Mr KNIGHT - 2006-11-29
I am sure people in the gallery from Central Australia and the members of the Katherine No Waste Action Group will be interested in the answer. Is the minister aware of the effect on Territorians of the Commonwealth’s Radioactive Waste Amendment Bill 2006?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. I acknowledge the traditional owners who have travelled from across the Northern Territory to be here today. Welcome to Darwin. I trust that the answers we give today will go part of the way in dealing with what is a very insidious, a very contemptuous, exercise on the part of the Commonwealth government, aided and abetted by a very weak-kneed CLP government.
Mrs Miller: Thanks a lot.
Mr McADAM: That’s fine. Would you like me to repeat it? I am aware that a number of submissions have been made to the Senate Employment, Workplace Relations and Education Committee expressing the concerns of Territorians. These concerns regard the bill introduced by the Minister for Education, Science and Training that now opens the way for the establishment of a nuclear waste dump without consultation with Territorians. Amendments to the various items of legislation take us one step closer to the dump by taking away, as I said, the rights of all Territorians. Traditional owners will not have to be consulted, nor will any other landowners, including pastoralists, farmers, tourism operators, or any other Territorian for that matter.
Pastoralists have expressed their concern as to the effect that a dump will have on their property prices. I know that because I have had numerous deputations on the part of pastoralists right throughout the Barkly region expressing real concerns about this proposed dump. The proposed legislation denies Territorians a fair go. I call upon the opposition to exercise whatever influence they can on the Commonwealth.
Mrs Braham: They have no influence.
Mr Henderson: None at all; they are lapdogs.
Mr McADAM: Gutless. The record of the Leader of the Opposition has been chequered in respect of this matter. Following the federal election, the CLP joined with us in condemning the Commonwealth proposal. The reason was quite apparent: the federal government lied to Territorians prior to the 2004 election by categorically denying that a nuclear waste dump would be built in the Territory. In the October sittings, the Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage moved a motion which, in part, called upon the Howard government to honour its election promises not to site a nuclear waste dump here in the Territory. However, the Leader of the Opposition, supported by the Commonwealth …
Ms Carney: Read it properly, Elliot.
Mr McADAM: I beg your pardon?
Ms Carney: Keep reading. Read it properly.
Mr McADAM: What I was going to say, that you very arrogantly …
Mr Mills: I expected more.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition.
Mr McADAM: You very conveniently, quite arrogantly stated in respect of that motion introduced by the minister at that time that it did not deserve your time. That is a very strong indication in respect of your leadership and, more importantly, your contempt for the people of the Northern Territory. We can only wonder why.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, please cease interjecting!
Mr McADAM: Thank you, Madam Speaker. In the absence of any cogent reason other than regurgitating the lines fed by their Canberra masters, we can only speculate. It is apparent that the CLP has been heavied by their Canberra bosses and have completely abandoned supporting and fighting for the rights of Territorians. The CLP hang dog attitude is best illustrated by the member for Greatorex who said: ‘I believe that the decision has been made, and we should now make the best of it’.
The Leader of the Opposition does not care if Territorians get a fair go or not. Her only interest is in toeing the line demanded by Canberra. Members on this side of the House are committed. We are fair dinkum in standing up for the rights of Territorians. No decent minded Territorian wants a nuclear dump here in the Northern Territory. There is a very important issue here. It is something which you people have all stood up for in the past: the ethos of a fair go, of being able to consult, talk to people, talk to the pastoralists, talk to the indigenous people …
Mr Wood: Give us the right information.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Nelson, cease interjecting.
Mr McADAM: Suffice to say, Madam Speaker, what we have here is a very contemptuous, a very arrogant opposition aided and abetted by a very contemptuous, arrogant Howard government. It is as simple as that.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. I acknowledge the traditional owners who have travelled from across the Northern Territory to be here today. Welcome to Darwin. I trust that the answers we give today will go part of the way in dealing with what is a very insidious, a very contemptuous, exercise on the part of the Commonwealth government, aided and abetted by a very weak-kneed CLP government.
Mrs Miller: Thanks a lot.
Mr McADAM: That’s fine. Would you like me to repeat it? I am aware that a number of submissions have been made to the Senate Employment, Workplace Relations and Education Committee expressing the concerns of Territorians. These concerns regard the bill introduced by the Minister for Education, Science and Training that now opens the way for the establishment of a nuclear waste dump without consultation with Territorians. Amendments to the various items of legislation take us one step closer to the dump by taking away, as I said, the rights of all Territorians. Traditional owners will not have to be consulted, nor will any other landowners, including pastoralists, farmers, tourism operators, or any other Territorian for that matter.
Pastoralists have expressed their concern as to the effect that a dump will have on their property prices. I know that because I have had numerous deputations on the part of pastoralists right throughout the Barkly region expressing real concerns about this proposed dump. The proposed legislation denies Territorians a fair go. I call upon the opposition to exercise whatever influence they can on the Commonwealth.
Mrs Braham: They have no influence.
Mr Henderson: None at all; they are lapdogs.
Mr McADAM: Gutless. The record of the Leader of the Opposition has been chequered in respect of this matter. Following the federal election, the CLP joined with us in condemning the Commonwealth proposal. The reason was quite apparent: the federal government lied to Territorians prior to the 2004 election by categorically denying that a nuclear waste dump would be built in the Territory. In the October sittings, the Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage moved a motion which, in part, called upon the Howard government to honour its election promises not to site a nuclear waste dump here in the Territory. However, the Leader of the Opposition, supported by the Commonwealth …
Ms Carney: Read it properly, Elliot.
Mr McADAM: I beg your pardon?
Ms Carney: Keep reading. Read it properly.
Mr McADAM: What I was going to say, that you very arrogantly …
Mr Mills: I expected more.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition.
Mr McADAM: You very conveniently, quite arrogantly stated in respect of that motion introduced by the minister at that time that it did not deserve your time. That is a very strong indication in respect of your leadership and, more importantly, your contempt for the people of the Northern Territory. We can only wonder why.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, please cease interjecting!
Mr McADAM: Thank you, Madam Speaker. In the absence of any cogent reason other than regurgitating the lines fed by their Canberra masters, we can only speculate. It is apparent that the CLP has been heavied by their Canberra bosses and have completely abandoned supporting and fighting for the rights of Territorians. The CLP hang dog attitude is best illustrated by the member for Greatorex who said: ‘I believe that the decision has been made, and we should now make the best of it’.
The Leader of the Opposition does not care if Territorians get a fair go or not. Her only interest is in toeing the line demanded by Canberra. Members on this side of the House are committed. We are fair dinkum in standing up for the rights of Territorians. No decent minded Territorian wants a nuclear dump here in the Northern Territory. There is a very important issue here. It is something which you people have all stood up for in the past: the ethos of a fair go, of being able to consult, talk to people, talk to the pastoralists, talk to the indigenous people …
Mr Wood: Give us the right information.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Nelson, cease interjecting.
Mr McADAM: Suffice to say, Madam Speaker, what we have here is a very contemptuous, a very arrogant opposition aided and abetted by a very contemptuous, arrogant Howard government. It is as simple as that.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016