Mr BAILEY - 1996-11-26
Did the Deputy Chief Minister's senior adviser, John Coleman, contact the deputy secretary of the Department of Health, Graham Symons, and instruct that the aged pensioners and seniors database be downloaded and passed to the minister? Did the deputy secretary refuse this overture? Did the minister then, or someone on his behalf, contact the department's secretary, Ray Norman, and instruct that the database be provided?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the member for Wanguri is trying to construct some further evidence to support the finding of guilt.
Ms Martin: Answer the question. It is Question Time.
Mr REED: It is Question Time, and I dare say Territorians listening to it are asking themselves why the opposition is not asking about jobs? Why is the opposition not asking about matters of concern to Territorians? Why did members opposite spend 3 days last week, and now another day this week, dedicating the whole ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: ... of Question Time to matters of no relevance to the people of the Territory? If they were matters of relevance, people would be concerned. Over the weekend, at different functions in Katherine which I attended, people were asking what on earth all this stuff was about. Not only was the opposition pursuing something that was of little or no interest to them, but a police investigation was under way at the time. Why don't they await the outcome of that? That was what people were asking.
Mrs Hickey: No.
Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition says no. No logic, no integrity, no truth and no facts - that is her problem.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Once again, there is too much repetitive discussion from the opposition benches. Please desist.
Mr BELL: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I notice that you are being particularly zealous in relation to comments from my colleagues. I draw to your attention that the Deputy
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Chief Minister reflected on the integrity of members of the opposition. I ask that you use your hard line against the opposition on the Deputy Chief Minister as well, and have him withdraw that or move a substantive motion if he wants to debate the issue.
Mr SPEAKER: Your comments are noted, but I am not aware of what the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Mr BELL: You are listening a bit more carefully ...
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, I am willing to withdraw any accusation that honourable members opposite have no integrity.
Mr Bell: What a smartie!
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacDonnell is on a warning, and there is only one.
Mr REED: The answer to the member for Wanguri's question is given in the document that he tabled in part last week. A request was made from my office for a list. I will read out the memo from the secretary of the department for those people who are listening and who might want to know a little more about this matter: `The minister wishes to write to all pensioners in the Northern Territory, advising them of their rights under the pensioner concession scheme'. When I did that, I received quite a remarkable response from pensioners across the Territory who were most appreciative ...
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: ... and thankful for the advice that I provided. They were relieved ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: The interjections clearly illustrate a lack of desire to hear the facts, but I will continue with the quote: `Accordingly, would you please arrange as a matter of urgency a download of the names and addresses of all pensioners currently on our pensioner concession scheme database for the above purpose'.
The answer is provided in the very part-document that the honourable member tabled last week. Why does he keep pursuing the point? In answer to a previous question from the Leader of the Opposition, I admitted that I had no doubt that this minute had been prepared in response to a request from my office. I freely admit that. In March 1993 ...
Mr Bell: Well, you had better resign, hadn't you? You can't use private information for those purposes.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
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Mr REED: I cannot write to Territorians and tell them ...
Mr Bell: No fear you can't! You ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bell: ... cannot write to pensioners with information from your department.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bell interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I name the member for MacDonnell.
Mr COULTER (Leader of Government Business): Mr Speaker, I move that the member for MacDonnell be suspended from the service of the Assembly.
Motion agreed to.
Mrs HICKEY: Mr Speaker, I move dissent from your ruling.
Mr SPEAKER: I have not ruled on anything. I have named the member for MacDonnell. There is no ruling.
Mr Stirling: No one else heard you.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, I have no doubt that, when I made similar requests, and one such request was made in March 1994 ...
Mr Stirling: You just name people and no one else hears you.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: When I made a similar request of the department, or my office did on my behalf, in March 1993, a similar minute may well have been prepared in response to that request.
Mr Ah Kit: Table it.
Mr REED: I do not have to table it.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: I remind the member for Wanguri that he is on one warning.
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Mr REED: I am simply illustrating the point that, as minister, from time to time it is of benefit to Territorians to write to them and explain that, in this case, we have the best pensioner concession scheme in the country. Perhaps members opposite are upset that the government writes to Territorians to tell them what benefits, provided by this government, they can avail themselves of. Is that what is upsetting them? They do not want Territorians to know that we have an excellent concession scheme for our senior citizens, and about the benefits that they receive in the form of assistance with travel and electricity, water and sewerage charges. The fact is that the question from the member for Wanguri is nonsense and this whole business is nonsense. Why doesn't he ask questions about matters of interest and concern to Territorians instead of delving in the gutter with this nonsense?
