Mr WOOD - 2005-08-16
During the Royal Darwin Show, government departments displayed political petitions opposing the nuclear waste repository, known by your government, for obvious reasons, as the ‘nuclear dump petition’. Who gave permission for such political material to be displayed at the show?
If it was you or one of your ministers, then is it the case that you or one of your ministers have breached the Code of Conduct for this parliament, especially clause 36, which says that members are required to recognise that the public service is expected to act as a non-partisan resource and treat public servants in accordance with established conventions of public service neutrality? Who paid for the printing and distribution of these petitions: the ALP or the taxpayer?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Nelson needs to take a deep breath and have a look through the history of the Westminster system. This is government policy - unashamedly so - where we have said that we are not going to wear this nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory. It is government policy. It is on the web site, it is in every publication. Who paid for it? The government. It is the government’s policy.
Mr Wood: And the public servants have got to put it out.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: It is out there in the public arena, and what better opportunity than to hit the public during the show circuit, right up the length of the strip of the Territory …
Mr Wood interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Nelson!
Mr STIRLING: … because hundreds and thousands of Territorians go to see their local show and, therefore, they will see the petition.
It is no secret at all. The member for Nelson seems to think that this is somehow dirty, sleazy politics and nothing to do with the government. It is government policy - unashamedly so - standing up for the interests of Territorians, unlike these blokes opposite, who have two members in the federal parliament …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Leader of the Opposition!
Mr STIRLING: The Leader of the Opposition might learn something if she sits down. She does not know the history of the former Senator …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Could he direct his comments through you, Madam Speaker, and not directly at me, and he can mind his manners with his finger pointing as well.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, there is no point of order, but Deputy Chief Minister, could you please direct your comments through me?
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, I would care less about the opposition’s views in and around the nuclear waste dump issue but for one thing: they do have an opportunity to have some influence in this matter. The influence lies with Senator Nigel Scullion. If the Leader of the Opposition had a little intestinal fortitude and said: ‘Nige, we are not going to have you vote for this, Senator. We want you to vote against this’, call in Mr Tollner, call in Nuclear Dave …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Opposition members!
Mr STIRLING: … you will never, never glow if you never, never go, Dave. Call him and tell him the same thing: take the message directly to the Prime Minister that it is not on. Those blokes were elected by Territorians to serve the interests of Territorians, not vice versa, and it is time that she took action to do so.
In relation to that other matter, it is government policy and, of course, it is absolutely above board for the government money to print that.
Mr Wood: It is not. The public servants did not want to hand it out.
Mr STIRLING: Of course it is! It is government policy, in the same way as we deal with schools or business or any other matter: if it is government policy, it is government money.
If it was you or one of your ministers, then is it the case that you or one of your ministers have breached the Code of Conduct for this parliament, especially clause 36, which says that members are required to recognise that the public service is expected to act as a non-partisan resource and treat public servants in accordance with established conventions of public service neutrality? Who paid for the printing and distribution of these petitions: the ALP or the taxpayer?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Nelson needs to take a deep breath and have a look through the history of the Westminster system. This is government policy - unashamedly so - where we have said that we are not going to wear this nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory. It is government policy. It is on the web site, it is in every publication. Who paid for it? The government. It is the government’s policy.
Mr Wood: And the public servants have got to put it out.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: It is out there in the public arena, and what better opportunity than to hit the public during the show circuit, right up the length of the strip of the Territory …
Mr Wood interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Nelson!
Mr STIRLING: … because hundreds and thousands of Territorians go to see their local show and, therefore, they will see the petition.
It is no secret at all. The member for Nelson seems to think that this is somehow dirty, sleazy politics and nothing to do with the government. It is government policy - unashamedly so - standing up for the interests of Territorians, unlike these blokes opposite, who have two members in the federal parliament …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Leader of the Opposition!
Mr STIRLING: The Leader of the Opposition might learn something if she sits down. She does not know the history of the former Senator …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Could he direct his comments through you, Madam Speaker, and not directly at me, and he can mind his manners with his finger pointing as well.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, there is no point of order, but Deputy Chief Minister, could you please direct your comments through me?
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, I would care less about the opposition’s views in and around the nuclear waste dump issue but for one thing: they do have an opportunity to have some influence in this matter. The influence lies with Senator Nigel Scullion. If the Leader of the Opposition had a little intestinal fortitude and said: ‘Nige, we are not going to have you vote for this, Senator. We want you to vote against this’, call in Mr Tollner, call in Nuclear Dave …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Opposition members!
Mr STIRLING: … you will never, never glow if you never, never go, Dave. Call him and tell him the same thing: take the message directly to the Prime Minister that it is not on. Those blokes were elected by Territorians to serve the interests of Territorians, not vice versa, and it is time that she took action to do so.
In relation to that other matter, it is government policy and, of course, it is absolutely above board for the government money to print that.
Mr Wood: It is not. The public servants did not want to hand it out.
Mr STIRLING: Of course it is! It is government policy, in the same way as we deal with schools or business or any other matter: if it is government policy, it is government money.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016