Mr STIRLING - 2001-02-28
Last week in this Assembly when asked about the outrageously expensive $300 000 polling contract awarded last year to Mark Textor’s company, the Chief Minister, in a cowardly fashion, sought to sheet home the blame to senior public servants to deflect the attack on himself.
Chief Minister, it is you - no one else - who bears the responsibility for that decision; not the public servants who carried out your bidding. The contract was awarded under a certificate of exemption which both you, as minister for the agency responsible, and the member for Victoria River, as minister responsible for procurement, had to approve. I table that appropriate form.
Why did you mislead the House last week over just who authorised this mate’s deal with Mark Textor?
Mr SPEAKER: Do you seek leave to table this?
Mr STIRLING: Yes, Mr Speaker.
Leave granted.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this is either a nonsense or they are totally unable to understand the responsibilities of ministers to their departments. Every minister in this House signs exemptions from tender based on the advice of their department. That then goes through a process of approval by, as I recall, the minister responsible, the Attorney-General, or the Treasurer. It then goes to the procurement board. It is an absolutely normal process in government, and I stand very firmly on the record on this point.
The market research that has been conducted over the best part of 12 months is an initiative of the Department of Chief Minister. The Department of Chief Minister is run by the Secretary, Mr Paul Tyrrell, the most senior public servant in the Northern Territory, and his very competent, professional and dedicated public service staff. I am proud of their efforts and I am proud they are using this initiative and others to position the Northern Territory competitively with other jurisdictions. They are using market research methods that are well and truly acknowledged throughout Australia, and that are being engaged in by other governments against us.
Chief Minister, it is you - no one else - who bears the responsibility for that decision; not the public servants who carried out your bidding. The contract was awarded under a certificate of exemption which both you, as minister for the agency responsible, and the member for Victoria River, as minister responsible for procurement, had to approve. I table that appropriate form.
Why did you mislead the House last week over just who authorised this mate’s deal with Mark Textor?
Mr SPEAKER: Do you seek leave to table this?
Mr STIRLING: Yes, Mr Speaker.
Leave granted.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this is either a nonsense or they are totally unable to understand the responsibilities of ministers to their departments. Every minister in this House signs exemptions from tender based on the advice of their department. That then goes through a process of approval by, as I recall, the minister responsible, the Attorney-General, or the Treasurer. It then goes to the procurement board. It is an absolutely normal process in government, and I stand very firmly on the record on this point.
The market research that has been conducted over the best part of 12 months is an initiative of the Department of Chief Minister. The Department of Chief Minister is run by the Secretary, Mr Paul Tyrrell, the most senior public servant in the Northern Territory, and his very competent, professional and dedicated public service staff. I am proud of their efforts and I am proud they are using this initiative and others to position the Northern Territory competitively with other jurisdictions. They are using market research methods that are well and truly acknowledged throughout Australia, and that are being engaged in by other governments against us.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016