Ms LAWRIE - 2013-02-13
You have ignored thousands of Territorians who have said your broken promise on the cost of living is hurting them. I table this booklet that is a litany of your broken promises ...
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, you need to seek leave to table a document.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I seek leave to table the document.
Leave granted.
Ms LAWRIE: The community’s outrage at your broken promises is unprecedented. People who have lived here for many years are packing up and leaving town because they cannot afford to live under your increases to the cost of living. There is unprecedented hostility towards you. After yesterday’s protest, will you finally listen to Territorians? Will you admit that your cost of living increases are unfair and too harsh? Will you back down and at least listen to them? Will you admit you got it wrong?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is interesting the Opposition Leader is urging me to at least listen as though I am not hearing. I am. With my colleagues, I spent over an hour listening and hearing. When I had the opportunity, when the crowd was a little quieter at the beginning, I was able to speak to my fellow Territorians and hear the story from their point of view. I am open to making sure I hear those concerns.
If there is this huge expectation that Terry listens and hears, it was quite sad when the opportunity was then requested - because I made myself available, as did my colleagues, to hear and to listen - there was no capacity to respond with this great degree of tolerance and expectation that we were listened to. Anyway, that is just an observation I make. There is, in fact …
Mr McCarthy: You scarpered! I saw you float, mate.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Barkly, you are on a warning!
Mr MILLS: If you want to go down that path, brave one, who has now found his courage in opposition, members of this government were very busy and had a range of existing obligations. However, I was very proud to stand there with a team yesterday to demonstrate we are a government which has the courage of its convictions and, given the opportunity, will stand to make explanation.
However, the issue is I have been asked whether we will listen. Absolutely! However, I do not think people will be listening too much longer to the Leader of the Opposition when the truth comes out. You can go for five months down this line, but we all know the old stories about the little boy who cried wolf, Henny Penny, and lots of little fables. They carry very strong messages. Those strong messages are: after a while you do not trust people who make accusations and declarations such as you have. There are many Territorians who have had a good education, have good instincts, and can spot something that stinks.
There is much in here that does not stack up. However, what is particularly interesting is that this was crafted in the Opposition Leader’s Office. You had a spin doctor working in that office. I wonder who that spin doctor is and what they are doing now. I wonder if this bears up under any real scrutiny? I notice he did not provide any real effort to mount a defence to the revelation of the extraordinary levels of debt in the Northern Territory. Those real numbers …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, you need to seek leave to table a document.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I seek leave to table the document.
Leave granted.
Ms LAWRIE: The community’s outrage at your broken promises is unprecedented. People who have lived here for many years are packing up and leaving town because they cannot afford to live under your increases to the cost of living. There is unprecedented hostility towards you. After yesterday’s protest, will you finally listen to Territorians? Will you admit that your cost of living increases are unfair and too harsh? Will you back down and at least listen to them? Will you admit you got it wrong?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is interesting the Opposition Leader is urging me to at least listen as though I am not hearing. I am. With my colleagues, I spent over an hour listening and hearing. When I had the opportunity, when the crowd was a little quieter at the beginning, I was able to speak to my fellow Territorians and hear the story from their point of view. I am open to making sure I hear those concerns.
If there is this huge expectation that Terry listens and hears, it was quite sad when the opportunity was then requested - because I made myself available, as did my colleagues, to hear and to listen - there was no capacity to respond with this great degree of tolerance and expectation that we were listened to. Anyway, that is just an observation I make. There is, in fact …
Mr McCarthy: You scarpered! I saw you float, mate.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Barkly, you are on a warning!
Mr MILLS: If you want to go down that path, brave one, who has now found his courage in opposition, members of this government were very busy and had a range of existing obligations. However, I was very proud to stand there with a team yesterday to demonstrate we are a government which has the courage of its convictions and, given the opportunity, will stand to make explanation.
However, the issue is I have been asked whether we will listen. Absolutely! However, I do not think people will be listening too much longer to the Leader of the Opposition when the truth comes out. You can go for five months down this line, but we all know the old stories about the little boy who cried wolf, Henny Penny, and lots of little fables. They carry very strong messages. Those strong messages are: after a while you do not trust people who make accusations and declarations such as you have. There are many Territorians who have had a good education, have good instincts, and can spot something that stinks.
There is much in here that does not stack up. However, what is particularly interesting is that this was crafted in the Opposition Leader’s Office. You had a spin doctor working in that office. I wonder who that spin doctor is and what they are doing now. I wonder if this bears up under any real scrutiny? I notice he did not provide any real effort to mount a defence to the revelation of the extraordinary levels of debt in the Northern Territory. Those real numbers …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016