Ms MOSS - 2015-02-19
On 11 June 2014 you said Darwin has the lowest cost of living of any Australian capital city. During the Casuarina by-election, you said your Fuel Price Disclosure Bill would start to put a downward pressure on fuel prices in the Northern Territory. Only last week it was revealed that this bill would not have a direct impact on reducing fuel prices in the Territory.
A good government would not cynically parade relief from high fuel prices to entice favour or votes from suffering Territorians. Why did you cruelly suggest that you could influence fuel prices in the Territory during the Casuarina by-election, yet fail to deliver any real relief at the bowsers for Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the new member for Casuarina for her question. Most of the question is completely incorrect or misleading at best. There was a report …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask the Chief Minister to withdraw misleading.
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: No, you will not speak to the point of order. Sit down, member for Port Darwin. Chief Minister, can you please rephrase your answer a little please.
Mr GILES: What was said was completely incorrect. A report was written – I think it was a Mercer report – which indicated an international study of approximately 300 capital cities around the world which looked at the cost of relocating people from a business point of view …
Ms Fyles: Where you compared Rapid Creek to Toorak.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GILES: It had nothing to do with the Northern Territory government. It was issued on an international basis. You should go back to that point in time, member for Casuarina.
In regard to the fuel prices, much has changed since the start of the debate. The person running against you raised the debate and assisted to bring down the price of fuel. I have not seen you doing anything about the price of fuel. It is interesting that you mentioned the bill and the parliamentary committee looking at it, which contains members from both sides of the Chamber. You said you think the bill will not make a difference to fuel prices. I wonder how you know that, because at the last fuel price committee meeting the member for Johnston did not turn up.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The comment was made in a public hearing.
Madam SPEAKER: Sit down. It is not a point of order. You know what has to be done; you must have a standing order number.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that the Chief Minister withdraw that last assertion. Yesterday the House was advised the member for Johnston was sick that day.
Madam SPEAKER: You do not have a point of order either. Sit down.
Mr GILES: Hard-working people turn up even if they have a runny nose, but the member for Johnston did not turn up at the fuel committee hearing and the member for Nightcliff played on her phone the whole time ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 62: offensive.
Madam SPEAKER: No, it is not offensive.
Mr GILES: If you want to make statements which are completely incorrect, you will cop it back with accuracy. We are trying to fix fuel prices. We have gone to a committee. Everyone wants transparency and consultation. We are doing it with this bill. Labor plays populist politics. You do not even turn up to the committee hearings to debate it, or you play on your phone the whole time.
I do not know the price of fuel as at the Casuarina by-election, but I think it was around $1.73. If I went to the United Petroleum or BP service station down the road, the price of fuel is probably $1.23. I am sure that is a 50c per litre difference, which is making a difference to Territorians, their families and their hip pockets. This is how we are trying to drive down the cost of living.
We are taking the same approach with Housing. We are releasing land like never before, seeing housing and unit construction at a point where the prices are starting to create downward pressure and ease the squeeze in housing for families, reducing rent and home ownership problems.
This is a good thing and I encourage you, if you are interested in fuel prices, to get your colleagues to turn up at the committee and have a say.
A good government would not cynically parade relief from high fuel prices to entice favour or votes from suffering Territorians. Why did you cruelly suggest that you could influence fuel prices in the Territory during the Casuarina by-election, yet fail to deliver any real relief at the bowsers for Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the new member for Casuarina for her question. Most of the question is completely incorrect or misleading at best. There was a report …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask the Chief Minister to withdraw misleading.
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: No, you will not speak to the point of order. Sit down, member for Port Darwin. Chief Minister, can you please rephrase your answer a little please.
Mr GILES: What was said was completely incorrect. A report was written – I think it was a Mercer report – which indicated an international study of approximately 300 capital cities around the world which looked at the cost of relocating people from a business point of view …
Ms Fyles: Where you compared Rapid Creek to Toorak.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GILES: It had nothing to do with the Northern Territory government. It was issued on an international basis. You should go back to that point in time, member for Casuarina.
In regard to the fuel prices, much has changed since the start of the debate. The person running against you raised the debate and assisted to bring down the price of fuel. I have not seen you doing anything about the price of fuel. It is interesting that you mentioned the bill and the parliamentary committee looking at it, which contains members from both sides of the Chamber. You said you think the bill will not make a difference to fuel prices. I wonder how you know that, because at the last fuel price committee meeting the member for Johnston did not turn up.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The comment was made in a public hearing.
Madam SPEAKER: Sit down. It is not a point of order. You know what has to be done; you must have a standing order number.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that the Chief Minister withdraw that last assertion. Yesterday the House was advised the member for Johnston was sick that day.
Madam SPEAKER: You do not have a point of order either. Sit down.
Mr GILES: Hard-working people turn up even if they have a runny nose, but the member for Johnston did not turn up at the fuel committee hearing and the member for Nightcliff played on her phone the whole time ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 62: offensive.
Madam SPEAKER: No, it is not offensive.
Mr GILES: If you want to make statements which are completely incorrect, you will cop it back with accuracy. We are trying to fix fuel prices. We have gone to a committee. Everyone wants transparency and consultation. We are doing it with this bill. Labor plays populist politics. You do not even turn up to the committee hearings to debate it, or you play on your phone the whole time.
I do not know the price of fuel as at the Casuarina by-election, but I think it was around $1.73. If I went to the United Petroleum or BP service station down the road, the price of fuel is probably $1.23. I am sure that is a 50c per litre difference, which is making a difference to Territorians, their families and their hip pockets. This is how we are trying to drive down the cost of living.
We are taking the same approach with Housing. We are releasing land like never before, seeing housing and unit construction at a point where the prices are starting to create downward pressure and ease the squeeze in housing for families, reducing rent and home ownership problems.
This is a good thing and I encourage you, if you are interested in fuel prices, to get your colleagues to turn up at the committee and have a say.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016