Mr HIGGINS - 2014-03-27
You called the date for the election in Blain and any advertising going out must now adhere to the Electoral Act. Can you explain to the House what obligations this act places on political parties and candidates?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I know the member for Daly is very interested in what is going on in the seat of Blain and that dirty tactics being used there. I have a copy of one of the advertisements - I am not sure who this bloke is. It is the Labor guy. I did a comparison: the fellow the Leader of the Opposition did not support as a candidate for Labor but was rolled by her own party versus Nathan Barrett, the Country Liberals’ candidate, and what he is doing for the seat of Blain. I have blown it up so people know the advertisement I am talking about. Let us go through some of these mistruths. It says, ‘Labor did not increase your power bills by 34%. Nathan Barrett did increase your power bills by 34%’.
What a complete lie and a mistruth in the advertisement. Power bills did not go up by 34% and Nathan Barrett is not even in parliament. The Country Liberals did not increase the power bills by 34%. If you want to see a reduction in power bills, tell Electricity Bill Shorten in Canberra, Labor’s federal leader, to support removing the carbon tax and you will see the cost of power go down.
Here is another one: education:
If you want to talk about schools and teachers in the Blain electorate – this is another lie.
Let us look at fishing. ‘Labor ruled our damming the Elizabeth River and Nathan Barrett planned to dam the Elizabeth River.’ Another lie - no one is damming the Elizabeth River; no one is building a weir on the Elizabeth River.
Let us look at this last one. This one really makes me laugh; it is in the Minister for Health’s portfolio and I am sure she will enjoy it. It says, under health, ‘Labor started building the Palmerston hospital. The Country Liberals delayed building the Palmerston hospital’.
I would challenge anyone to go to the vacant block in Palmerston, where there was a cyclone fence and a sign, and see whether there has been any start to the Palmerston hospital. People will see there is no start to Palmerston hospital. If you drive up the road, you will see a site 15 times bigger, identified by the Country Liberals, where we are building the Palmerston hospital. You will see road works commencing soon for construction of a hospital which will support the growth and development of northern Australia and the greater Darwin area for the next 50 years and, despite $5.5bn worth of Labor debt legacy, we will build the hospital.
There is only one party with plans for the future, and it is the Country Liberals.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I know the member for Daly is very interested in what is going on in the seat of Blain and that dirty tactics being used there. I have a copy of one of the advertisements - I am not sure who this bloke is. It is the Labor guy. I did a comparison: the fellow the Leader of the Opposition did not support as a candidate for Labor but was rolled by her own party versus Nathan Barrett, the Country Liberals’ candidate, and what he is doing for the seat of Blain. I have blown it up so people know the advertisement I am talking about. Let us go through some of these mistruths. It says, ‘Labor did not increase your power bills by 34%. Nathan Barrett did increase your power bills by 34%’.
What a complete lie and a mistruth in the advertisement. Power bills did not go up by 34% and Nathan Barrett is not even in parliament. The Country Liberals did not increase the power bills by 34%. If you want to see a reduction in power bills, tell Electricity Bill Shorten in Canberra, Labor’s federal leader, to support removing the carbon tax and you will see the cost of power go down.
Here is another one: education:
- Labor built Rosebery Middle and Primary Schools.
If you want to talk about schools and teachers in the Blain electorate – this is another lie.
Let us look at fishing. ‘Labor ruled our damming the Elizabeth River and Nathan Barrett planned to dam the Elizabeth River.’ Another lie - no one is damming the Elizabeth River; no one is building a weir on the Elizabeth River.
Let us look at this last one. This one really makes me laugh; it is in the Minister for Health’s portfolio and I am sure she will enjoy it. It says, under health, ‘Labor started building the Palmerston hospital. The Country Liberals delayed building the Palmerston hospital’.
I would challenge anyone to go to the vacant block in Palmerston, where there was a cyclone fence and a sign, and see whether there has been any start to the Palmerston hospital. People will see there is no start to Palmerston hospital. If you drive up the road, you will see a site 15 times bigger, identified by the Country Liberals, where we are building the Palmerston hospital. You will see road works commencing soon for construction of a hospital which will support the growth and development of northern Australia and the greater Darwin area for the next 50 years and, despite $5.5bn worth of Labor debt legacy, we will build the hospital.
There is only one party with plans for the future, and it is the Country Liberals.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016