Mr ELFERINK - 2001-05-31
Yesterday in the Alice Springs News,the member for Stuart, Dr Toyne, stated that if he were in office he would dispose of your office, as well as comments about the portfolio position of the Minister for Central Australia and, by inference, he would get rid of that position.
Chief Minister, I am gravely concerned that a Labor Party government would remove the office of the Chief Minister from Central Australia and would also remove any guarantee of an Alice Springs resident in Cabinet. What do you have to say?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for his question. I had those thoughts as the opposition leader said she would cut the ministry back to seven. Again, it sounds good. Marshall Perron was probably the most frugal Chief Minister in the Northern Territory. He cut the ministry back to eight for one small period and realised after a short while the government could not operate effectively. He lifted the ministry back up to nine. From my experience, nine ministers are necessary. Nine ministers are also important to ensure that we keep in close touch with Territorians.
I can understand that, when you look around the team you have with you, you could probably only find seven on a good day, anyway, so that is probably where the logic comes from. What she also wants to do is cut out the Chief Minister’s office in Alice Springs. The Chief Minister’s office gives direct access to the Chief Minister. You walk in there, you see my staff in that office and I tell you what: that comes straight to me and that is what they are there for. It also keeps a check on all the efforts of government in Alice Springs and does that quite correctly. She intends to remove that. She intends to put in video conferencing. Well, that is only a telephone. I mean, if you have forgotten the face of the person at the other end, it is only a telephone. So you talk with high technology to each other, staff in Alice Springs and ministers in Darwin. So what we would see in the Labor Party, if they had the chance to implement it, would be no ministers in Alice Springs; ministers remain in Darwin. You put staff in Alice Springs - we know their track record with staff; they change over every few weeks - so Alice Springs people should be really concerned.
I would be interested in the member for Braitling’s observations, too, because Alice Springs people are hearing that the Leader of the Opposition intends to withdraw ministerial representation, withdraw the Chief Minister’s representation and put in rolling staff who change over every few months as their only representation.
Chief Minister, I am gravely concerned that a Labor Party government would remove the office of the Chief Minister from Central Australia and would also remove any guarantee of an Alice Springs resident in Cabinet. What do you have to say?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for his question. I had those thoughts as the opposition leader said she would cut the ministry back to seven. Again, it sounds good. Marshall Perron was probably the most frugal Chief Minister in the Northern Territory. He cut the ministry back to eight for one small period and realised after a short while the government could not operate effectively. He lifted the ministry back up to nine. From my experience, nine ministers are necessary. Nine ministers are also important to ensure that we keep in close touch with Territorians.
I can understand that, when you look around the team you have with you, you could probably only find seven on a good day, anyway, so that is probably where the logic comes from. What she also wants to do is cut out the Chief Minister’s office in Alice Springs. The Chief Minister’s office gives direct access to the Chief Minister. You walk in there, you see my staff in that office and I tell you what: that comes straight to me and that is what they are there for. It also keeps a check on all the efforts of government in Alice Springs and does that quite correctly. She intends to remove that. She intends to put in video conferencing. Well, that is only a telephone. I mean, if you have forgotten the face of the person at the other end, it is only a telephone. So you talk with high technology to each other, staff in Alice Springs and ministers in Darwin. So what we would see in the Labor Party, if they had the chance to implement it, would be no ministers in Alice Springs; ministers remain in Darwin. You put staff in Alice Springs - we know their track record with staff; they change over every few weeks - so Alice Springs people should be really concerned.
I would be interested in the member for Braitling’s observations, too, because Alice Springs people are hearing that the Leader of the Opposition intends to withdraw ministerial representation, withdraw the Chief Minister’s representation and put in rolling staff who change over every few months as their only representation.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016