Mr STYLES - 2012-12-05
You told Territorians you would be a consultative government. What consultation has the government undertaken and with whom in the 100 days of your government?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for a very important question. We have taken a central position; that is, we will govern in the best interests of all Territorians and work to unite all Territorians into one project and deal with a real problem which is the difficult situation all Territorians have been presented with. These are not just words; these have been demonstrated by action.
We do not just pay lip service, as the former government did, to consultation just as a device to manage the message. We have conducted consultation in good faith, aimed at achieving some really strong and long-lasting shared outcomes.
Since taking government just a little over three months ago I, along with my ministers, made a priority of meeting with as many stakeholders as possible. In doing this we have not restricted ourselves to speaking with all the usual players but have deliberately gone about seeking to meet with others whose voices are not often heard above the noise of politics, and that is important. As Chief Minister, I have travelled the length and breadth of the Territory in an attempt to discover the issues of concern to ordinary people ...
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Could the Chief Minister please explain why the Education minister has not yet met the education union?
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, member for Fannie Bay. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr MILLS: Since taking office I have travelled from the Tiwis in the north to Finke in the Centre, and from Wadeye in the west to Ramingining in the east - not always with media in tow as a demonstration or a spectacle to draw attention to me or my government, but in a genuine effort to meet with people out of the spotlight where honest conversations can occur.
It has not just been me, this is a whole-of-government approach with involvement from every member of my team. In governing for all Territorians it is important we carefully manage our relationships with our regional neighbours, and carrying out this proper consultation is critically important.
There was a time when the friendship and business relationship between the Northern Territory and Indonesia was, to put it simply, extraordinary and the envy of the country. Territorian politicians of both major parties considered our business relationship with our northern Asian neighbours very important, if not more so than the relationship with our fellow Australians down south. Then, when Labor took over the reins in the Northern Territory, inexplicably they allowed that very special relationship to wither.
The Mills government is taking action to rejuvenate the important relationship between the Northern Territory and Indonesia. There is a planned trip coming up and there have been excellent meetings with the Ambassadors of China and of Japan.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for a very important question. We have taken a central position; that is, we will govern in the best interests of all Territorians and work to unite all Territorians into one project and deal with a real problem which is the difficult situation all Territorians have been presented with. These are not just words; these have been demonstrated by action.
We do not just pay lip service, as the former government did, to consultation just as a device to manage the message. We have conducted consultation in good faith, aimed at achieving some really strong and long-lasting shared outcomes.
Since taking government just a little over three months ago I, along with my ministers, made a priority of meeting with as many stakeholders as possible. In doing this we have not restricted ourselves to speaking with all the usual players but have deliberately gone about seeking to meet with others whose voices are not often heard above the noise of politics, and that is important. As Chief Minister, I have travelled the length and breadth of the Territory in an attempt to discover the issues of concern to ordinary people ...
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Could the Chief Minister please explain why the Education minister has not yet met the education union?
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, member for Fannie Bay. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr MILLS: Since taking office I have travelled from the Tiwis in the north to Finke in the Centre, and from Wadeye in the west to Ramingining in the east - not always with media in tow as a demonstration or a spectacle to draw attention to me or my government, but in a genuine effort to meet with people out of the spotlight where honest conversations can occur.
It has not just been me, this is a whole-of-government approach with involvement from every member of my team. In governing for all Territorians it is important we carefully manage our relationships with our regional neighbours, and carrying out this proper consultation is critically important.
There was a time when the friendship and business relationship between the Northern Territory and Indonesia was, to put it simply, extraordinary and the envy of the country. Territorian politicians of both major parties considered our business relationship with our northern Asian neighbours very important, if not more so than the relationship with our fellow Australians down south. Then, when Labor took over the reins in the Northern Territory, inexplicably they allowed that very special relationship to wither.
The Mills government is taking action to rejuvenate the important relationship between the Northern Territory and Indonesia. There is a planned trip coming up and there have been excellent meetings with the Ambassadors of China and of Japan.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016