Mrs FINOCCHIARO - 2015-03-26
Can you please update the Assembly on tomorrow’s meeting between government agencies regarding safety and conditions in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek town camps? Can you also update the Assembly on any new models the government is exploring to manage youth issues in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. She is concerned about a range of services provided in Central Australia and the community debate as much as I am. I announced earlier this week that we will have an internal government meeting tomorrow to discuss the level of government and non-government service provision we purchase in regard to the town camps in Central Australia and the Barkly region.
I am deeply disappointed by the approach Tangentyere has taken in regard to its public commentary. Instead of dealing with the real issues at hand, Walter Shaw has again chosen to follow Labor’s lead and indulge in personal attacks on me instead of focusing on the issue at hand. It is easy to see how Tangentyere has ended up going down this path when the person writing and distributing their press releases is a paid Labor staffer in the Opposition Leader’s office: Mandy Taylor. She writes the press releases for Tangentyere and works for Delia Lawrie. That is a very fair question.
We should be asking if it is right that a staffer in the Opposition Leader’s office is now writing press releases under a company name for Tangentyere. This is highly immoral in the operations going on. To accuse me of politicising the issue of the allegations of the rape of a seven-year-old girl is a hype of hypocrisy, when a Labor staffer is stirring things up at Tangentyere Council for her own political gain. They need to get some new advice.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. He was asked about the meeting on Friday and I would like to hear about that.
Madam SPEAKER: The Chief Minister has three minutes to answer the question.
Mr GILES: They also need to look closer to home about what solutions they can drive in this space. They are so busy trying to protect their turf and their funding, they have forgotten about the little girl, which has been the purpose of this whole debate in the Chamber. Too many people keep forgetting that and it has been forgotten again.
I am off topic now, but I have seen this time and time again. When child abuse is raised …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Is it a new point of order, member for Fannie Bay?
Mr Gunner: Relevance again.
Madam SPEAKER: No, it is not a new point of order. The Chief Minister has three minutes to answer the question. Sit down.
Mr GILES: Modus operandi – when serious issues are raised, especially about child abuse, it is about attacking the person delivering the message and the funding going to the organisation, but no one stands up for the kid. We are going down the same path again. Keep attacking me; I can handle it. Put as many knives in me as you like, but I will still stand up for that kid. I have been in contact with the town council and the congress, and we are working together to provide after-hours youth services in a partnership between those two organisations.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. She is concerned about a range of services provided in Central Australia and the community debate as much as I am. I announced earlier this week that we will have an internal government meeting tomorrow to discuss the level of government and non-government service provision we purchase in regard to the town camps in Central Australia and the Barkly region.
I am deeply disappointed by the approach Tangentyere has taken in regard to its public commentary. Instead of dealing with the real issues at hand, Walter Shaw has again chosen to follow Labor’s lead and indulge in personal attacks on me instead of focusing on the issue at hand. It is easy to see how Tangentyere has ended up going down this path when the person writing and distributing their press releases is a paid Labor staffer in the Opposition Leader’s office: Mandy Taylor. She writes the press releases for Tangentyere and works for Delia Lawrie. That is a very fair question.
We should be asking if it is right that a staffer in the Opposition Leader’s office is now writing press releases under a company name for Tangentyere. This is highly immoral in the operations going on. To accuse me of politicising the issue of the allegations of the rape of a seven-year-old girl is a hype of hypocrisy, when a Labor staffer is stirring things up at Tangentyere Council for her own political gain. They need to get some new advice.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. He was asked about the meeting on Friday and I would like to hear about that.
Madam SPEAKER: The Chief Minister has three minutes to answer the question.
Mr GILES: They also need to look closer to home about what solutions they can drive in this space. They are so busy trying to protect their turf and their funding, they have forgotten about the little girl, which has been the purpose of this whole debate in the Chamber. Too many people keep forgetting that and it has been forgotten again.
I am off topic now, but I have seen this time and time again. When child abuse is raised …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Is it a new point of order, member for Fannie Bay?
Mr Gunner: Relevance again.
Madam SPEAKER: No, it is not a new point of order. The Chief Minister has three minutes to answer the question. Sit down.
Mr GILES: Modus operandi – when serious issues are raised, especially about child abuse, it is about attacking the person delivering the message and the funding going to the organisation, but no one stands up for the kid. We are going down the same path again. Keep attacking me; I can handle it. Put as many knives in me as you like, but I will still stand up for that kid. I have been in contact with the town council and the congress, and we are working together to provide after-hours youth services in a partnership between those two organisations.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016