Mr BARRETT - 2015-02-25
Two letters in the local newspaper have made various allegations against government, attributing comments to you about changes you will bring forward in the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Legislation Amendment Bill. Have you ignored a request to meet with firefighters to discuss changes to the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Blain, like all on this side, values our Police, Fire and Emergency Service personnel. I thank the member for his question.
Misinformation and false statements have been made by the Labor opposition. I want to put the truth on the record. I have not ignored the request to meet firefighters to discuss changes to the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act, as was claimed in the NT News. I have responded to the request from United Voice for a briefing on the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Legislation Amendment Bill; 5 March is the mutually agreed date for that meeting.
The letter writer also repeated the lie, made by the Labor Party, that I labelled a rally organised by firefighters as a sham. The only person in parliament who made that claim was the Labor member for Nhulunbuy. Time and time again the Labor Party uses parliament to perpetuate lies, and this is another such example.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please withdraw those references to lies.
Mr STYLES: I am referring to the Labor Party, not one person in particular. I would love to know who it is and I will refer to them.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! He referred to a specific member in this Chamber and he should withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: He did not refer to the member in a derogatory manner.
Mr STYLES: The letter writer had clearly been fed the lie by the Labor Party ...
Ms Lawrie interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, that is not a carte blanche to start unparliamentary behaviour. You are on a warning.
Mr Vowles interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Johnston, you are on a warning as well. Minister, please delete references to lies in your speech.
Mr STYLES: Does that include the Labor Party, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, it does now, and anyone else for that matter.
Mr STYLES: All right, I will do my very best not to use that word.
The letter writer has clearly been fed the misinformation from the Labor Party. Never at any stage have I labelled firefighters cynical scammers. It is misinformation to claim that I called firefighters cynical scammers. I quote the Hansard on what I said:
If they cannot understand that, obviously they cannot read or write.
I go on with my quote:
As a former police officer and the proud father of an NT firefighter I, possibly more than anyone in this House, value the safety and wellbeing of firefighters, more so than the member for Nhulunbuy and her leader, who have no credibility in this issue. They cannot read or write, they are obviously misleading the public and the letter writers to the NT News ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! He accused the member for Nhulunbuy and me of misleading.
Madam SPEAKER: He did not. Sit down.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, if he did, will it be expunged from Hansard?
Madam SPEAKER: Sit down!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Blain, like all on this side, values our Police, Fire and Emergency Service personnel. I thank the member for his question.
Misinformation and false statements have been made by the Labor opposition. I want to put the truth on the record. I have not ignored the request to meet firefighters to discuss changes to the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act, as was claimed in the NT News. I have responded to the request from United Voice for a briefing on the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Legislation Amendment Bill; 5 March is the mutually agreed date for that meeting.
The letter writer also repeated the lie, made by the Labor Party, that I labelled a rally organised by firefighters as a sham. The only person in parliament who made that claim was the Labor member for Nhulunbuy. Time and time again the Labor Party uses parliament to perpetuate lies, and this is another such example.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please withdraw those references to lies.
Mr STYLES: I am referring to the Labor Party, not one person in particular. I would love to know who it is and I will refer to them.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! He referred to a specific member in this Chamber and he should withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: He did not refer to the member in a derogatory manner.
Mr STYLES: The letter writer had clearly been fed the lie by the Labor Party ...
Ms Lawrie interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, that is not a carte blanche to start unparliamentary behaviour. You are on a warning.
Mr Vowles interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Johnston, you are on a warning as well. Minister, please delete references to lies in your speech.
Mr STYLES: Does that include the Labor Party, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, it does now, and anyone else for that matter.
Mr STYLES: All right, I will do my very best not to use that word.
The letter writer has clearly been fed the misinformation from the Labor Party. Never at any stage have I labelled firefighters cynical scammers. It is misinformation to claim that I called firefighters cynical scammers. I quote the Hansard on what I said:
- … the Labor Opposition Leader engaged in a sham, with firefighters as the pawns …
If they cannot understand that, obviously they cannot read or write.
I go on with my quote:
- The Opposition Leader promised if she ever became the Chief Minister – God help the Territory if that ever happens – one of her first actions would be to introduce presumptive legislation for firefighters.
This is hypocrisy of the worst kind from the Leader of the Opposition. The Labor Opposition Leader could have done something real to help firefighters. As the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services said, they had 11 years to do this and did nothing. We have been in for two years and we are about to bring the legislation into the House. What a sham and a disgrace by members opposite. The CLP government has taken action and we will soon see the introduction of the presumptive legislation for Territory firefighters. The opposition knows this too well.
As a former police officer and the proud father of an NT firefighter I, possibly more than anyone in this House, value the safety and wellbeing of firefighters, more so than the member for Nhulunbuy and her leader, who have no credibility in this issue. They cannot read or write, they are obviously misleading the public and the letter writers to the NT News ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! He accused the member for Nhulunbuy and me of misleading.
Madam SPEAKER: He did not. Sit down.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, if he did, will it be expunged from Hansard?
Madam SPEAKER: Sit down!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016