Mrs HICKEY - 1996-08-15
In view of the speculation that is rife in the parliamentary corridors, is he prepared to provide the member for Port Darwin with an absolute guarantee that he will not challenge for the leadership?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, we have the strongest economy in the country, we have the lowest unemployment rate in the country, we have the highest population growth rate in the country and a growth budget was handed down only this week. However, the most important matter that the Leader of the Opposition can focus on is some perceived challenge to the Chief Minister. This week, the cohesiveness in the delivery of the budget has been very evident. The progress right across every department is evident in the budget. There is the enormous capital works program that the Leader of the Opposition cannot even recognise. I had to put it out in graph form for her yesterday because she cannot read and interpret what is happening in the Northern Territory.
Only a few months ago, the Leader of the Opposition was predicting doom and gloom and claiming that the Territory budget would be an absolute disaster. She said that the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister sold the Territory short at the Premiers Conference. This week, in the lead up to the budget, the Leader of the Opposition said that, because the Territory came out so well from the Premiers Conference, it appeared that everything might be all right. She changed her mind. Towards the end of last financial year, the opposition treasury spokesman said that we would all go broke. He too changed his mind. He said this week that, because of the good outcome from the Territory budget in the last financial year, everything would be fine.
In the last couple of days, members opposite have switched back into negative mode. The Chief Minister has just spoken about the terrible display by the member ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will resume his seat. Once again, I remind honourable members - and the interjections are coming from the opposition benches at this time - that Question Time is being broadcast. If members took the time to listen to a tape of Question Time, I think they would all be horrified. I suggest that members should do that. It might make a difference to the standard of interjections.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, people listening to this broadcast may now be able to hear. They are fully aware of the incompetence of members opposite. They would be disgusted with the report in the national press yesterday about what the Leader of the Opposition has had to
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say about the Territory economy, telling people interstate not to come here because it is not the place to be.
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I asked the Deputy Chief Minister a very simple question to which he can reply with a single word. Will he give the Chief Minister an absolute guarantee that he will not challenge for the leadership? Yes or no?
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I will not tell ministers how they must answer questions, but I ask the minister to answer as quickly as possible.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, it is evident to everyone except the Leader of the Opposition - just listen to the mirth opposite! That is a classic example of the way in which they approach their job. It is a classic example of the incompetence of members opposite.
There is no perceived, impending, possible challenge to the Chief Minister. On this side of the House, there is solidarity right to the foundations of the government. Unfortunately, we cannot say that for members opposite. The Leader of the Opposition has demonstrated that she is incapable of controlling her members. We had an example of that on the first day of these sittings when, totally out of the blue, the member for MacDonnell took up nearly half of Question Time on a matter that the Leader of the Opposition was not even aware that he would raise. Such things are examples of dissatisfaction and disorganisation in a party. Such examples are coming from the Leader of the Opposition's side. The solidarity is on the government side and the Chief Minister has the full confidence of all Country Liberal Party members.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, we have the strongest economy in the country, we have the lowest unemployment rate in the country, we have the highest population growth rate in the country and a growth budget was handed down only this week. However, the most important matter that the Leader of the Opposition can focus on is some perceived challenge to the Chief Minister. This week, the cohesiveness in the delivery of the budget has been very evident. The progress right across every department is evident in the budget. There is the enormous capital works program that the Leader of the Opposition cannot even recognise. I had to put it out in graph form for her yesterday because she cannot read and interpret what is happening in the Northern Territory.
Only a few months ago, the Leader of the Opposition was predicting doom and gloom and claiming that the Territory budget would be an absolute disaster. She said that the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister sold the Territory short at the Premiers Conference. This week, in the lead up to the budget, the Leader of the Opposition said that, because the Territory came out so well from the Premiers Conference, it appeared that everything might be all right. She changed her mind. Towards the end of last financial year, the opposition treasury spokesman said that we would all go broke. He too changed his mind. He said this week that, because of the good outcome from the Territory budget in the last financial year, everything would be fine.
In the last couple of days, members opposite have switched back into negative mode. The Chief Minister has just spoken about the terrible display by the member ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will resume his seat. Once again, I remind honourable members - and the interjections are coming from the opposition benches at this time - that Question Time is being broadcast. If members took the time to listen to a tape of Question Time, I think they would all be horrified. I suggest that members should do that. It might make a difference to the standard of interjections.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, people listening to this broadcast may now be able to hear. They are fully aware of the incompetence of members opposite. They would be disgusted with the report in the national press yesterday about what the Leader of the Opposition has had to
Page 1499
say about the Territory economy, telling people interstate not to come here because it is not the place to be.
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I asked the Deputy Chief Minister a very simple question to which he can reply with a single word. Will he give the Chief Minister an absolute guarantee that he will not challenge for the leadership? Yes or no?
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I will not tell ministers how they must answer questions, but I ask the minister to answer as quickly as possible.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, it is evident to everyone except the Leader of the Opposition - just listen to the mirth opposite! That is a classic example of the way in which they approach their job. It is a classic example of the incompetence of members opposite.
There is no perceived, impending, possible challenge to the Chief Minister. On this side of the House, there is solidarity right to the foundations of the government. Unfortunately, we cannot say that for members opposite. The Leader of the Opposition has demonstrated that she is incapable of controlling her members. We had an example of that on the first day of these sittings when, totally out of the blue, the member for MacDonnell took up nearly half of Question Time on a matter that the Leader of the Opposition was not even aware that he would raise. Such things are examples of dissatisfaction and disorganisation in a party. Such examples are coming from the Leader of the Opposition's side. The solidarity is on the government side and the Chief Minister has the full confidence of all Country Liberal Party members.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016