Mr MILLS - 2003-06-18
What was the rank and experience of the initial investigating officer whom the Minister for Tourism says he considered too junior to handle the matter of a minor traffic infringement? When the minister summonsed police to his home, how many senior police attended and what were their ranks?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do not know what sort of conspiracy theory members opposite are trying to weave around this. It just goes to show that the member for Blain has never had carriage of ministerial responsibilities in his parliamentary career. The question he asks is a very detailed operational question in regards to this particular issue, and I can stand here and say, I do not know.
Mr Baldwin: You are not doing your job then.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I will pick up the interjection from the member for Daly. If he believes that the police minister’s job is to run operational matters of the police force from the fifth floor of Parliament House, it might show how they used to run the police force. However, it is certainly not how I, as minister, have carriage of this portfolio.
A member interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Let us see if we can cut short some of the questions here and get on with some real policy issues that the people of the Northern Territory might be interested in. The interjection is that I have had a specific briefing. Well, I do not know who is advising the member for Blain.
Mr Burke: You said that yesterday.
Mr HENDERSON: No, no, no. Let us check the record. Who has been advising the member for Blain? I have not had a briefing. I have never said I had a briefing. I had a phone call from the Police Commissioner, where he, if operational issues are going to create significant public interest, would routinely advise, and that is all he does, is advise me as a courtesy and as a matter of routine and information only. There was no detail in terms of his advice. He did not go into detail as to what the allegation was, or which police officer may or may not have attended the minister’s house. There has been no written briefing. There was a very short phone conversation. That was it. I do not know what car he was driving. I do not know what rank this police officer was, or what happened when the discussion took place.
Madam Speaker, in government, the CLP may have had detailed operational knowledge of how the police force worked, which particular police officer was investigating which particular case. But that does not occur. It shows the member’s ignorance of ministerial responsibility and separation of powers between police and government. The answer to his question is: I do not know.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do not know what sort of conspiracy theory members opposite are trying to weave around this. It just goes to show that the member for Blain has never had carriage of ministerial responsibilities in his parliamentary career. The question he asks is a very detailed operational question in regards to this particular issue, and I can stand here and say, I do not know.
Mr Baldwin: You are not doing your job then.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I will pick up the interjection from the member for Daly. If he believes that the police minister’s job is to run operational matters of the police force from the fifth floor of Parliament House, it might show how they used to run the police force. However, it is certainly not how I, as minister, have carriage of this portfolio.
A member interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Let us see if we can cut short some of the questions here and get on with some real policy issues that the people of the Northern Territory might be interested in. The interjection is that I have had a specific briefing. Well, I do not know who is advising the member for Blain.
Mr Burke: You said that yesterday.
Mr HENDERSON: No, no, no. Let us check the record. Who has been advising the member for Blain? I have not had a briefing. I have never said I had a briefing. I had a phone call from the Police Commissioner, where he, if operational issues are going to create significant public interest, would routinely advise, and that is all he does, is advise me as a courtesy and as a matter of routine and information only. There was no detail in terms of his advice. He did not go into detail as to what the allegation was, or which police officer may or may not have attended the minister’s house. There has been no written briefing. There was a very short phone conversation. That was it. I do not know what car he was driving. I do not know what rank this police officer was, or what happened when the discussion took place.
Madam Speaker, in government, the CLP may have had detailed operational knowledge of how the police force worked, which particular police officer was investigating which particular case. But that does not occur. It shows the member’s ignorance of ministerial responsibility and separation of powers between police and government. The answer to his question is: I do not know.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016