Ms LAWRIE - 2013-03-26
During the seven hour crisis meeting on 6 March, you challenged Terry Mills for the leadership and failed. As Alison Anderson said, and I quote:
Given your initial failed challenge, do you find it surprising not a single person believes you somehow woke up in the morning and were Chief Minister, and that Terry Mills was your friend and you did not knife him despicably while he was in Japan? These are all lines you have trotted out in the media since the dreadful day you took down the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory who had been elected in the very presidential style campaign. No one voted for you - apart from the good folk of Braitling - to be Chief Minister. How do you explain your actions to Territorians rather than ranting and raving with your obsession about me?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the most telling issue in the Northern Territory at the moment is our debt: $5.5bn worth of debt. We have had to move sitting dates; we had to change the date of the budget so we can start fixing your problems. People on the street are not asking the questions you are, they are asking about the budget. ‘How are you going to pay back Delia’s debt?’ That is the question they ask on the street. ‘What about the deficit? What about the debt? What about Delia? How can she stand here as Leader of the Opposition’ …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please refer to members in this Chamber by their electorate name.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. I know he is obsessed with me but, at some stage, he has to explain his actions to Territorians.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, please be seated. There is no point of order.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, what is relevant is $5.5bn worth of debt. I would love to work with Treasury to roll out a budget in several weeks’ time, paving the streets with gold, palm trees on every corner, and everyone with $100 in their pocket but we cannot. We are paying your debt ...
Ms Walker interjecting.
Mr GILES: I am waiting for your question, member for Nhulunbuy, and am ready. This is about the people of the Northern Territory. I heard loud and clear, as did the people in this wing, that there needed to be change; people were hurting and there was poison out there. It was not the best way for things to happen; however, we are focused, united, and are repaying your debt and getting our deficit in order so we can govern for all Northern Territorians into the future.
- I’m in a room full of young men or young boys all of a sudden wanting to be Chief Minister.
Given your initial failed challenge, do you find it surprising not a single person believes you somehow woke up in the morning and were Chief Minister, and that Terry Mills was your friend and you did not knife him despicably while he was in Japan? These are all lines you have trotted out in the media since the dreadful day you took down the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory who had been elected in the very presidential style campaign. No one voted for you - apart from the good folk of Braitling - to be Chief Minister. How do you explain your actions to Territorians rather than ranting and raving with your obsession about me?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the most telling issue in the Northern Territory at the moment is our debt: $5.5bn worth of debt. We have had to move sitting dates; we had to change the date of the budget so we can start fixing your problems. People on the street are not asking the questions you are, they are asking about the budget. ‘How are you going to pay back Delia’s debt?’ That is the question they ask on the street. ‘What about the deficit? What about the debt? What about Delia? How can she stand here as Leader of the Opposition’ …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please refer to members in this Chamber by their electorate name.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. I know he is obsessed with me but, at some stage, he has to explain his actions to Territorians.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, please be seated. There is no point of order.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, what is relevant is $5.5bn worth of debt. I would love to work with Treasury to roll out a budget in several weeks’ time, paving the streets with gold, palm trees on every corner, and everyone with $100 in their pocket but we cannot. We are paying your debt ...
Ms Walker interjecting.
Mr GILES: I am waiting for your question, member for Nhulunbuy, and am ready. This is about the people of the Northern Territory. I heard loud and clear, as did the people in this wing, that there needed to be change; people were hurting and there was poison out there. It was not the best way for things to happen; however, we are focused, united, and are repaying your debt and getting our deficit in order so we can govern for all Northern Territorians into the future.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016