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the member for Wanguri is trying to construct some further evidence to support the finding of guilt.
Ms Martin: Answer the question. It is Question Time.
Mr REED: It is Question Time, and I dare say Territorians listening to it are asking themselves why the opposition is not asking about jobs? Why is the opposition not asking about matters of concern to Territorians? Why did members opposite spend 3 days last week, and now another day this week, dedicating the whole ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: ... of Question Time to matters of no relevance to the people of the Territory? If they were matters of relevance, people would be concerned. Over the weekend, at different functions in Katherine which I attended, people were asking what on earth all this stuff was about. Not only was the opposition pursuing something that was of little or no interest to them, but a police investigation was under way at the time. Why don't they await the outcome of that? That was what people were asking.
Mrs Hickey: No.
Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition says no. No logic, no integrity, no truth and no facts - that is her problem.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Once again, there is too much repetitive discussion from the opposition benches. Please desist.
Mr BELL: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I notice that you are being particularly zealous in relation to comments from my colleagues. I draw to your attention that the Deputy
Page 1823
Chief Minister reflected on the integrity of members of the opposition. I ask that you use your hard line against the opposition on the Deputy Chief Minister as well, and have him withdraw that or move a substantive motion if he wants to debate the issue.
Mr SPEAKER: Your comments are noted, but I am not aware of what the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Mr BELL: You are listening a bit more carefully ...
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, I am willing to withdraw any accusation that honourable members opposite have no integrity.
Mr Bell: What a smartie!
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacDonnell is on a warning, and there is only one.
Mr REED: The answer to the member for Wanguri's question is given in the document that he tabled in part last week. A request was made from my office for a list. I will read out the memo from the secretary of the department for those people who are listening and who might want to know a little more about this matter: `The minister wishes to write to all pensioners in the Northern Territory, advising them of their rights under the pensioner concession scheme'. When I did that, I received quite a remarkable response from pensioners across the Territory who were most appreciative ...
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: ... and thankful for the advice that I provided. They were relieved ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: The interjections clearly illustrate a lack of desire to hear the facts, but I will continue with the quote: `Accordingly, would you please arrange as a matter of urgency a download of the names and addresses of all pensioners currently on our pensioner concession scheme database for the above purpose'.
The answer is provided in the very part-document that the honourable member tabled last week. Why does he keep pursuing the point? In answer to a previous question from the Leader of the Opposition, I admitted that I had no doubt that this minute had been prepared in response to a request from my office. I freely admit that. In March 1993 ...
Mr Bell: Well, you had better resign, hadn't you? You can't use private information for those purposes.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Page 1824
Mr REED: I cannot write to Territorians and tell them ...
Mr Bell: No fear you can't! You ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bell: ... cannot write to pensioners with information from your department.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bell interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I name the member for MacDonnell.
Mr COULTER (Leader of Government Business): Mr Speaker, I move that the member for MacDonnell be suspended from the service of the Assembly.
Motion agreed to.
Mrs HICKEY: Mr Speaker, I move dissent from your ruling.
Mr SPEAKER: I have not ruled on anything. I have named the member for MacDonnell. There is no ruling.
Mr Stirling: No one else heard you.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, I have no doubt that, when I made similar requests, and one such request was made in March 1994 ...
Mr Stirling: You just name people and no one else hears you.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: When I made a similar request of the department, or my office did on my behalf, in March 1993, a similar minute may well have been prepared in response to that request.
Mr Ah Kit: Table it.
Mr REED: I do not have to table it.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: I remind the member for Wanguri that he is on one warning.
Page 1825
Mr REED: I am simply illustrating the point that, as minister, from time to time it is of benefit to Territorians to write to them and explain that, in this case, we have the best pensioner concession scheme in the country. Perhaps members opposite are upset that the government writes to Territorians to tell them what benefits, provided by this government, they can avail themselves of. Is that what is upsetting them? They do not want Territorians to know that we have an excellent concession scheme for our senior citizens, and about the benefits that they receive in the form of assistance with travel and electricity, water and sewerage charges. The fact is that the question from the member for Wanguri is nonsense and this whole business is nonsense. Why doesn't he ask questions about matters of interest and concern to Territorians instead of delving in the gutter with this nonsense?
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016