Mrs FINOCCHIARO - 2016-03-16
Can you provide details about a secret deal the ACT government and Unions ACT have cooked up and whether there are similar close relationships between Labor and the unions in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale ...
Ms Fyles: Is that all you have to talk about?
Mr GILES: Member for Nightcliff, that is not all I have to talk about. I am happy to talk about the Nightcliff police station.
As we heard in yesterday’s Question Time, there are serious matters surrounding the blackmail payment of $1m from the contractors of the Blacktip gas project to the MUA for training. That is into a fund that has public benevolent institution status, which means this MUA slush fund does not pay any tax. Normally those with PBI status are community or religious organisations such as churches. But it seems the MUA slush fund does not have to pay tax.
I have taken care to understand the findings of this trade union Royal Commission. Nowhere does it directly refer to the payments for training for MUA members in Darwin or the Territory. All the statements made by the Royal Commissioner refer only to the WA and federal branches of the MUA.
Yesterday the NT MUA Branch Secretary, Thomas Mayor, said on Territory Talk with Daryl Manzie:
Ms Lawrie interjecting.
Mr GILES: Oh, the architect of the Stella Maris dodgy deal is chiming in. The true leader of the Labor Party, the member for Karama, speaks up and flexes her muscles.
Nowhere in the final report does the Royal Commissioner refer to the Darwin branch of the MUA, a branch of the Labor Party. Yet the NT branch secretary directly pointed to the fact that while the Leader of the Opposition was in a position of influence and authority the NT government signed several massive multimillion dollar contracts to replace diesel with natural gas to provide electricity for Darwin, only to be bullied into handing over $1m for training.
This stinks of union corruption and bully-boy tactics. The Leader of the Opposition had his hands at the wheel at the time this was happening. He has questions to answer …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale ...
Ms Fyles: Is that all you have to talk about?
Mr GILES: Member for Nightcliff, that is not all I have to talk about. I am happy to talk about the Nightcliff police station.
As we heard in yesterday’s Question Time, there are serious matters surrounding the blackmail payment of $1m from the contractors of the Blacktip gas project to the MUA for training. That is into a fund that has public benevolent institution status, which means this MUA slush fund does not pay any tax. Normally those with PBI status are community or religious organisations such as churches. But it seems the MUA slush fund does not have to pay tax.
I have taken care to understand the findings of this trade union Royal Commission. Nowhere does it directly refer to the payments for training for MUA members in Darwin or the Territory. All the statements made by the Royal Commissioner refer only to the WA and federal branches of the MUA.
Yesterday the NT MUA Branch Secretary, Thomas Mayor, said on Territory Talk with Daryl Manzie:
- What happened was we negotiated to have some money into a training fund that has trained some people that live here in Darwin right now. You know, we’re unapologetic about that.
- The fact is that the MUA got $1m worth of training through negotiation for these workers – workers that live in Darwin.
Ms Lawrie interjecting.
Mr GILES: Oh, the architect of the Stella Maris dodgy deal is chiming in. The true leader of the Labor Party, the member for Karama, speaks up and flexes her muscles.
Nowhere in the final report does the Royal Commissioner refer to the Darwin branch of the MUA, a branch of the Labor Party. Yet the NT branch secretary directly pointed to the fact that while the Leader of the Opposition was in a position of influence and authority the NT government signed several massive multimillion dollar contracts to replace diesel with natural gas to provide electricity for Darwin, only to be bullied into handing over $1m for training.
This stinks of union corruption and bully-boy tactics. The Leader of the Opposition had his hands at the wheel at the time this was happening. He has questions to answer …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016