Mr REED - 2001-11-29
Minister, isn’t it a fact that the Harold Nelson Holdings has donated more than $35 000 to the Territory Branch of the ALP? Isn’t it also a case that this money was derived, at least in part, from taxpayers’ money provided to Danila Dilba? As a former employee of Danila Dilba - an organisation that funds the Labor Party via a Labor Party-controlled company - do you see any conflict of interest in your grant of the Palmerston land free of charge, or was it a quid pro quo for the organisation’s financial support of the Territory Branch of the Labor Party?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I sincerely thank the member for Katherine for his question. It saved me the trouble of having to rise at the end of the Question Time to give some further explanation.
Nelson Holdings gave some money to the Labor Party – good on them! At the same time, Nelson Holdings owns an office at 38 Wood Street. Danila Dilba Medical Service, have rented out this office on commercial terms. That $10 000 you referred to was payment as rent. I do not see any conflict of interest. At the same time, I am aware that the member for Katherine, in his time as a minister, gave land to the Red Cross Society. Is there a conspiracy theory there too? It is a commercial arrangement between Danila Dilba and Nelson Holdings. Nelson Holdings is a company which provides money to anybody they like. They might provide money to the CLP tomorrow. I doubt it very much, but they might, so where is the conspiracy theory?
I do not see any conflict of interest, for the simple reason it was commercial arrangement between the two companies, and we provided land to a welfare organisation like Danila Dilba. No, there is no conspiracy theory. No, there was no secret agreement. The only people who made secret deals were the CLP in their time in government. Not this government.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I sincerely thank the member for Katherine for his question. It saved me the trouble of having to rise at the end of the Question Time to give some further explanation.
Nelson Holdings gave some money to the Labor Party – good on them! At the same time, Nelson Holdings owns an office at 38 Wood Street. Danila Dilba Medical Service, have rented out this office on commercial terms. That $10 000 you referred to was payment as rent. I do not see any conflict of interest. At the same time, I am aware that the member for Katherine, in his time as a minister, gave land to the Red Cross Society. Is there a conspiracy theory there too? It is a commercial arrangement between Danila Dilba and Nelson Holdings. Nelson Holdings is a company which provides money to anybody they like. They might provide money to the CLP tomorrow. I doubt it very much, but they might, so where is the conspiracy theory?
I do not see any conflict of interest, for the simple reason it was commercial arrangement between the two companies, and we provided land to a welfare organisation like Danila Dilba. No, there is no conspiracy theory. No, there was no secret agreement. The only people who made secret deals were the CLP in their time in government. Not this government.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016