Mr STIRLING - 2000-11-28
Independent powerline experts report that Paul Everingham’s transmission line is worth at best $20m. What advice did you receive, and from whom, that the market value of the transmission line was $43m? Will you table that advice for the benefit of all Territorians?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who was sidelined by the boss a week or two ago, was taken off this job because she could not trust him with the task that he was pursuing …
Mr Burke: I think she might have wanted to big note herself actually.
Mr REED: And failed dismally at that.
In terms of the particular purchase, we have seen some wonderful examples, this morning being the most recent one, of what not to do in politics. You would think that the first thing an astute politician would not do would be to disclose his source of information. But he goes on ABC Radio this morning and says: ‘Paul rang me, rang the Leader of the Opposition, and told us all about this.’ That gives us a little bit of insight into what has been happening in the background in terms of what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Opposition have been telling us in recent months, indeed over the past year, about the court process in Darwin and the New South Wales case. They were telling us that we should have capitulated, we should have given in straight away and listened to what Paul said, and just saved all the court costs and given in on behalf of Territorians. ‘Do not stand up for Territorians, just give in to Everingham’. Well, we were not of the mind to do that and we were not of the mind to do it for a very good reason, and it became apparent on ABC Radio this morning.
What the Leader of the Opposition this morning disclosed was that Mr Everingham, as a businessman and as you would expect, was trying to get the best deal for him, and he …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: Noise does not equate to performance, Syd. You have asked the question; let Territorians listen to the answer.
Mr Everingham was using every opportunity and every avenue to promote his cause and to put, in this case, pressure on the government so that the outcome might benefit his company, as you would expect him to be trying to achieve in relation to the position that he held.
As regards the purchase of the powerline, I will be making a detailed statement straight after Question Time. That will lay out the facts in relation to the construction of the line, its operation over the past 12 years, the purchase on 10 November and the benefits, of course, that will accrue to Territorians.
I do not expect the Leader of the Opposition or her six colleagues to take too much notice. If they were interested in this particular matter, they would have availed themselves of the full briefing that was offered by me in writing to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition when he had charge of this particular issue before the boss took it off him. He and the Leader of the Opposition have refused the offer of a full and detailed briefing. That clearly demonstrates they are not interested in the facts, they do not want to know the reasons the line was constructed, or the circumstances that led to its purchase. They want to remain in …
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The question was specific in terms of the valuation and can he produce it. This is Question Time. He is accountable to parliament as a minister of the Crown and he ought to produce it or tell us he does not have a valuation.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr REED: Thank you, Mr Speaker. There have been a number of intervening interjections to which I will respond, of course, but the Deputy Leader of the Opposition seems to overlook those.
In terms of where we have come from, the opposition want to remain in blissful ignorance because if they are in blissful ignorance they can continue on with all this nonsense that, ‘The Treasurer made this announcement secretly at 5.10 on a Friday afternoon hoping it would disappear without trace’, and that it was done for deceitful purposes.
The deceit lies opposite with the Leader of the Opposition. The announcement was made at about 2 pm on 10 November. The reason it was made then was because it was simultaneous with the signing of the agreement for the purchase. In that regard, I thought it appropriate, as Treasurer, to advise Territorians immediately of the decision by government, given that it was the acquisition of a major asset that would benefit Territorians.
I will detail further in my statement all the other misleading and deceitful statements that the opposition have made about very important matter, and why the purchase has been a good one and will provide a good outcome for Territorians.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who was sidelined by the boss a week or two ago, was taken off this job because she could not trust him with the task that he was pursuing …
Mr Burke: I think she might have wanted to big note herself actually.
Mr REED: And failed dismally at that.
In terms of the particular purchase, we have seen some wonderful examples, this morning being the most recent one, of what not to do in politics. You would think that the first thing an astute politician would not do would be to disclose his source of information. But he goes on ABC Radio this morning and says: ‘Paul rang me, rang the Leader of the Opposition, and told us all about this.’ That gives us a little bit of insight into what has been happening in the background in terms of what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Opposition have been telling us in recent months, indeed over the past year, about the court process in Darwin and the New South Wales case. They were telling us that we should have capitulated, we should have given in straight away and listened to what Paul said, and just saved all the court costs and given in on behalf of Territorians. ‘Do not stand up for Territorians, just give in to Everingham’. Well, we were not of the mind to do that and we were not of the mind to do it for a very good reason, and it became apparent on ABC Radio this morning.
What the Leader of the Opposition this morning disclosed was that Mr Everingham, as a businessman and as you would expect, was trying to get the best deal for him, and he …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: Noise does not equate to performance, Syd. You have asked the question; let Territorians listen to the answer.
Mr Everingham was using every opportunity and every avenue to promote his cause and to put, in this case, pressure on the government so that the outcome might benefit his company, as you would expect him to be trying to achieve in relation to the position that he held.
As regards the purchase of the powerline, I will be making a detailed statement straight after Question Time. That will lay out the facts in relation to the construction of the line, its operation over the past 12 years, the purchase on 10 November and the benefits, of course, that will accrue to Territorians.
I do not expect the Leader of the Opposition or her six colleagues to take too much notice. If they were interested in this particular matter, they would have availed themselves of the full briefing that was offered by me in writing to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition when he had charge of this particular issue before the boss took it off him. He and the Leader of the Opposition have refused the offer of a full and detailed briefing. That clearly demonstrates they are not interested in the facts, they do not want to know the reasons the line was constructed, or the circumstances that led to its purchase. They want to remain in …
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The question was specific in terms of the valuation and can he produce it. This is Question Time. He is accountable to parliament as a minister of the Crown and he ought to produce it or tell us he does not have a valuation.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr REED: Thank you, Mr Speaker. There have been a number of intervening interjections to which I will respond, of course, but the Deputy Leader of the Opposition seems to overlook those.
In terms of where we have come from, the opposition want to remain in blissful ignorance because if they are in blissful ignorance they can continue on with all this nonsense that, ‘The Treasurer made this announcement secretly at 5.10 on a Friday afternoon hoping it would disappear without trace’, and that it was done for deceitful purposes.
The deceit lies opposite with the Leader of the Opposition. The announcement was made at about 2 pm on 10 November. The reason it was made then was because it was simultaneous with the signing of the agreement for the purchase. In that regard, I thought it appropriate, as Treasurer, to advise Territorians immediately of the decision by government, given that it was the acquisition of a major asset that would benefit Territorians.
I will detail further in my statement all the other misleading and deceitful statements that the opposition have made about very important matter, and why the purchase has been a good one and will provide a good outcome for Territorians.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016