Ms LAWRIE - 2013-08-28
Chief Minister, on Monday, the Police Association President said at a conference you had breached their trust over police numbers. Teachers are saying, despite what your minister said, they are being sacked from our schools and, with the education cuts, teachers from our schools will fail students.
Now, 73 nurses at Royal Darwin Hospital who work in the Emergency Department have signed a petition to your Health minister about the double-bunking policies which exist there, putting staff, nurses, doctors and patients at risk.
Police, teachers, nurses, and public servants are all speaking out against actions of your government. How do you defend your appalling track record of sacking teachers, creating a crisis at Royal Darwin Hospital, and hurting public servants through job cuts while you deny it all? How do you defend that?
Madam SPEAKER: Member, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Where do you start with this, Leader of the Opposition? Police numbers: we committed 120 extra police, we have already put 20 extra in Alice Springs. At the Police Association recently I tabled when the new graduates will come through each different squad. I spoke about the additional 120 police.
In regard to nursing and double-bunking, why not look at how many beds have been taken up by asylum seekers? A total of 1400 beds will be taken up by asylum seekers this financial year. That is 1400 bed nights. You wonder why there is increased pressure on the hospital. This is another failed Territory Labor promise.
If you want to talk about education, we put more money into education this year than you did last year. Research from around the world shows if you put money into primary education it is the best place to get results.
What is the Minister for Education and our government doing? We are putting more money into primary education. In the bush, where all the kids are in primary education - there are more teachers in the bush for primary education.
You were leading with your chin with your last question to the Minister for Education about remote teachers. There are more teachers. The Minister for Education is conducting an Indigenous education review in bush areas. The last time this was done was by a former member of parliament, Bob Collins, with Learning Lessons. How well did Bob Collins go?
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Will he answer the question and address nurses’ issues at Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department and double-bunking?
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr GILES: I have answered your questions. There were 1400 beds taken up this financial year by asylum seekers. That is not the only reason, but that is happening. Do you want to talk about that? There are an extra 120 police. There is a remote Indigenous education review where we are putting more teachers into remote education through the primary years. That is a good outcome - more money into education this financial year than last financial year.
The review will reflect back on Learning Lessons by Bob Collins. Have we not learnt lessons about Bob Collins?
This is a ridiculous question. I can defend every one - more money into police, health and primary education. We are getting results while managing a $5.5bn debt.
However, I congratulate the Leader of the Opposition. Many of us do petitions from time to time. We walk in with book loads of people who have signed signatures, but the Leader of the Opposition has managed to get 75 signatures. I am not belittling the people who signed that …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Will he answer the question and address nurses’ concerns about double-bunking?
Madam SPEAKER: The Chief Minister has the call.
Mr GILES: I have answered it twice. The Leader of the Opposition has a petition with 75 signatures ...
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Answer the question. Could you also direct him to direct his answer through the Chair? This is not the comedy hour to his audience.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, could you direct your comments through the Chair.
Mr GILES: The comedy hour sits in the member for Nhulunbuy’s seat - a very bad human being.
Madam Speaker, I have answered every one of those questions. If you want more detail, start finding out what it is all about.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Now, 73 nurses at Royal Darwin Hospital who work in the Emergency Department have signed a petition to your Health minister about the double-bunking policies which exist there, putting staff, nurses, doctors and patients at risk.
Police, teachers, nurses, and public servants are all speaking out against actions of your government. How do you defend your appalling track record of sacking teachers, creating a crisis at Royal Darwin Hospital, and hurting public servants through job cuts while you deny it all? How do you defend that?
Madam SPEAKER: Member, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Where do you start with this, Leader of the Opposition? Police numbers: we committed 120 extra police, we have already put 20 extra in Alice Springs. At the Police Association recently I tabled when the new graduates will come through each different squad. I spoke about the additional 120 police.
In regard to nursing and double-bunking, why not look at how many beds have been taken up by asylum seekers? A total of 1400 beds will be taken up by asylum seekers this financial year. That is 1400 bed nights. You wonder why there is increased pressure on the hospital. This is another failed Territory Labor promise.
If you want to talk about education, we put more money into education this year than you did last year. Research from around the world shows if you put money into primary education it is the best place to get results.
What is the Minister for Education and our government doing? We are putting more money into primary education. In the bush, where all the kids are in primary education - there are more teachers in the bush for primary education.
You were leading with your chin with your last question to the Minister for Education about remote teachers. There are more teachers. The Minister for Education is conducting an Indigenous education review in bush areas. The last time this was done was by a former member of parliament, Bob Collins, with Learning Lessons. How well did Bob Collins go?
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Will he answer the question and address nurses’ issues at Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department and double-bunking?
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr GILES: I have answered your questions. There were 1400 beds taken up this financial year by asylum seekers. That is not the only reason, but that is happening. Do you want to talk about that? There are an extra 120 police. There is a remote Indigenous education review where we are putting more teachers into remote education through the primary years. That is a good outcome - more money into education this financial year than last financial year.
The review will reflect back on Learning Lessons by Bob Collins. Have we not learnt lessons about Bob Collins?
This is a ridiculous question. I can defend every one - more money into police, health and primary education. We are getting results while managing a $5.5bn debt.
However, I congratulate the Leader of the Opposition. Many of us do petitions from time to time. We walk in with book loads of people who have signed signatures, but the Leader of the Opposition has managed to get 75 signatures. I am not belittling the people who signed that …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Will he answer the question and address nurses’ concerns about double-bunking?
Madam SPEAKER: The Chief Minister has the call.
Mr GILES: I have answered it twice. The Leader of the Opposition has a petition with 75 signatures ...
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Answer the question. Could you also direct him to direct his answer through the Chair? This is not the comedy hour to his audience.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, could you direct your comments through the Chair.
Mr GILES: The comedy hour sits in the member for Nhulunbuy’s seat - a very bad human being.
Madam Speaker, I have answered every one of those questions. If you want more detail, start finding out what it is all about.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016