Ms FINOCCHIARO - 2013-02-12
Can you explain to the House the results of your efforts to save the Gove alumina refinery?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thought, acknowledging the importance of the matter that faced the previous government and now has come to the responsibility of the new government, that this would have been the opposition’s first question. It is of great interest to the member on your side, but of importance to the Northern Territory and the future of the Territory. No, it was not your first question; you do not have that type of register. Your register is more about things that can advance your grubby agenda. The fact is ...
Members interjecting.
Mr MILLS: There you go, you have just confirmed it.
I put on the record what has occurred. This is very important. There have been accusations and the Opposition Leader likes to say, ‘Look, it was just so easy’. If it was so easy, how is it that all the former Chief Minister managed to do was take receipt of a letter from Pacific Aluminium which made specific requests, took seven months to respond to that letter, and a new government which has been in office for five-and-a-half months has managed to finish the deal?
It may be very difficult for you to grasp, Opposition Leader, that this is not about the achievements of the government. It is about laying foundations for the future of the Northern Territory. It was not about caving in and handing something across to Pacific Aluminium. I am desperately concerned for the anxiety levels held by the members of the Nhulunbuy community. They were placed in an awful position by a decision of faceless men a long way from here: Rio Tinto in London. My actions, and the actions of this government, were to ensure we advantaged this situation to provide security for Nhulunbuy and to ensure we set the Territory on a solid footing going forward
We have managed to achieve an assurance that there are quantities of gas to secure our future. However, most importantly, use this as an opportunity to expand our infrastructure with a commitment to have that pipeline built, and not only that, but to start to drive out another pipeline from Tennant Creek to Mt Isa which will plug our grid into the eastern seaboard. The work of this government is to ensure we are in a much stronger position. This is not about the short-term, Opposition Leader, this is not about trying to manage the politics right here and now, it is thinking ahead to 15 years’ time when some of us will not be here. People will look back and admire the decisions and actions of this government.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thought, acknowledging the importance of the matter that faced the previous government and now has come to the responsibility of the new government, that this would have been the opposition’s first question. It is of great interest to the member on your side, but of importance to the Northern Territory and the future of the Territory. No, it was not your first question; you do not have that type of register. Your register is more about things that can advance your grubby agenda. The fact is ...
Members interjecting.
Mr MILLS: There you go, you have just confirmed it.
I put on the record what has occurred. This is very important. There have been accusations and the Opposition Leader likes to say, ‘Look, it was just so easy’. If it was so easy, how is it that all the former Chief Minister managed to do was take receipt of a letter from Pacific Aluminium which made specific requests, took seven months to respond to that letter, and a new government which has been in office for five-and-a-half months has managed to finish the deal?
It may be very difficult for you to grasp, Opposition Leader, that this is not about the achievements of the government. It is about laying foundations for the future of the Northern Territory. It was not about caving in and handing something across to Pacific Aluminium. I am desperately concerned for the anxiety levels held by the members of the Nhulunbuy community. They were placed in an awful position by a decision of faceless men a long way from here: Rio Tinto in London. My actions, and the actions of this government, were to ensure we advantaged this situation to provide security for Nhulunbuy and to ensure we set the Territory on a solid footing going forward
We have managed to achieve an assurance that there are quantities of gas to secure our future. However, most importantly, use this as an opportunity to expand our infrastructure with a commitment to have that pipeline built, and not only that, but to start to drive out another pipeline from Tennant Creek to Mt Isa which will plug our grid into the eastern seaboard. The work of this government is to ensure we are in a much stronger position. This is not about the short-term, Opposition Leader, this is not about trying to manage the politics right here and now, it is thinking ahead to 15 years’ time when some of us will not be here. People will look back and admire the decisions and actions of this government.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016