Mrs HICKEY - 1995-11-28
My question follows on from a question asked by the member for Wanguri. If the minister feels that he has not had this exact question provided to him before, I am happy for him to provide the information to me at a later time before the end of these sittings. In his evidence to the Public Accounts Committee in regard to the purchase of wheelchairs from Modular Medical Products, the assistant secretary, Mr Peter Allen, said that the then secretary, Mr Geoff Spring, initiated the purchase and directed him to pursue it. Was there any correspondence between the then secretary, Mr Geoff Spring, and the then minister, the member for Port Darwin, in relation to this purchase? Was there any notification by the then secretary, Mr Geoff Spring, to the then minister, the member for Port Darwin, in relation to this irregular purchase?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I dispute the terminology `irregular purchase'.
Mr Stirling: What would you call it?
Mr HATTON: A regular purchase.
Mr Stirling: Oh, you do that all the time?
Mr HATTON: As a matter of interest, I had the pleasure last Saturday of attending the opening, with Hon Warren Snowdon, of Urapuntja School. Guess what was there? A Modular Medical Products wheelchair, with a young Aboriginal child in it. The parents could not have expressed greater pleasure over having access to that wheelchair, nor could the ...
Mr Bailey: There is no problem with them ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HATTON: ... physically disabled child in being able to participate actively in a mainstream class.
Members interjecting.
Mr HATTON: It is interesting that members opposite would ignore these kids.
Mr Stirling: Get away!
Members interjecting.
Mr HATTON: We have already made provision for them to study.
Page 1064
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HATTON: With all this fuss, we are talking here about the purchase of a series of wheelchairs, which have a use in education, at a total cost of less than $50 000.
Mr Stirling: Yes, that makes it all right!
Mr HATTON: Given the conspiracy psychosis that the member for Wanguri has, probably we have spent $0.25m researching it.
Mr Bailey: Then how come the minister never knows the answers? What about the other ...
Mr HATTON: A report on a PAC inquiry has been tabled in the Assembly and question after question has been answered. I dread to think of the extent to which officers of the Department of Education have been diverted from their core business of improving education in order to answer irrelevant questions about a few wheelchairs.
Mrs Hickey: Answer the question. Was there any correspondence ...
Members interjecting.
Mr HATTON: There is nothing secret about it. It has been outlined.
Mr Bailey: No, it has not.
Mr HATTON: The wheelchairs were bought. That was admitted. Certainly, a specific certificate of exemption form was not filled out at the time and submitted to the Supply and Tender Board. That is a matter of public record.
Mr Bailey: There was no order form, no requisition, no notification of ...
Mr HATTON: All that is a matter of public record. That is why the member for Wanguri interjects in this way.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr HATTON: No, he wants something new.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: He had lied to this Chamber.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Page 1065
Mr PALMER: A point of order, Mr Speaker!
Mr SPEAKER: I ask the member for Wanguri to withdraw that comment.
Mr BAILEY: I withdraw it.
Mr SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr Bailey: It was a matter that we tried to have referred to the Privileges Committee to enable us to say it ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education and Training is on his feet attempting to answer a question. I ask the member for Wanguri to hold his tongue.
Mr HATTON: Mr Speaker, I thought that I was answering a question without notice, not participating in a debate ...
Mr Bailey: No, you are not.
Mr HATTON: ... or a committee stage argument.
Mr Bailey: We do not have those here.
Mr HATTON: It is reported in the Parliamentary Record that those specific forms were not completed. In fact, exemption authorisations were received retrospectively. That fact was recorded by the Auditor-General in his report ...
Mr Bailey: No, it is not. Get it right, Steve!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HATTON: The Auditor-General reported on that.
I refer again to the answers that I gave in the last sittings of this House. Those answers outlined the circumstances specifically. No, it was not a certificate of exemption. The Auditor-General noted also that corrective action had been taken in the department.
Mr Bailey: No. He quoted what the department had said, and it misleads the parliament.
Mr HATTON: For the benefit of members, when I answer the member for Wanguri's specific questions, I will include the comments that the Auditor-General made in that report. Certainly, he was critical of the department not having followed required procedures, but he noted that corrective action had been taken.
Mr Bailey: No. The quote said that the department said that corrective action had been taken.
