Mr GUNNER - 2016-02-11
Yesterday you claimed your failure to purchase shares in the CT Group meant you had done nothing wrong. Clauses 3.1 and 8.8 of the Ministerial Code of Conduct require you to take active steps to avoid conflicts of interest, declare them to the Chief Minister and ensure you do not misuse your position to gain private advantage.
Section 77 of the NT Criminal Code Act also makes attempting to gain advantage by virtue of your public office an offence punishable by seven years’ imprisonment.
Whether or not you purchased the shares is irrelevant. Does your attempt to purchase shares and your sharing of expression of interest information with the CT Group not represent a clear breach …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have taken the liberty of reading section 77 of the Criminal Code Act. It is an extremely long, impossible bow to draw.
Madam SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
Mr ELFERINK: The point of order is that raising that issue is the imputation you are counselling against.
Madam SPEAKER: No, please be seated. Member, have you finished your question?
Mr GUNNER: Does your attempt to purchase shares and your sharing of expression of interest information with the CT Group not represent a clear breach of the code of conduct and a possible breach of the Criminal Code Act?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his cheap shot of a question again. We are in this House of debate, where debates are supposed to be about the good things happening in the Northern Territory. That is what we would rather talk about, but the opposition is all too happy to continue to muckrake. You can see that from the tone of all the questions yesterday and from the first question fired across the Chamber by the Leader of the Opposition today.
As I said yesterday in my personal explanation, I considered taking out some investments with the CT Group and desisted of my own motion because of the potential for a conflict of interest. I will explain something about conflicts of interest. At least in my understanding, it is, under many circumstances, perfectly okay to have a conflict of interest as long as you declare it and do not put yourself in …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. The minister is saying there is a conflict of interest. When will you do the right thing and resign?
Madam SPEAKER: No, that is not a point of order.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: That is not true. As long as the interest is declared and the person who has this potential conflict of interest does not allow decisions made – in my case in my formal position as a minister of the Crown – to be influenced by that conflict, then there is no problem.
At the end of the day, what the Leader of the Opposition cannot seem to grasp is that I do not have a conflict of interest because I did not make any investments with the CT Group, a company with which the Northern Territory government has a relationship. I clearly articulated why yesterday. I take my responsibilities as a minister very seriously and I consider my duties as a minister of the Crown, particularly that of the Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, to be paramount and more important than any personal investments I might make.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of Year 11 legal students from Marrara Christian College accompanied by Darrell Leng. Welcome to Parliament House. I hope you learn something, legally-wise that is.
Madam SPEAKER: I also acknowledge the presence in the gallery of former Deputy Chief Minister, Syd Stirling, and Jenny Djerrkura. Welcome to Parliament House.
Members: Hear, hear!
Section 77 of the NT Criminal Code Act also makes attempting to gain advantage by virtue of your public office an offence punishable by seven years’ imprisonment.
Whether or not you purchased the shares is irrelevant. Does your attempt to purchase shares and your sharing of expression of interest information with the CT Group not represent a clear breach …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have taken the liberty of reading section 77 of the Criminal Code Act. It is an extremely long, impossible bow to draw.
Madam SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
Mr ELFERINK: The point of order is that raising that issue is the imputation you are counselling against.
Madam SPEAKER: No, please be seated. Member, have you finished your question?
Mr GUNNER: Does your attempt to purchase shares and your sharing of expression of interest information with the CT Group not represent a clear breach of the code of conduct and a possible breach of the Criminal Code Act?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his cheap shot of a question again. We are in this House of debate, where debates are supposed to be about the good things happening in the Northern Territory. That is what we would rather talk about, but the opposition is all too happy to continue to muckrake. You can see that from the tone of all the questions yesterday and from the first question fired across the Chamber by the Leader of the Opposition today.
As I said yesterday in my personal explanation, I considered taking out some investments with the CT Group and desisted of my own motion because of the potential for a conflict of interest. I will explain something about conflicts of interest. At least in my understanding, it is, under many circumstances, perfectly okay to have a conflict of interest as long as you declare it and do not put yourself in …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. The minister is saying there is a conflict of interest. When will you do the right thing and resign?
Madam SPEAKER: No, that is not a point of order.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: That is not true. As long as the interest is declared and the person who has this potential conflict of interest does not allow decisions made – in my case in my formal position as a minister of the Crown – to be influenced by that conflict, then there is no problem.
At the end of the day, what the Leader of the Opposition cannot seem to grasp is that I do not have a conflict of interest because I did not make any investments with the CT Group, a company with which the Northern Territory government has a relationship. I clearly articulated why yesterday. I take my responsibilities as a minister very seriously and I consider my duties as a minister of the Crown, particularly that of the Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, to be paramount and more important than any personal investments I might make.
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Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of Year 11 legal students from Marrara Christian College accompanied by Darrell Leng. Welcome to Parliament House. I hope you learn something, legally-wise that is.
Distinguished Visitor
Madam SPEAKER: I also acknowledge the presence in the gallery of former Deputy Chief Minister, Syd Stirling, and Jenny Djerrkura. Welcome to Parliament House.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016