Ms LAWRIE - 2013-05-14
You previously spoke about the Police budget. Page 43 of Budget Paper No 3 shows that Commonwealth funding for your Police budget increased from $7m to $23m. That is an increase of $14m under the agreement the previous Labor government struck with the Commonwealth government. This is the same amount you have increased the general Police budget by. You have not increased the Territory government’s investment in police. You have increased the Police budget by exactly the same amount the Commonwealth funded for police officers for the detention centre, under the agreement signed by the previous Labor government. Why have you not increased police resources as you promised?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I will not accept the premise of the Opposition Leader’s question or answer questions about the budget. You might like to talk about border control and why we need to have detention centres in the Northern Territory; there is a failed Labor government promise from Canberra. I know you like to talk about Canberra. Why do we need detention centres? It is not because of the Coalition, because we ended the need for detention centres in Australia.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! He is the Police minister, and he was at Budget Cabinet. Surely he knows what is in the Police budget. Surely you made the decision to not put one extra cent into the Police budget.
Mr GILES: As the Treasurer knows, we have something in this Chamber called the budget process where the budget is announced, and then we have estimates where you can ask any question you like. Tomorrow, after you have read the budget papers, you can ask the Treasurer or any of the portfolio ministers any question you like. The old stunt of trying to ask questions before the budget is announced - we are not playing your game.
We have been working on the game of paying back your debt.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! You are increasing debt by $1.1bn this coming financial year.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, it is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, these are not points of order; these are statements deliberately designed to cause trouble. If they continue, I ask that the Opposition Leader be removed from this Chamber.
In answer to her question, I do not think it is very brave of you talking about detention centres. There are 20 000 people in detention in Australia. Go to Canberra and talk about why we need detention centres in the first place. Talk about leading with your chin. I will leave the budgetary questions until the budget is out.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I will not accept the premise of the Opposition Leader’s question or answer questions about the budget. You might like to talk about border control and why we need to have detention centres in the Northern Territory; there is a failed Labor government promise from Canberra. I know you like to talk about Canberra. Why do we need detention centres? It is not because of the Coalition, because we ended the need for detention centres in Australia.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! He is the Police minister, and he was at Budget Cabinet. Surely he knows what is in the Police budget. Surely you made the decision to not put one extra cent into the Police budget.
Mr GILES: As the Treasurer knows, we have something in this Chamber called the budget process where the budget is announced, and then we have estimates where you can ask any question you like. Tomorrow, after you have read the budget papers, you can ask the Treasurer or any of the portfolio ministers any question you like. The old stunt of trying to ask questions before the budget is announced - we are not playing your game.
We have been working on the game of paying back your debt.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! You are increasing debt by $1.1bn this coming financial year.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, it is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, these are not points of order; these are statements deliberately designed to cause trouble. If they continue, I ask that the Opposition Leader be removed from this Chamber.
In answer to her question, I do not think it is very brave of you talking about detention centres. There are 20 000 people in detention in Australia. Go to Canberra and talk about why we need detention centres in the first place. Talk about leading with your chin. I will leave the budgetary questions until the budget is out.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016