Mr EDE - 1995-10-19
On the 7.30 Report on Tuesday night, the Chief Minister said: `I run an open government'. However, in the Northern Territory, we have no freedom-of-information legislation, which was promised by the Country Liberal Party in 1990, we have a Public Accounts Committee which rarely meets in public, we have no administrative appeals process and no whistleblowers legislation; and this is the only mainland jurisdiction with no independent electoral commission. If the Chief Minister seeks to claim that he runs an open government, when will he make changes to the legislation governing the operating mechanisms of this House to provide for the reality to match what is currently simply empty rhetoric?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, all of this is from the man who, as recently as early this week, was all for launching an inquiry into the statutorily independent position of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Mr Ede: That is right.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: He maintains the fiction that, with freedom-of-information legislation, somehow there is access to all government information.
Mr Ede: When did I say that?
Mr STONE: He himself knows that, in relation to the freedom-of-information legislation in every state and federally, for every question asked, the inquirer receives no more than the occasional line with the remainder of the information blacked out.
Mr Ede interjecting.
Mr STONE: It is time you started telling Territorians the truth about what you are proposing. This is a very open government.
Mr Ede: Not true!
Mr STONE: You have never had a minister get to his feet in this House and, in response to a question, say that he would not tell you the answer because he would not trust you with the answer.
Mr Ede: What?
Members interjecting.
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Mr STONE: That has been said by your federal colleagues in Canberra on a not irregular basis. You get a very good go in Question Time.
Mr Ede: Garbage!
Mr STONE: Opposition members write to us regularly on a raft of matters. Every time they seek a briefing, they are given it. They are included in briefings on policy matters, yet the Leader of the Opposition tries to maintain this fiction that they do not know what is happening. Opposition members would be better informed if they were not so inherently lazy, and were prepared to do their research and take up the briefings that are readily available from all government ministers.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I assure Territorians that this is an open government. Members opposite simply have to ask the question.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, all of this is from the man who, as recently as early this week, was all for launching an inquiry into the statutorily independent position of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Mr Ede: That is right.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: He maintains the fiction that, with freedom-of-information legislation, somehow there is access to all government information.
Mr Ede: When did I say that?
Mr STONE: He himself knows that, in relation to the freedom-of-information legislation in every state and federally, for every question asked, the inquirer receives no more than the occasional line with the remainder of the information blacked out.
Mr Ede interjecting.
Mr STONE: It is time you started telling Territorians the truth about what you are proposing. This is a very open government.
Mr Ede: Not true!
Mr STONE: You have never had a minister get to his feet in this House and, in response to a question, say that he would not tell you the answer because he would not trust you with the answer.
Mr Ede: What?
Members interjecting.
Page 916
Mr STONE: That has been said by your federal colleagues in Canberra on a not irregular basis. You get a very good go in Question Time.
Mr Ede: Garbage!
Mr STONE: Opposition members write to us regularly on a raft of matters. Every time they seek a briefing, they are given it. They are included in briefings on policy matters, yet the Leader of the Opposition tries to maintain this fiction that they do not know what is happening. Opposition members would be better informed if they were not so inherently lazy, and were prepared to do their research and take up the briefings that are readily available from all government ministers.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I assure Territorians that this is an open government. Members opposite simply have to ask the question.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016