Mr VOWLES - 2015-02-26
On 4 February you told the Alice Springs CLP branch:
Invoices released under FOI reveal that in less than 10 months you have spent almost $3000 of taxpayers’ money on alcohol using your personal government credit card. I seek leave to table the documents.
Leave granted.
Mr VOWLES: Chief Minister, how can you justify this expenditure on vodka shots and expensive wines when Territory families and businesses are weighed down under the burden of electricity and water tariff increases?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Johnston needs to think through these questions. The first thing I will do now is look at the hospitality expenses from when you were in government. I can guarantee it will be more than $3000 over 18 months. I guarantee you took people out for dinner and had a glass of wine with them, whoever you were entertaining. That will be the first thing to happen.
There is a range of entertainment expenses – having dinner with people or taking out guests.
Ms Lawrie: Vodka shots.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. The member for Johnston has asked a legitimate question of the Chief Minister. I want to hear the answer in silence, as I am sure you would.
Mr GILES: When you raise these issues and try to use them for political points, the first thing we will do is come back at you with what you spent on alcohol. You have asked a foolish question.
Yes, we go to dinners and I have occasionally put those…
Mr Vowles: Vodka shots.
Mr GILES: If you would like to hear the answer – we go to dinners …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. Member for Johnston, you are on a warning. All members are trying to find out what the answer is so I ask you to be quiet.
Mr GILES: Yes, there is food and there are drinks when we take people out for dinner. One of the dinners on your list was held in Alice Springs at the Overlanders Steakhouse, where I took 40 people out for dinner after the presentation at the convention centre for the gas pipeline. I think the price of dinner was around $1500. I am unsure of the alcohol component, but they all add up to form part of that $3000. I have not seen the $3000 component you are listing, but yes, it is part of doing business. We will now go through our records to see what you spent on alcohol, then we will get in the gutter again and play in the mud instead of talking about what matters.
Why did you not ask me about the hydraulic fracturing report or how many wells are in the Northern Territory? Why did you not ask me about the first meeting of the Rapid Creek Catchment Advisory Committee, which was led by minister Styles? Why did you not ask about things that matter to people? Why did you not ask about how we will continue to drive down the price of fuel in the Territory? Why do you not ask about road construction in the Northern Territory?
Instead, you want to muckrake and get in the gutter again; you do not learn. You are still taking the lead from the Leader of the Opposition, who is the best muckraker of all and happy to get into the gutter. You need to get on to issues that matter more to Territorians.
- Monday night I got a phone call from Willem saying he’s got the numbers, I’ve got to be honest I sat there and went fantastic I can have a beer and I went and got on the piss …
Invoices released under FOI reveal that in less than 10 months you have spent almost $3000 of taxpayers’ money on alcohol using your personal government credit card. I seek leave to table the documents.
Leave granted.
Mr VOWLES: Chief Minister, how can you justify this expenditure on vodka shots and expensive wines when Territory families and businesses are weighed down under the burden of electricity and water tariff increases?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Johnston needs to think through these questions. The first thing I will do now is look at the hospitality expenses from when you were in government. I can guarantee it will be more than $3000 over 18 months. I guarantee you took people out for dinner and had a glass of wine with them, whoever you were entertaining. That will be the first thing to happen.
There is a range of entertainment expenses – having dinner with people or taking out guests.
Ms Lawrie: Vodka shots.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. The member for Johnston has asked a legitimate question of the Chief Minister. I want to hear the answer in silence, as I am sure you would.
Mr GILES: When you raise these issues and try to use them for political points, the first thing we will do is come back at you with what you spent on alcohol. You have asked a foolish question.
Yes, we go to dinners and I have occasionally put those…
Mr Vowles: Vodka shots.
Mr GILES: If you would like to hear the answer – we go to dinners …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. Member for Johnston, you are on a warning. All members are trying to find out what the answer is so I ask you to be quiet.
Mr GILES: Yes, there is food and there are drinks when we take people out for dinner. One of the dinners on your list was held in Alice Springs at the Overlanders Steakhouse, where I took 40 people out for dinner after the presentation at the convention centre for the gas pipeline. I think the price of dinner was around $1500. I am unsure of the alcohol component, but they all add up to form part of that $3000. I have not seen the $3000 component you are listing, but yes, it is part of doing business. We will now go through our records to see what you spent on alcohol, then we will get in the gutter again and play in the mud instead of talking about what matters.
Why did you not ask me about the hydraulic fracturing report or how many wells are in the Northern Territory? Why did you not ask me about the first meeting of the Rapid Creek Catchment Advisory Committee, which was led by minister Styles? Why did you not ask about things that matter to people? Why did you not ask about how we will continue to drive down the price of fuel in the Territory? Why do you not ask about road construction in the Northern Territory?
Instead, you want to muckrake and get in the gutter again; you do not learn. You are still taking the lead from the Leader of the Opposition, who is the best muckraker of all and happy to get into the gutter. You need to get on to issues that matter more to Territorians.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016