Page 1066
Mr HATTON: It noted that corrective action had been taken. We are merely going around in circles.
Mrs Padgham-Purich: It is a little boring.
Mr HATTON: It is totally boring, Mr Speaker. I think members opposite are attempting merely to waste the time of the House.
Mr Bailey: No, we are trying to make you guys accountable.
Page 1067
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I dispute the terminology `irregular purchase'.
Mr Stirling: What would you call it?
Mr HATTON: A regular purchase.
Mr Stirling: Oh, you do that all the time?
Mr HATTON: As a matter of interest, I had the pleasure last Saturday of attending the opening, with Hon Warren Snowdon, of Urapuntja School. Guess what was there? A Modular Medical Products wheelchair, with a young Aboriginal child in it. The parents could not have expressed greater pleasure over having access to that wheelchair, nor could the ...
Mr Bailey: There is no problem with them ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HATTON: ... physically disabled child in being able to participate actively in a mainstream class.
Members interjecting.
Mr HATTON: It is interesting that members opposite would ignore these kids.
Mr Stirling: Get away!
Members interjecting.
Mr HATTON: We have already made provision for them to study.
Page 1064
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HATTON: With all this fuss, we are talking here about the purchase of a series of wheelchairs, which have a use in education, at a total cost of less than $50 000.
Mr Stirling: Yes, that makes it all right!
Mr HATTON: Given the conspiracy psychosis that the member for Wanguri has, probably we have spent $0.25m researching it.
Mr Bailey: Then how come the minister never knows the answers? What about the other ...
Mr HATTON: A report on a PAC inquiry has been tabled in the Assembly and question after question has been answered. I dread to think of the extent to which officers of the Department of Education have been diverted from their core business of improving education in order to answer irrelevant questions about a few wheelchairs.
Mrs Hickey: Answer the question. Was there any correspondence ...
Members interjecting.
Mr HATTON: There is nothing secret about it. It has been outlined.
Mr Bailey: No, it has not.
Mr HATTON: The wheelchairs were bought. That was admitted. Certainly, a specific certificate of exemption form was not filled out at the time and submitted to the Supply and Tender Board. That is a matter of public record.
Mr Bailey: There was no order form, no requisition, no notification of ...
Mr HATTON: All that is a matter of public record. That is why the member for Wanguri interjects in this way.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr HATTON: No, he wants something new.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: He had lied to this Chamber.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Page 1065
Mr PALMER: A point of order, Mr Speaker!
Mr SPEAKER: I ask the member for Wanguri to withdraw that comment.
Mr BAILEY: I withdraw it.
Mr SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr Bailey: It was a matter that we tried to have referred to the Privileges Committee to enable us to say it ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education and Training is on his feet attempting to answer a question. I ask the member for Wanguri to hold his tongue.
Mr HATTON: Mr Speaker, I thought that I was answering a question without notice, not participating in a debate ...
Mr Bailey: No, you are not.
Mr HATTON: ... or a committee stage argument.
Mr Bailey: We do not have those here.
Mr HATTON: It is reported in the Parliamentary Record that those specific forms were not completed. In fact, exemption authorisations were received retrospectively. That fact was recorded by the Auditor-General in his report ...
Mr Bailey: No, it is not. Get it right, Steve!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HATTON: The Auditor-General reported on that.
I refer again to the answers that I gave in the last sittings of this House. Those answers outlined the circumstances specifically. No, it was not a certificate of exemption. The Auditor-General noted also that corrective action had been taken in the department.
Mr Bailey: No. He quoted what the department had said, and it misleads the parliament.
Mr HATTON: For the benefit of members, when I answer the member for Wanguri's specific questions, I will include the comments that the Auditor-General made in that report. Certainly, he was critical of the department not having followed required procedures, but he noted that corrective action had been taken.
Mr Bailey: No. The quote said that the department said that corrective action had been taken.
Page 1066
Mr HATTON: It noted that corrective action had been taken. We are merely going around in circles.
Mrs Padgham-Purich: It is a little boring.
Mr HATTON: It is totally boring, Mr Speaker. I think members opposite are attempting merely to waste the time of the House.
Mr Bailey: No, we are trying to make you guys accountable.
Page 1067
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016