Ms LAWRIE - 2012-12-04
You have increased the power and water bills of senior Territorians. You have now stripped away their access to free bus travel. Why did you deceive Territorians in the lead-up to the election? We sat together in the seniors’ debates; why did you claim to them that you would improve their living conditions ...
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That was an unparliamentary comment and the Opposition Leader should withdraw it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, which of the comments did you find unparliamentary?
Mr TOLLNER: She is talking about deceiving Territorians and that sort of nonsense. I find that abhorrent. She should withdraw those comments.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Continue, Opposition Leader.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Chief Minister, why did you deceive senior Territorians when …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! She has just done it again. She has made an unparliamentary comment and I ask her to withdraw it.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. It is a comment in a general sense; it is not directed at any particular person.
Ms LAWRIE: Why are you deceiving senior Territorians? You have increased their power and water bills, and you stripped away free bus travel from them. Why did you go to the election deceiving them and saying you would improve their living conditions when you just made it a whole lot worse ...
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Opposition Leader for her question. All you say only reinforces and underlines that which all Territorians know; that there is a very serious problem that needs to be dealt with. You need to recognise that, because if you were in government today, rather than pretending and passing off the fiction that somehow or other you will be bailed out and not be required to do anything, not make any adjustment - you never did for five years; that is why we ended up leading towards a position that is completely unsustainable.
There are difficult decisions. You have not heard the mini-budget yet, but there is a raft of measures which set the Territory on a new trajectory, one to reset our fiscal position so we can start to live within our means and, on the other hand, deal with the underlying problem, which is the real lead in our saddlebags, the cost of housing. We will make real progress on that, but we have to get past this bit first. You have not heard the mini-budget and you should relax, sit back, listen, and then respond.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, we are getting awfully close to 11 am. I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Madam Speaker, I also say that, again, despite our repeated complaints, frivolous points of order are being used. I will give one final warning to the members opposite: if you keep it up we will change the rules so ministers can fully and comprehensively answer
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That was an unparliamentary comment and the Opposition Leader should withdraw it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, which of the comments did you find unparliamentary?
Mr TOLLNER: She is talking about deceiving Territorians and that sort of nonsense. I find that abhorrent. She should withdraw those comments.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Continue, Opposition Leader.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Chief Minister, why did you deceive senior Territorians when …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! She has just done it again. She has made an unparliamentary comment and I ask her to withdraw it.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. It is a comment in a general sense; it is not directed at any particular person.
Ms LAWRIE: Why are you deceiving senior Territorians? You have increased their power and water bills, and you stripped away free bus travel from them. Why did you go to the election deceiving them and saying you would improve their living conditions when you just made it a whole lot worse ...
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Opposition Leader for her question. All you say only reinforces and underlines that which all Territorians know; that there is a very serious problem that needs to be dealt with. You need to recognise that, because if you were in government today, rather than pretending and passing off the fiction that somehow or other you will be bailed out and not be required to do anything, not make any adjustment - you never did for five years; that is why we ended up leading towards a position that is completely unsustainable.
There are difficult decisions. You have not heard the mini-budget yet, but there is a raft of measures which set the Territory on a new trajectory, one to reset our fiscal position so we can start to live within our means and, on the other hand, deal with the underlying problem, which is the real lead in our saddlebags, the cost of housing. We will make real progress on that, but we have to get past this bit first. You have not heard the mini-budget and you should relax, sit back, listen, and then respond.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, we are getting awfully close to 11 am. I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Madam Speaker, I also say that, again, despite our repeated complaints, frivolous points of order are being used. I will give one final warning to the members opposite: if you keep it up we will change the rules so ministers can fully and comprehensively answer
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016