Mr VOWLES - 2014-03-18
Last week, on radio, you said the member for Greatorex did not use offensive language towards the member for Namatjira in a recent meeting. I quote:
The member for Namatjira said she told you after the meeting that offensive language was used, and the member for Araluen has spoken out about the abuse, saying she can no longer be part of a cover-up. Can you explain why you said the member for Greatorex did not use offensive language, despite your colleagues telling you differently? Why have you not shown some leadership and taken disciplinary action against the member for Greatorex for his abhorrent, bullying behaviour?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Johnston for the question. Here we go with a race to the gutter. The member for Johnston, a new member of parliament - who does not add a very good contribution to this debate whether in the Chamber or outside - wants to go straight to the gutter. I could try to race him to the bottom but I am not going to. I could talk about Len Kiely and how the Leader of the Opposition stood side by side with him and promoted him to Cabinet. I could talk about Matthew Bonson. I could talk about you, but I will not. I am not reminding people of that. I have nothing to do with it. Chris Burns - I will not do it, but I will think about the question of leadership.
We are probably up to question six. Question one, from our side, was about Gove and what we have done in fighting for the people of Gove and the Nhulunbuy region, one of your electoral areas …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a very direct question: why has he not shown leadership and taken disciplinary action against the member for Greatorex for his bullying behaviour?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: In five questions, you have tried to ask something about governing in the Northern Territory and what is occurring. The first one, a leading question about disconnections, was factually wrong. The last one you had a briefing on yesterday and still could not find the answer, and now you have tried to get down to the gutter. We will not get down in the gutter with you guys; we will continue governing. We will continue turning up in Palmerston, announcing $3.1m for Roystonea Avenue to see the release of stages three and four of 1300 blocks of land there.
Mr VOWLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Will he show some leadership in what the member for Greatorex has said against the member for Namatjira?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: They can get through five questions about the future of the Northern Territory and then in one they want to go straight to the gutter. They cannot focus on the future of the Northern Territory. I was up early this morning …
Mr VOWLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. I seek an answer to the question: will he take disciplinary action against the member for Greatorex?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. The Chief Minister has time to answer the question as he sees fit.
Mr GILES: I was up early this morning, wondering what Question Time would be like. I thought, ‘How many questions before they try to get into the gutter and start yelling abuse across the Chamber?’ That took 30 seconds into the first question and how long before they went down into this area? I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be good to get a question from the member for Casuarina?’ I reflected on the last time a serious question - with relevance, without trying to snipe or cause any trouble - came into this parliament. It was a question from the member for Casuarina when he asked about reform of the port and we had the opportunity of giving a serious answer.
Ms Walker: Show some leadership; get on the front foot and show what you are doing.
Mr GILES: The member for Nhulunbuy likes to interject. There has not been one question about Gove. Thousands of people are due to leave Gove; we had an announcement by Rio Tinto of $500m …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question was: what action will you take to discipline the member for Greatorex for his bullying behaviour?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. The question was not relevant to your portfolio or ministerial responsibility, so you do not have to answer any further if you do not wish to.
Mr GILES: I am happy to keep talking, Madam Speaker, because it is important. It is about leadership and standing up to say we are fighting for the people of Nhulunbuy. There was a $500m package announced today, plus an additional $50m, plus the billions we are putting in and there is not one question from the local member.
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: It shows your dedication and commitment to the people of the Northern Territory and the people of your region. There is no …
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, Standing Order 51 states:
Opposition members, I warn you all, some of you are on a warning and some of you may be on a warning very soon. Do not yell across the Chamber, you will be asked to leave immediately with no warning. The same goes for government members.
Mr GILES: It is highly disappointing, once again, the opposition is not contributing to policy debate, but muckraking and trying to cause trouble.
- Matt Conlan didn’t say that, I never heard him say that.
The member for Namatjira said she told you after the meeting that offensive language was used, and the member for Araluen has spoken out about the abuse, saying she can no longer be part of a cover-up. Can you explain why you said the member for Greatorex did not use offensive language, despite your colleagues telling you differently? Why have you not shown some leadership and taken disciplinary action against the member for Greatorex for his abhorrent, bullying behaviour?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Johnston for the question. Here we go with a race to the gutter. The member for Johnston, a new member of parliament - who does not add a very good contribution to this debate whether in the Chamber or outside - wants to go straight to the gutter. I could try to race him to the bottom but I am not going to. I could talk about Len Kiely and how the Leader of the Opposition stood side by side with him and promoted him to Cabinet. I could talk about Matthew Bonson. I could talk about you, but I will not. I am not reminding people of that. I have nothing to do with it. Chris Burns - I will not do it, but I will think about the question of leadership.
We are probably up to question six. Question one, from our side, was about Gove and what we have done in fighting for the people of Gove and the Nhulunbuy region, one of your electoral areas …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a very direct question: why has he not shown leadership and taken disciplinary action against the member for Greatorex for his bullying behaviour?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: In five questions, you have tried to ask something about governing in the Northern Territory and what is occurring. The first one, a leading question about disconnections, was factually wrong. The last one you had a briefing on yesterday and still could not find the answer, and now you have tried to get down to the gutter. We will not get down in the gutter with you guys; we will continue governing. We will continue turning up in Palmerston, announcing $3.1m for Roystonea Avenue to see the release of stages three and four of 1300 blocks of land there.
Mr VOWLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Will he show some leadership in what the member for Greatorex has said against the member for Namatjira?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: They can get through five questions about the future of the Northern Territory and then in one they want to go straight to the gutter. They cannot focus on the future of the Northern Territory. I was up early this morning …
Mr VOWLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. I seek an answer to the question: will he take disciplinary action against the member for Greatorex?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. The Chief Minister has time to answer the question as he sees fit.
Mr GILES: I was up early this morning, wondering what Question Time would be like. I thought, ‘How many questions before they try to get into the gutter and start yelling abuse across the Chamber?’ That took 30 seconds into the first question and how long before they went down into this area? I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be good to get a question from the member for Casuarina?’ I reflected on the last time a serious question - with relevance, without trying to snipe or cause any trouble - came into this parliament. It was a question from the member for Casuarina when he asked about reform of the port and we had the opportunity of giving a serious answer.
Ms Walker: Show some leadership; get on the front foot and show what you are doing.
Mr GILES: The member for Nhulunbuy likes to interject. There has not been one question about Gove. Thousands of people are due to leave Gove; we had an announcement by Rio Tinto of $500m …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question was: what action will you take to discipline the member for Greatorex for his bullying behaviour?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. The question was not relevant to your portfolio or ministerial responsibility, so you do not have to answer any further if you do not wish to.
Mr GILES: I am happy to keep talking, Madam Speaker, because it is important. It is about leadership and standing up to say we are fighting for the people of Nhulunbuy. There was a $500m package announced today, plus an additional $50m, plus the billions we are putting in and there is not one question from the local member.
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: It shows your dedication and commitment to the people of the Northern Territory and the people of your region. There is no …
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, Standing Order 51 states:
- No Member may converse aloud or make any noise or disturbance, which in the opinion of the Speaker is designed to interrupt or has the effect of interrupting a Member speaking.
Opposition members, I warn you all, some of you are on a warning and some of you may be on a warning very soon. Do not yell across the Chamber, you will be asked to leave immediately with no warning. The same goes for government members.
Mr GILES: It is highly disappointing, once again, the opposition is not contributing to policy debate, but muckraking and trying to cause trouble.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016