Ms CARNEY - 2006-02-22
Last week, you told Territorians that you would keep your promises. On 11 October 2000, you promised Territorians that you would empower, resource and strengthen the independence of the Auditor-General to report regularly on things such as hospital waiting lists and government performance. One thousand, six hundred and forty-eight days have passed since you could have kept that promise, yet the Auditor-General has only seen a slight increase in monies, no further powers, and not offered one report on hospital waiting lists.
If you were telling the truth in 2000 about your intention to give these powers to the Auditor-General, why have you failed to keep your promise?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it would be interesting to know what powers the Auditor-General wants that he does not have. We have had the posturing from the member for Blain in our debate on the waterfront yesterday, saying: ‘We have not had enough financial accountability, I am going to take this to the Auditor-General’, not knowing that the Auditor-General has been watching over the project, has said publicly last year that he will be looking at the development of the project …
Mr Mills: More to come, Chief Minister.
Ms MARTIN: … we had posturing in here. Our Auditor-General has very adequate powers. He can …
Ms Carney: Why did you bother to strengthen them in 2000?
Mr Mills interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, member for Blain!
Ms MARTIN: The Auditor-General has substantial powers. We have enormous respect for him, the office, and the work he does. If the Opposition Leader can bring one instance where the Auditor-General has had his powers clipped, where the Auditor-General has not been able to investigate some aspect of government that he wanted to …
Ms Carney: It was your promise!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: … then certainly I would say, you have got us. But that is not the case …
Ms Carney: Why did you promise it then? Just make it up?
Ms MARTIN: … and we can have a protesting Opposition Leader …
Madam SPEAKER: Order, Leader of the Opposition!
Ms Carney: Just made it up!
Madam SPEAKER: Order, Leader of the Opposition!
Ms MARTIN: … but you are not making sense.
Ms Carney: You just made it up. You cannot help yourself.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, Leader of the Opposition!
Ms MARTIN: … just like the protestations of the member for Blain yesterday which proved groundless.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Ms Carney: Thank you, Madam Speaker, I will desist.
If you were telling the truth in 2000 about your intention to give these powers to the Auditor-General, why have you failed to keep your promise?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it would be interesting to know what powers the Auditor-General wants that he does not have. We have had the posturing from the member for Blain in our debate on the waterfront yesterday, saying: ‘We have not had enough financial accountability, I am going to take this to the Auditor-General’, not knowing that the Auditor-General has been watching over the project, has said publicly last year that he will be looking at the development of the project …
Mr Mills: More to come, Chief Minister.
Ms MARTIN: … we had posturing in here. Our Auditor-General has very adequate powers. He can …
Ms Carney: Why did you bother to strengthen them in 2000?
Mr Mills interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, member for Blain!
Ms MARTIN: The Auditor-General has substantial powers. We have enormous respect for him, the office, and the work he does. If the Opposition Leader can bring one instance where the Auditor-General has had his powers clipped, where the Auditor-General has not been able to investigate some aspect of government that he wanted to …
Ms Carney: It was your promise!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: … then certainly I would say, you have got us. But that is not the case …
Ms Carney: Why did you promise it then? Just make it up?
Ms MARTIN: … and we can have a protesting Opposition Leader …
Madam SPEAKER: Order, Leader of the Opposition!
Ms Carney: Just made it up!
Madam SPEAKER: Order, Leader of the Opposition!
Ms MARTIN: … but you are not making sense.
Ms Carney: You just made it up. You cannot help yourself.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, Leader of the Opposition!
Ms MARTIN: … just like the protestations of the member for Blain yesterday which proved groundless.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Ms Carney: Thank you, Madam Speaker, I will desist.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016