Ms ANDERSON - 2007-05-02
A recent story on a current affairs program depicted life in Alice Springs. Does the minister believe the story accurately portrays Alice Springs and that Alice Springs is a good destination for tourists?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Macdonnell, for her question. She is a passionate advocate for Central Australia and Alice Springs. Yes, Alice Springs is a fantastic and wonderful tourism destination. Obviously, I have read the transcripts of the television program that went to air last night. I believe its depiction of Alice Springs is extraordinarily inaccurate.
The types of challenges facing Alice Springs - and we as a parliament were there just over a week ago - we are not backing away from, but they are faced by many communities throughout Australia and the world. The challenge for all of us, as a government, as a community, is to work together to negate those challenges. This government, the police and the Alice Springs Town Council, are all working very hard to reduce and, hopefully, eliminate some of the appalling issues that have been occurring in Alice Springs.
The Chief Minister is visiting Alice Springs again next week. We will continue to focus on those issues. We all have a responsibility to be in the solutions business. Sadly, there are some local politicians, and other people with barrows to push, who seem to think that they are personally going to benefit from portraying Alice Springs’ challenges as a crisis with no solutions.
It really was appalling that, in the Leader of the Opposition’s budget reply, after all of the issues that confronted this parliament in Alice Springs just over a week ago, there was not one mention, one initiative on what to do to get on top of the issues in and around Alice Springs. Not one, Madam Speaker …
Ms Carney: You have no idea. We are giving you ideas and you still do not take them up. You still will not increase police numbers.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Leader of the Opposition!
Ms Carney: What about same time monitoring? We have written to your mate about that.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, cease interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: The Leader of the Opposition is devoid of original thought, Madam Speaker, with not one initiative. I offer a challenge to the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Greatorex today, who represent seats in Alice Springs. I believe they have a responsibility to stand up for tourism and for Alice Springs today.
I issued a media release very quickly today that has been circulated widely through CATIA and the Chamber of Commerce – ‘Alice Springs: Fantastic and Welcoming’. The first paragraph:
The last paragraph:
The challenge for the Leader of the Opposition is to show some leadership ...
Ms Carney: … into town and got drunk at the pub, not to mention what else happened.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … and issue a media release today, Madam Speaker.
Ms Carney: You have shown contempt for Alice Springs from day one and you should be ashamed of yourself.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Leader of the Opposition, cease interjecting!
Mr HENDERSON: I am absolutely astounded that the Leader of the Opposition, who has a very responsible position in this parliament, and is a local member in Alice Springs, will not issue a media release today. The challenge is there. I will be the first to come back to this parliament and congratulate her for standing up for Alice Springs, for standing up for tourism, which employs many hundreds of people in Alice Springs. It contributes overwhelmingly to the economy of Alice Springs. She should stand up for the town and support Alice Springs. That is the challenge for the Leader of the Opposition.
There was not one initiative in the budget reply, not one original thought in terms of getting on top of the problems …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms Carney: Madam Speaker, he is just revolting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, withdraw that last comment.
Ms CARNEY: I withdraw the word ‘revolting’, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Continue, minister.
Mr HENDERSON: As I said in debate in Alice Springs, the responsibility for all of us is not to deny the problems and bury our heads in the sand but to be in the solutions business, a responsibility the opposition has failed dramatically.
Madam Speaker, the proof is the number of visitors who come back again and again to Alice Springs to see the spectacular landscapes, the Masters Games …
Ms Carney: Yes, wonderful! Do you know why I know that? Because I live there. Fantastic!
Mr HENDERSON: Then issue a media release and say so.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition!
Mr HENDERSON: You are into amplifying problems, not solutions for your own short-term political gain. You are an absolute disgrace.
International tourism numbers increased by over 6%, an extra 17 000 travellers to Alice Springs last year, and the average length of stay increased from four to five nights. We want to see that continue. We want to continue to build those numbers, provide jobs for people in Alice Springs, and to see investment in Alice Springs, not amplification of the problems in Alice Springs. Again, I say that Alice Springs is fantastic and welcoming for tourists from all over the world ...
Ms Carney: That is why I live there, you fool!
Mr KIELY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I request that the Leader of the Opposition withdraw that remark.
