior Territorians will be less than the density of the houses opposite. That’s the truth – high-quality ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr BURKE: When you’re finished! High-quality senior Territorians’ developments, of the same sort of standards that are in Fairway Waters in Palmerston. The member for Wanguri should go and have a look at that high-quality suburb of Palmerston - welcomed, I might add, within that particular community.
When I doorknocked, one resident was very agitated - I sat with him for some time - because the Leader of the Opposition had told him that the Northern Territory government was going to spend $20m on changes to this building. He was an old Territorian, and he said to me: ‘I can’t understand why you would spend $20m on changes to a brand-new building’. And of course, after about 15 minutes I convinced him that he’d been in the hands of a manipulator and a liar, in the terms that the member for Fannie Bay ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Chief Minister cannot imply that the Leader of the Opposition is a liar.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I took the opportunity to clarify the fact that the member for Fannie Bay was, at the very least, loose with the truth, and that there were no changes to the construction of this building to tune of $20m ever intended by the government. The point I’m making is simply that the Labor line is go out there and tell them anything to get them upset. Tell them we’re building another Kurringal flats. Tell them we’re spending $20m on changes to this building. Tell them anything, as long as you get them upset and concerned.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I suggest the member for Wanguri seek communication with the Minister for Housing. She would explain to him that the process that she’s talking about is the normal process involved in these decisions.
There is an important point to emphasise to the member for Wanguri. I had direct feedback when I doorknocked that electorate from very concerned residents who had been told directly by the member for Fannie Bay and the new member for Wanguri that we would be conducting a construction which would be the Kurringal flats of their suburb. That was a downright lie, but certainly enough to alarm those residents. As the Minister for Housing has clearly explained, the density of those units for senior Territorians will be less than the density of the houses opposite. That’s the truth – high-quality ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr BURKE: When you’re finished! High-quality senior Territorians’ developments, of the same sort of standards that are in Fairway Waters in Palmerston. The member for Wanguri should go and have a look at that high-quality suburb of Palmerston - welcomed, I might add, within that particular community.
When I doorknocked, one resident was very agitated - I sat with him for some time - because the Leader of the Opposition had told him that the Northern Territory government was going to spend $20m on changes to this building. He was an old Territorian, and he said to me: ‘I can’t understand why you would spend $20m on changes to a brand-new building’. And of course, after about 15 minutes I convinced him that he’d been in the hands of a manipulator and a liar, in the terms that the member for Fannie Bay ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Chief Minister cannot imply that the Leader of the Opposition is a liar.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I took the opportunity to clarify the fact that the member for Fannie Bay was, at the very least, loose with the truth, and that there were no changes to the construction of this building to tune of $20m ever intended by the government. The point I’m making is simply that the Labor line is go out there and tell them anything to get them upset. Tell them we’re building another Kurringal flats. Tell them we’re spending $20m on changes to this building. Tell them anything, as long as you get them upset and concerned.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016