Mr ELFERINK - 2012-05-03
The ABC reported on 23 April 2012 that:
I just heard from your side of the House that money was to be provided by the Commonwealth government.
The report from the ABC went on to say:
Why are you putting yourself up as anything like trustworthy to the people of the Northern Territory?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, resume your seat.
Can you withdraw that last part of the question? It is not a question in ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! It is not in the standing orders. Withdraw the last part and make it into a question, thank you.
Mr ELFERINK: I reword the question. Why should Territorians have faith in your capacity to keep promises?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is hard to see what is going on over the other side. I did not know the member for Port Darwin was shadow minister for Primary Industry. He obviously does not trust the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to run this line of questioning ...
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask you to direct the Chief Minister to be relevant. We want an answer to this question.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, can you resume your seat? The Chief Minister had about seven seconds. Resume your seat!
Mr Tollner: What he said has nothing to do with the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim!
Mr HENDERSON: I have answered this question before, Madam Speaker. As I understand it, AAco has made application to the federal government under regional development grant funding - it is not for the Northern Territory government ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: ... to make applications to the federal government on behalf of a private sector company. What AAco asks of the federal government is up to them. We have said, very clearly, there has been no promise from the Northern Territory government. I have said very clearly, my colleague has said very clearly ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Resume your seats. There are far too many interruptions, honourable members. Standing Order ...
Mr Giles interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, you are on a warning!
Standing Order 51:
The Chief Minister has the call.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have made it very clear that if the board of AAco decide to go ahead with this, in relation to infrastructure ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim!
Mr HENDERSON: ... required at the port for this particular development, that would be negotiated on commercial terms with the port and Power and Water. In regard to roadworks for the Stuart Highway, a national highway funded and supported by the federal government, we would work with the federal government, with the road safety money that comes to the Territory every year for the Stuart Highway, to prioritise safety funding for that project.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: I do not know why the member for Port Darwin is twisting and turning over this. If he wants to make a policy position that the CLP will subsidise private sector businesses with taxpayer funding - if that is going to be your policy ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Opposition members!
Mr HENDERSON: ... fellows over there, good luck to you. You will have every business in the Northern Territory knocking at your door with their hand out for taxpayer funding. However, if the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Port Darwin want to say: ‘It is our commitment, we would give AAco $10m-worth of government funding’, that is up to you.
Mr ELFERINK to CHIEF MINISTER
In his answer, he denied a promise, and I will quote again:
How does he reconcile that with the statements he just made?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have stated very clearly in regard to support for that project, it would be done on commercial terms through Power and Water Corporation and the port …
Mr Elferink: So, he lied?
Mr HENDERSON: ... and in regard to the Stuart Highway …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: In regard to the Stuart Highway, we would negotiate with the Commonwealth within the funding we receive every year for maintenance and roadworks on the Stuart Highway to support the abattoir. That is very clear.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: If the opposition wants to have, as part of its policy, that it is quite happy to provide taxpayer subsidies to private businesses, that is up to them. It is not what this government does ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113. Will he answer the question?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, did you …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister, do you want to say anything else? No.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members, we do not have much longer to go. It would be great not to have to throw anybody out after seven years of presiding in the Chair. It would be nice not to have to throw somebody out during the last Question Time. However, the member for Nelson is suggesting somebody over there - perhaps a good idea. He is pointing at you, member for Fong Lim.
Mr Tollner: Madam Speaker, I have been particularly quiet this Question Time.
Madam SPEAKER: Perhaps you have not been able to hear today, member for Fong Lim. Are there any further questions?
- ... the NT minister for Primary Industries, Kon Vatskalis, stood before 300 people at the NT Cattlemen’s Association forum and declared $9m would be provided in-kind ...
I just heard from your side of the House that money was to be provided by the Commonwealth government.
The report from the ABC went on to say:
- In a statement, a spokesman for the federal minister for Infrastructure, Anthony Albanese, confirmed no such application for funding had been made by the Northern Territory government.
Why are you putting yourself up as anything like trustworthy to the people of the Northern Territory?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, resume your seat.
Can you withdraw that last part of the question? It is not a question in ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! It is not in the standing orders. Withdraw the last part and make it into a question, thank you.
Mr ELFERINK: I reword the question. Why should Territorians have faith in your capacity to keep promises?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is hard to see what is going on over the other side. I did not know the member for Port Darwin was shadow minister for Primary Industry. He obviously does not trust the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to run this line of questioning ...
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask you to direct the Chief Minister to be relevant. We want an answer to this question.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, can you resume your seat? The Chief Minister had about seven seconds. Resume your seat!
Mr Tollner: What he said has nothing to do with the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim!
Mr HENDERSON: I have answered this question before, Madam Speaker. As I understand it, AAco has made application to the federal government under regional development grant funding - it is not for the Northern Territory government ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: ... to make applications to the federal government on behalf of a private sector company. What AAco asks of the federal government is up to them. We have said, very clearly, there has been no promise from the Northern Territory government. I have said very clearly, my colleague has said very clearly ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Resume your seats. There are far too many interruptions, honourable members. Standing Order ...
Mr Giles interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, you are on a warning!
Standing Order 51:
- No Member may converse aloud or make any noise or disturbance, which in the opinion of the Speaker is designed to interrupt or has the effect of interrupting a Member speaking.
The Chief Minister has the call.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have made it very clear that if the board of AAco decide to go ahead with this, in relation to infrastructure ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim!
Mr HENDERSON: ... required at the port for this particular development, that would be negotiated on commercial terms with the port and Power and Water. In regard to roadworks for the Stuart Highway, a national highway funded and supported by the federal government, we would work with the federal government, with the road safety money that comes to the Territory every year for the Stuart Highway, to prioritise safety funding for that project.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: I do not know why the member for Port Darwin is twisting and turning over this. If he wants to make a policy position that the CLP will subsidise private sector businesses with taxpayer funding - if that is going to be your policy ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Opposition members!
Mr HENDERSON: ... fellows over there, good luck to you. You will have every business in the Northern Territory knocking at your door with their hand out for taxpayer funding. However, if the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Port Darwin want to say: ‘It is our commitment, we would give AAco $10m-worth of government funding’, that is up to you.
Supplementary Question
Abattoir - Government Funding
Abattoir - Government Funding
Mr ELFERINK to CHIEF MINISTER
In his answer, he denied a promise, and I will quote again:
- ... the NT minister for Primary Industries, Kon Vatskalis, stood before 300 people at the NT Cattlemen’s Association forum and declared $9m would be provided in-kind.
How does he reconcile that with the statements he just made?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have stated very clearly in regard to support for that project, it would be done on commercial terms through Power and Water Corporation and the port …
Mr Elferink: So, he lied?
Mr HENDERSON: ... and in regard to the Stuart Highway …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: In regard to the Stuart Highway, we would negotiate with the Commonwealth within the funding we receive every year for maintenance and roadworks on the Stuart Highway to support the abattoir. That is very clear.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: If the opposition wants to have, as part of its policy, that it is quite happy to provide taxpayer subsidies to private businesses, that is up to them. It is not what this government does ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113. Will he answer the question?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, did you …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister, do you want to say anything else? No.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members, we do not have much longer to go. It would be great not to have to throw anybody out after seven years of presiding in the Chair. It would be nice not to have to throw somebody out during the last Question Time. However, the member for Nelson is suggesting somebody over there - perhaps a good idea. He is pointing at you, member for Fong Lim.
Mr Tollner: Madam Speaker, I have been particularly quiet this Question Time.
Madam SPEAKER: Perhaps you have not been able to hear today, member for Fong Lim. Are there any further questions?
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016