Ms CARNEY: I withdraw the word ‘fool’, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Macdonnell, for her question. She is a passionate advocate for Central Australia and Alice Springs. Yes, Alice Springs is a fantastic and wonderful tourism destination. Obviously, I have read the transcripts of the television program that went to air last night. I believe its depiction of Alice Springs is extraordinarily inaccurate.
The types of challenges facing Alice Springs - and we as a parliament were there just over a week ago - we are not backing away from, but they are faced by many communities throughout Australia and the world. The challenge for all of us, as a government, as a community, is to work together to negate those challenges. This government, the police and the Alice Springs Town Council, are all working very hard to reduce and, hopefully, eliminate some of the appalling issues that have been occurring in Alice Springs.
The Chief Minister is visiting Alice Springs again next week. We will continue to focus on those issues. We all have a responsibility to be in the solutions business. Sadly, there are some local politicians, and other people with barrows to push, who seem to think that they are personally going to benefit from portraying Alice Springs’ challenges as a crisis with no solutions.
It really was appalling that, in the Leader of the Opposition’s budget reply, after all of the issues that confronted this parliament in Alice Springs just over a week ago, there was not one mention, one initiative on what to do to get on top of the issues in and around Alice Springs. Not one, Madam Speaker …
Ms Carney: You have no idea. We are giving you ideas and you still do not take them up. You still will not increase police numbers.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Leader of the Opposition!
Ms Carney: What about same time monitoring? We have written to your mate about that.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, cease interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: The Leader of the Opposition is devoid of original thought, Madam Speaker, with not one initiative. I offer a challenge to the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Greatorex today, who represent seats in Alice Springs. I believe they have a responsibility to stand up for tourism and for Alice Springs today.
I issued a media release very quickly today that has been circulated widely through CATIA and the Chamber of Commerce – ‘Alice Springs: Fantastic and Welcoming’. The first paragraph:
- The Central Australian town of Alice Springs remains a fantastic and welcoming destination for both local and international visitors, …
The last paragraph:
- The fact is Alice Springs remains a wonderful destination for tourists and welcoming home for residents and we look forward to welcoming visitors from Australia and around the world, …
The challenge for the Leader of the Opposition is to show some leadership ...
Ms Carney: … into town and got drunk at the pub, not to mention what else happened.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … and issue a media release today, Madam Speaker.
Ms Carney: You have shown contempt for Alice Springs from day one and you should be ashamed of yourself.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Leader of the Opposition, cease interjecting!
Mr HENDERSON: I am absolutely astounded that the Leader of the Opposition, who has a very responsible position in this parliament, and is a local member in Alice Springs, will not issue a media release today. The challenge is there. I will be the first to come back to this parliament and congratulate her for standing up for Alice Springs, for standing up for tourism, which employs many hundreds of people in Alice Springs. It contributes overwhelmingly to the economy of Alice Springs. She should stand up for the town and support Alice Springs. That is the challenge for the Leader of the Opposition.
There was not one initiative in the budget reply, not one original thought in terms of getting on top of the problems …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms Carney: Madam Speaker, he is just revolting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, withdraw that last comment.
Ms CARNEY: I withdraw the word ‘revolting’, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Continue, minister.
Mr HENDERSON: As I said in debate in Alice Springs, the responsibility for all of us is not to deny the problems and bury our heads in the sand but to be in the solutions business, a responsibility the opposition has failed dramatically.
Madam Speaker, the proof is the number of visitors who come back again and again to Alice Springs to see the spectacular landscapes, the Masters Games …
Ms Carney: Yes, wonderful! Do you know why I know that? Because I live there. Fantastic!
Mr HENDERSON: Then issue a media release and say so.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition!
Mr HENDERSON: You are into amplifying problems, not solutions for your own short-term political gain. You are an absolute disgrace.
International tourism numbers increased by over 6%, an extra 17 000 travellers to Alice Springs last year, and the average length of stay increased from four to five nights. We want to see that continue. We want to continue to build those numbers, provide jobs for people in Alice Springs, and to see investment in Alice Springs, not amplification of the problems in Alice Springs. Again, I say that Alice Springs is fantastic and welcoming for tourists from all over the world ...
Ms Carney: That is why I live there, you fool!
Mr KIELY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I request that the Leader of the Opposition withdraw that remark.
Ms CARNEY: I withdraw the word ‘fool’, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016