Mr VOWLES - 2014-11-27
You have broken trust with Territorians in remote communities by failing to deliver on your big promises. Three members walked out of your government because of your breach of trust with the bush; one has returned, but you still are not delivering in the bush. Two ministers have been publically disgraced this year; one for swearing at a female colleague in the vilest terms, and another for homophobic slurs.
We know you are about to reshuffle the deck chairs to pay off members for supporting you in the TIO sell-out. Tell us, will you rule out the member for Fong Lim, big Dave Tollner, returning to Cabinet next week?
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is a clear breach of Standing Order 112. There are imputations, epithets and nearly every aspect of Standing Order 112 has been breached by this question.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Johnston, if it is a question about a reshuffle of the Northern Territory Cabinet, can you ask the question about that, without so much of a preamble?
Mr VOWLES: Chief Minister, will you rule out big Dave, the member for Fong Lim, returning to Cabinet in next week’s reshuffle?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Johnston for his question. There is one thing I will rule out – you are not getting a guernsey. The last day of sittings and that is your question. Let us stop and look around. There are 13 members on this side of the Chamber in government, plus the Speaker. On that side of the Chamber there are seven, and two of your mob have been kicked out. Two could not even be bothered turning up to parliament today.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please do not refer to people who have left the Chamber.
Mr GILES: One of those members has been the following: a CEO; leader of the Papunya community; an ATSIC regional councillor; an ATSIC commissioner; a member and minister of the Labor Party; an Independent member; a member and a minister for Indigenous affairs in the CLP – that was in both parties. She is now a member of the Palmer United Party, which can very proudly hold up Jacqui Lambie in Tasmania, or could until the other day. This member could not be bothered to turn up to parliament today, to stand up and advocate for the rights of Aboriginal people. This is the basis of your question when people in her electorate are still dying in third or fourth world conditions. You are supposed to be standing up for the people of Johnston.
Mr VOWLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Will you rule out the member for Fong Lim returning to Cabinet next week?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, could you get to the point, please.
Mr GILES: That is one person on the other side of the Chamber. Let us look at your stocks; you were an adviser to the former member for Stuart, the former Minister for Parks and Wildlife and minister for Sport. You stand here and make complaints. You were part of a Cabinet under the former government. The member for Nightcliff is a former adviser for Education, which performed at its worst level in history. The member for Wanguri is a former adviser to the former Housing minister …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Will you rule out the member for Fong Lim returning to Cabinet in the reshuffle?
Mr GILES: The Hon Chris Burns was the Housing minister when we had the most poorly developed housing sector in the Territory’s history, to the point where we have had to put $135m into land release to ensure supply meets demand from a housing point of view.
The member for Fannie Bay is a former failed adviser to the former Chief Minister who oversaw the worst debt legacy in the Territory’s history. There is the Leader of the Opposition, who gave us a $5.5bn debt legacy. There is the member for Barkly, who gave away Territory assets, Stella Maris …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. An answer must be direct, concise and relevant. He has had nearly three minutes. Is Dave Tollner coming back into Cabinet or not?
Madam SPEAKER: Sit down. It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: Of course, then we have the member for Nhulunbuy, who was not good enough to make the ministerial ranks in government last time they were in. She has not provided a solid contribution in this House to date. I will rule out that anyone from that side of the Chamber will come to our side of the benches; they will never form part of government.
I congratulate the member for Johnston for such a pathetic question on the last day of sittings this.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
We know you are about to reshuffle the deck chairs to pay off members for supporting you in the TIO sell-out. Tell us, will you rule out the member for Fong Lim, big Dave Tollner, returning to Cabinet next week?
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is a clear breach of Standing Order 112. There are imputations, epithets and nearly every aspect of Standing Order 112 has been breached by this question.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Johnston, if it is a question about a reshuffle of the Northern Territory Cabinet, can you ask the question about that, without so much of a preamble?
Mr VOWLES: Chief Minister, will you rule out big Dave, the member for Fong Lim, returning to Cabinet in next week’s reshuffle?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Johnston for his question. There is one thing I will rule out – you are not getting a guernsey. The last day of sittings and that is your question. Let us stop and look around. There are 13 members on this side of the Chamber in government, plus the Speaker. On that side of the Chamber there are seven, and two of your mob have been kicked out. Two could not even be bothered turning up to parliament today.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please do not refer to people who have left the Chamber.
Mr GILES: One of those members has been the following: a CEO; leader of the Papunya community; an ATSIC regional councillor; an ATSIC commissioner; a member and minister of the Labor Party; an Independent member; a member and a minister for Indigenous affairs in the CLP – that was in both parties. She is now a member of the Palmer United Party, which can very proudly hold up Jacqui Lambie in Tasmania, or could until the other day. This member could not be bothered to turn up to parliament today, to stand up and advocate for the rights of Aboriginal people. This is the basis of your question when people in her electorate are still dying in third or fourth world conditions. You are supposed to be standing up for the people of Johnston.
Mr VOWLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Will you rule out the member for Fong Lim returning to Cabinet next week?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, could you get to the point, please.
Mr GILES: That is one person on the other side of the Chamber. Let us look at your stocks; you were an adviser to the former member for Stuart, the former Minister for Parks and Wildlife and minister for Sport. You stand here and make complaints. You were part of a Cabinet under the former government. The member for Nightcliff is a former adviser for Education, which performed at its worst level in history. The member for Wanguri is a former adviser to the former Housing minister …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Will you rule out the member for Fong Lim returning to Cabinet in the reshuffle?
Mr GILES: The Hon Chris Burns was the Housing minister when we had the most poorly developed housing sector in the Territory’s history, to the point where we have had to put $135m into land release to ensure supply meets demand from a housing point of view.
The member for Fannie Bay is a former failed adviser to the former Chief Minister who oversaw the worst debt legacy in the Territory’s history. There is the Leader of the Opposition, who gave us a $5.5bn debt legacy. There is the member for Barkly, who gave away Territory assets, Stella Maris …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. An answer must be direct, concise and relevant. He has had nearly three minutes. Is Dave Tollner coming back into Cabinet or not?
Madam SPEAKER: Sit down. It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: Of course, then we have the member for Nhulunbuy, who was not good enough to make the ministerial ranks in government last time they were in. She has not provided a solid contribution in this House to date. I will rule out that anyone from that side of the Chamber will come to our side of the benches; they will never form part of government.
I congratulate the member for Johnston for such a pathetic question on the last day of sittings this.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016