Dr LIM - 2004-02-26
You claimed on Channel 9 News on Thursday, 19 February, that you knew nothing about difficulties being experienced by Cameron Mills and other apprenticeship panelbeaters unable to complete their apprenticeships because they do not have a tutor. The father of Cameron Mills has contacted the Leader of the Opposition’s office and claims that this is not true. Mr Mills has diarised discussions he has had with your office since Monday, 9 February, two weeks prior to your claim on Channel 9. He has told your office that you, minister …
Madam SPEAKER: Your question, member for Greatorex, please.
Dr LIM: I am coming to the question, Madam Speaker. He was told by your office that you, minister, would be meeting with the university on 11 February to discuss the problem of no tutor for these apprentices. Did you attend the meeting and, if so, why did you mislead Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Greatorex is putting a number of statements on the record here as fact, and I simply do not accept them as fact. I forget what he actually said, that I was supposed to meet with the university or not. I did in fact have a meeting with Vice Chancellor Helen Garnett over the last week, whether that was known by the staff and that was relayed …
Dr Lim: … rang your office, several times.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, let the minister answer.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, I am simply not party to these conversations. We are aware, and I am aware, of that quite serious situation where they lost the lecturer in paint and panel at Charles Darwin University, leaving those apprentices without access to training at the local level, which is what we always will attempt to do. They have advertised again, following unsuccessful advertising for filling of that position. As I said in parliament last week, that if they were not able to attract a southern-based contractor to come in and do that training, we would ensure that each of these apprentices, who otherwise would have their training disrupted even more, that they travel interstate and government would pick that up for them to access training. I am not going to go into who said what, at what time. Certainly, I met with Vice Chancellor Helen Garnett on a range of issues, and how would I know what staff said to a particular person on the phone on a particular day.
Madam SPEAKER: Your question, member for Greatorex, please.
Dr LIM: I am coming to the question, Madam Speaker. He was told by your office that you, minister, would be meeting with the university on 11 February to discuss the problem of no tutor for these apprentices. Did you attend the meeting and, if so, why did you mislead Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Greatorex is putting a number of statements on the record here as fact, and I simply do not accept them as fact. I forget what he actually said, that I was supposed to meet with the university or not. I did in fact have a meeting with Vice Chancellor Helen Garnett over the last week, whether that was known by the staff and that was relayed …
Dr Lim: … rang your office, several times.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, let the minister answer.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, I am simply not party to these conversations. We are aware, and I am aware, of that quite serious situation where they lost the lecturer in paint and panel at Charles Darwin University, leaving those apprentices without access to training at the local level, which is what we always will attempt to do. They have advertised again, following unsuccessful advertising for filling of that position. As I said in parliament last week, that if they were not able to attract a southern-based contractor to come in and do that training, we would ensure that each of these apprentices, who otherwise would have their training disrupted even more, that they travel interstate and government would pick that up for them to access training. I am not going to go into who said what, at what time. Certainly, I met with Vice Chancellor Helen Garnett on a range of issues, and how would I know what staff said to a particular person on the phone on a particular day.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016