Mr McCARTHY - 2014-08-26
This relates to the up-and-coming, by-and-by reshuffle of the CLP. The member for Port Darwin should be sacked as Attorney-General for the Maley scandal, the Don Dale riot and for the Department of Children and Families being under pressure.
The member for Brennan has disastrously mismanaged education – 35 teachers, what a pretence; 125 have gone. The member for Sanderson has overseen cuts to Infrastructure that are sending small- and medium-size businesses into disrepair. The member for Katherine has delivered millions of dollars of water licences to his CLP mates, locking up reserves for crucial development of northern Australia. The member for Greatorex is your benchmark on ministerial standards. The member for Stuart is clearly not up to the job. The member for Araluen has been dealt a hospital that is not going anywhere. Is this why you cannot find a deputy?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the funny thing about having a strong and diverse team is that we just get on and do the job. While you come out with all of these little things willy-nilly, every day of every week, we are getting on and doing the job. Someone can sit in this chair or not, but crime and debt are still going down, the economy is still going up and kids are looking forward to having jobs into the future. It is a positive sign.
Palmerston hospital is still moving forward. It will still be built. Sport and tourism are still operating, and so is the live cattle trade thanks to the hard work of the minister for Primary Industry.
Prisoners are still working today. We still have $132.5m going towards residential and commercial land release …
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Why can you not find a deputy for Territorians?
Mr GILES: There are 6500 blocks of land as part of the biggest land release strategy in the Territory’s history. We are putting $400m into roads. Those tenders will still go out. Those roads will still be built and people will still continue to be connected.
I can tell you on behalf of the Minister for Community Services, homeland and outstation properties are now getting $5200 per house. This never happened under Labor. It is business as usual and things keep going.
Someone can sit in the chair, or they cannot; I will carry the workload. But business will keep going. In 2016-17, when the economy is forecast to dip thanks to Labor, we will ensure it continues to grow and prosper, business will be successful and job numbers will continue to grow ...
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a very direct question. Why can you not find a Deputy Chief Minister?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nightcliff, it is not a point of order. The question raised went across all portfolios and the Chief Minister is answering.
Mr GILES: Let me go on. The member for Drysdale will still be in her role of Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister, ensuring we celebrate the Anzac Centenary and we put all of our Festivals NT work into action.
The member for Blain will keep supporting business, as I said in my previous answer. The member for Daly will ensure our roads are built and we support the Daly, that we start a smooth transition for things like the local healthcare centre and solutions in regional and remote communities.
I know the member for Fong Lim is a massive supporter and continues to ensure we achieve economic growth in the Northern Territory, and that his electorate is the best and proudest in the Northern Territory on his behalf.
Seeing the change to some of the public housing complexes, providing long-term and stable tenure reform for people is part of what we want to do. We will achieve it no matter who sits in which chair. We are a broad church, a team, and are getting on with doing business and governance. As I said, crime and debt are going down, the economy and jobs are going up.
The member for Brennan has disastrously mismanaged education – 35 teachers, what a pretence; 125 have gone. The member for Sanderson has overseen cuts to Infrastructure that are sending small- and medium-size businesses into disrepair. The member for Katherine has delivered millions of dollars of water licences to his CLP mates, locking up reserves for crucial development of northern Australia. The member for Greatorex is your benchmark on ministerial standards. The member for Stuart is clearly not up to the job. The member for Araluen has been dealt a hospital that is not going anywhere. Is this why you cannot find a deputy?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the funny thing about having a strong and diverse team is that we just get on and do the job. While you come out with all of these little things willy-nilly, every day of every week, we are getting on and doing the job. Someone can sit in this chair or not, but crime and debt are still going down, the economy is still going up and kids are looking forward to having jobs into the future. It is a positive sign.
Palmerston hospital is still moving forward. It will still be built. Sport and tourism are still operating, and so is the live cattle trade thanks to the hard work of the minister for Primary Industry.
Prisoners are still working today. We still have $132.5m going towards residential and commercial land release …
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Why can you not find a deputy for Territorians?
Mr GILES: There are 6500 blocks of land as part of the biggest land release strategy in the Territory’s history. We are putting $400m into roads. Those tenders will still go out. Those roads will still be built and people will still continue to be connected.
I can tell you on behalf of the Minister for Community Services, homeland and outstation properties are now getting $5200 per house. This never happened under Labor. It is business as usual and things keep going.
Someone can sit in the chair, or they cannot; I will carry the workload. But business will keep going. In 2016-17, when the economy is forecast to dip thanks to Labor, we will ensure it continues to grow and prosper, business will be successful and job numbers will continue to grow ...
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a very direct question. Why can you not find a Deputy Chief Minister?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nightcliff, it is not a point of order. The question raised went across all portfolios and the Chief Minister is answering.
Mr GILES: Let me go on. The member for Drysdale will still be in her role of Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister, ensuring we celebrate the Anzac Centenary and we put all of our Festivals NT work into action.
The member for Blain will keep supporting business, as I said in my previous answer. The member for Daly will ensure our roads are built and we support the Daly, that we start a smooth transition for things like the local healthcare centre and solutions in regional and remote communities.
I know the member for Fong Lim is a massive supporter and continues to ensure we achieve economic growth in the Northern Territory, and that his electorate is the best and proudest in the Northern Territory on his behalf.
Seeing the change to some of the public housing complexes, providing long-term and stable tenure reform for people is part of what we want to do. We will achieve it no matter who sits in which chair. We are a broad church, a team, and are getting on with doing business and governance. As I said, crime and debt are going down, the economy and jobs are going up.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016