Mrs HICKEY - 1997-02-25
Territory Labor congratulates the Lions Club of Tennant Creek on its generous efforts on behalf of Territorians, and congratulates similarly the Rotarians of Mt Isa for their efforts. However, I want the Chief Minister to tell the House why service organisations in Tennant Creek and Mt Isa got together to raise funds to provide the police at Avon Downs police station with a satellite phone for emergency work. Is he embarrassed that the generous-hearted folk of Lions and Rotary are having to do his job for him?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I can only assume that the Leader of the Opposition is offended and upset that they asked me, not her, to officiate at the handover. Rather than put a negative spin on it,
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I want to congratulate the Lions Club in Tennant Creek and those 4 service clubs in Mt Isa who took this on as a community project. The Northern Territory Police Service has a number of satellite phones that are allocated by management decision. Clearly, the police management has a reason for not allocating one to Avon Downs police station. It is not a ministerial decision. The police have the right to manage their resources. The service clubs, not because of anything insidious, not because they are critics of the government ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr Bailey: Satellite phones for police ...
Mr STONE: If the member for Wanguri would be quiet, he might hear the answer.
These service clubs acted, not because they are critics of the government, but because, like all good service clubs, they wanted to take on a project. They took on this project, and I commend them for it. We are grateful for the assistance that they have given. It was a joint exercise between service clubs in Queensland and the Territory, and both sides of the border benefit from it. I congratulate them.
As to how police resources are allocated, does the Leader of the Opposition think for a moment that I sit at my desk deciding who is to have a satellite phone and who is not? The reality is that the police have a number of satellite phones and how they are allocated is entirely a matter for police management, not for party-political interference by politicians. It is not hard to imagine what the police force would be like if Labor were running the Territory with the kind of constant interference that we have seen in places like Queensland and New South Wales, where successive Labor governments have interfered with the running of police forces.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I can only assume that the Leader of the Opposition is offended and upset that they asked me, not her, to officiate at the handover. Rather than put a negative spin on it,
Page 1943
I want to congratulate the Lions Club in Tennant Creek and those 4 service clubs in Mt Isa who took this on as a community project. The Northern Territory Police Service has a number of satellite phones that are allocated by management decision. Clearly, the police management has a reason for not allocating one to Avon Downs police station. It is not a ministerial decision. The police have the right to manage their resources. The service clubs, not because of anything insidious, not because they are critics of the government ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr Bailey: Satellite phones for police ...
Mr STONE: If the member for Wanguri would be quiet, he might hear the answer.
These service clubs acted, not because they are critics of the government, but because, like all good service clubs, they wanted to take on a project. They took on this project, and I commend them for it. We are grateful for the assistance that they have given. It was a joint exercise between service clubs in Queensland and the Territory, and both sides of the border benefit from it. I congratulate them.
As to how police resources are allocated, does the Leader of the Opposition think for a moment that I sit at my desk deciding who is to have a satellite phone and who is not? The reality is that the police have a number of satellite phones and how they are allocated is entirely a matter for police management, not for party-political interference by politicians. It is not hard to imagine what the police force would be like if Labor were running the Territory with the kind of constant interference that we have seen in places like Queensland and New South Wales, where successive Labor governments have interfered with the running of police forces.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016