Mr TOLLNER - 2011-12-01
How many asylum seekers now living in Darwin have full-time jobs; how many have taken up general apprenticeships; and how many are undertaking skills training opportunities?
ANSWER
Madam Acting Speaker, I welcome the question. We are seeing the CLP in their true form here - xenophobic. This is the whipping up …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Acting Speaker! Relevance: I simply asked a question about how many are in full-time employment, how many have taken up apprenticeships, and how many are in training.
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Resume your seat, there is no point of order! The minister - resume your seat!
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, she has called us xenophobic!
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Resume your seat, you are on a warning!
Mr TOLLNER: Oh for God’s sakes!
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: The minister is 15 seconds into her answer. You are on a warning, member for Fong Lim! Minister, you have the call.
Ms LAWRIE: And is it not interesting when the truth hurts, when you press straight to the core of where this Question Time has been going. Question after question on the last Question Time of the sittings year, you would think they would be talking about issues the Territory government is deciding to do or not deciding to do, but they are romping around in the federal immigration asylum seeker space …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Acting Speaker! The point of order is on relevance. I simply asked a question about apprenticeships, jobs, and skill training opportunities. I did not ask for a rant about xenophobia, or what our other views are or whatever she wants to make of it.
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Resume your seat, thank you, member for Fong Lim! The minister is only part-way into her question. There is some breadth around relevance. I am not arguing, member for Fong Lim! Minister, you have the call.
Ms LAWRIE: Swimming in the cesspool of xenophobia, the CLP rump of the old …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Acting Speaker!
Ms LAWRIE: … is coming through in Question Time today. You know I am right, which is why you are so touchy …
Members interjecting.
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. Minister, resume your seat, please. Member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Acting Speaker, they are clearly unparliamentary comments. I am offended by it, and I ask you to ask the minister to withdraw.
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Resume your seat. Minister, I ask you to withdraw those comments please, and if you could come to the point quickly.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw. The party that preferenced One Nation is swimming against the tide of the multicultural proud Northern Territory, that party that preferenced One Nation …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Acting Speaker!
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. Member for Port Darwin, is this a point of order?
Mr ELFERINK: Yes it is, Madam Acting Speaker. Standing Order 113: the answer must be relevant and succinct. The question was about training opportunities for these people and we would like to have an answer on that.
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Indeed. There is, however, some latitude around the question and therefore the answer. Minister, you have the call, but if you could come to the point, please.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you. I will get to the detail. The federal government does fund ESL training at Charles Darwin University. I have had recent meetings with Professor Barney Glover about the opportunities to expand the facilities for ESL training there. Melaleuca is a federally-funded organisation which links refugees into employment and training opportunities; we do not discriminate in terms of access to our training and employment. I had a meeting just last week with the federal Immigration minister promoting the opportunity for the Broome pilot to be extended to Darwin to support East Timorese workers in the Top End. We do not discriminate. You would want to, we know what you are like. We know how you have preferenced One Nation in the past …
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired. Resume your seat, please.
I remind ministers, when you are answering questions, you must resume your seat when your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Acting Speaker, I welcome the question. We are seeing the CLP in their true form here - xenophobic. This is the whipping up …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Acting Speaker! Relevance: I simply asked a question about how many are in full-time employment, how many have taken up apprenticeships, and how many are in training.
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Resume your seat, there is no point of order! The minister - resume your seat!
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, she has called us xenophobic!
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Resume your seat, you are on a warning!
Mr TOLLNER: Oh for God’s sakes!
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: The minister is 15 seconds into her answer. You are on a warning, member for Fong Lim! Minister, you have the call.
Ms LAWRIE: And is it not interesting when the truth hurts, when you press straight to the core of where this Question Time has been going. Question after question on the last Question Time of the sittings year, you would think they would be talking about issues the Territory government is deciding to do or not deciding to do, but they are romping around in the federal immigration asylum seeker space …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Acting Speaker! The point of order is on relevance. I simply asked a question about apprenticeships, jobs, and skill training opportunities. I did not ask for a rant about xenophobia, or what our other views are or whatever she wants to make of it.
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Resume your seat, thank you, member for Fong Lim! The minister is only part-way into her question. There is some breadth around relevance. I am not arguing, member for Fong Lim! Minister, you have the call.
Ms LAWRIE: Swimming in the cesspool of xenophobia, the CLP rump of the old …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Acting Speaker!
Ms LAWRIE: … is coming through in Question Time today. You know I am right, which is why you are so touchy …
Members interjecting.
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. Minister, resume your seat, please. Member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Acting Speaker, they are clearly unparliamentary comments. I am offended by it, and I ask you to ask the minister to withdraw.
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Resume your seat. Minister, I ask you to withdraw those comments please, and if you could come to the point quickly.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw. The party that preferenced One Nation is swimming against the tide of the multicultural proud Northern Territory, that party that preferenced One Nation …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Acting Speaker!
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. Member for Port Darwin, is this a point of order?
Mr ELFERINK: Yes it is, Madam Acting Speaker. Standing Order 113: the answer must be relevant and succinct. The question was about training opportunities for these people and we would like to have an answer on that.
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Indeed. There is, however, some latitude around the question and therefore the answer. Minister, you have the call, but if you could come to the point, please.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you. I will get to the detail. The federal government does fund ESL training at Charles Darwin University. I have had recent meetings with Professor Barney Glover about the opportunities to expand the facilities for ESL training there. Melaleuca is a federally-funded organisation which links refugees into employment and training opportunities; we do not discriminate in terms of access to our training and employment. I had a meeting just last week with the federal Immigration minister promoting the opportunity for the Broome pilot to be extended to Darwin to support East Timorese workers in the Top End. We do not discriminate. You would want to, we know what you are like. We know how you have preferenced One Nation in the past …
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired. Resume your seat, please.
I remind ministers, when you are answering questions, you must resume your seat when your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016