Mr TOLLNER - 2011-11-24
Madam Speaker, my question is to the non-existent Minister for Indigenous Development …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, you just ask the question of a minister; you do not need any explanation like that.
Mr TOLLNER: I would be happy to get an answer from her I suppose - unlikely.
Madam SPEAKER: Just withdraw that comment, thank you.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Indigenous Development …
Mr HAMPTON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask the member to withdraw his comments.
Madam SPEAKER: Could you just withdraw the …
Mr TOLLNER: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much, member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: I will start again.
Federal Labor’s planned intervention Mark II allows southern do-gooders and handwringers to effectively take over the running of any store that is seen to be harmful to Aboriginal people - not only pubs and bottle shops, but other stores including takeaway food outlets. Do you support federal Labor’s policy that could force Territory businesses to close because the federal Labor government says so?
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Once again, this is directed to the Minister for Indigenous policy when it is really a question to the Minister for Alcohol Policy. There might have been some relevance because the shadow minister for Alcohol Policy asked the last question instead of the shadow minister for Indigenous policy. Once again, we have someone who is completely outside his portfolio ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: They are a rabble.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of Government Business will resume his seat.
Mr TOLLNER: In relation to the Leader of Government Business’ point of order, the question was in relation to closing down businesses, not only pubs and clubs, but federal Labor’s plans to be able to walk in and shut down businesses in the Northern Territory …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! May I assist the House? Clause 4 of the bill introduced to the federal parliament, which refers to the Object of the bill, states:
That means that every question should be directed to the Minister for Indigenous affairs.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Honourable members, I draw your attention to Standing Order 109:
Minister for Indigenous Development, do you have responsibility for this matter?
Ms McCARTHY: Certainly not for business, but I would like the opportunity to answer what I can ...
Madam SPEAKER: Do you have the responsibility, otherwise you are not allowed to answer the question?
Ms McCARTHY: Not for business, no, Madam Speaker, but I do have …
Madam SPEAKER: You can only answer a question for which you are responsible. Are you responsible for the matters which have been raised in this question?
Ms McCARTHY: I am responsible for Indigenous affairs, Madam Speaker, not for business.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, I will allow the question, but I do not believe you are responsible for this under the administration ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, I will allow the question, but it needs to be brought to your attention, once again, that you have to have responsibility for the administration of the matter.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I would like to respond to elements of the question which do relate to me regarding Indigenous affairs.
First, I remind the House of how important this issue is for Indigenous people across the Northern Territory. It is all very well …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms McCARTHY: No, seriously. It is all very well for members opposite to laugh and have fun over an issue that has impacted dramatically on the lives of Indigenous people in the Northern Territory. This has had a profound impact on Indigenous people in the Northern Territory …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Drysdale, you are on a warning! Member for Katherine!
Ms McCARTHY: … and all you can do is laugh, member for Braitling. All you can do is laugh at the very people who are impoverished across the Northern Territory. Shame on you!
Shame on you, member for Fong Lim. You did not even read the 500-page legislation that impacted on Indigenous people in the Northern Territory, and you have the gall to stand here now and question what this does for Indigenous people when all you want to do is call them hellholes and move them to …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms McCARTHY: … the Stuart Highway. Each and every one of you on that side should be ashamed of yourselves ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: I think you would like to resume your seat, member for Katherine.
Honourable members, I remind you of the standing orders in relation to interjections, and how it is my responsibility to call people if they are not behaving according to the standing orders. The level of interjections is beyond belief. I cannot hear the person speaking. I cannot hear people calling points of order. We have a new sound system which blasts everything out, but I cannot hear things that are going on. It is appalling.
The minister has the call. I believe the member for Katherine was going to call a point of order. I hope it really is a point of order, member for Katherine.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Yes, Madam Speaker, it is. I ask you to …
Madam SPEAKER: Relating to the standing orders?
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Yes, Madam Speaker, it is.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Katherine.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: The point of order is, if could you ask the minister to direct her comments through the Chair.
Madam CHAIR: Member for Katherine, resume your seat. Minister, you have the call.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that you ask the minister to be relevant to the question.
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Fong Lim will resume his seat. Minister, can you come to the point? You only have 20 seconds, and direct your comments through the Chair.
Ms McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, members on this side of the House have a vision to work with the people of the Northern Territory, to work with the Indigenous people of the Northern Territory, and we will do everything in our efforts to ensure that the federal government works in partnership with the Indigenous people of the Northern Territory.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, you just ask the question of a minister; you do not need any explanation like that.
Mr TOLLNER: I would be happy to get an answer from her I suppose - unlikely.
Madam SPEAKER: Just withdraw that comment, thank you.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Indigenous Development …
Mr HAMPTON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask the member to withdraw his comments.
Madam SPEAKER: Could you just withdraw the …
Mr TOLLNER: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much, member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: I will start again.
Federal Labor’s planned intervention Mark II allows southern do-gooders and handwringers to effectively take over the running of any store that is seen to be harmful to Aboriginal people - not only pubs and bottle shops, but other stores including takeaway food outlets. Do you support federal Labor’s policy that could force Territory businesses to close because the federal Labor government says so?
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Once again, this is directed to the Minister for Indigenous policy when it is really a question to the Minister for Alcohol Policy. There might have been some relevance because the shadow minister for Alcohol Policy asked the last question instead of the shadow minister for Indigenous policy. Once again, we have someone who is completely outside his portfolio ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: They are a rabble.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of Government Business will resume his seat.
Mr TOLLNER: In relation to the Leader of Government Business’ point of order, the question was in relation to closing down businesses, not only pubs and clubs, but federal Labor’s plans to be able to walk in and shut down businesses in the Northern Territory …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! May I assist the House? Clause 4 of the bill introduced to the federal parliament, which refers to the Object of the bill, states:
- The object of this act is to support Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory ...
That means that every question should be directed to the Minister for Indigenous affairs.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Honourable members, I draw your attention to Standing Order 109:
- Questions may be put to a Minister relating to public affairs, to proceedings pending in the Assembly, or to any matter of administration for which they are responsible.
Minister for Indigenous Development, do you have responsibility for this matter?
Ms McCARTHY: Certainly not for business, but I would like the opportunity to answer what I can ...
Madam SPEAKER: Do you have the responsibility, otherwise you are not allowed to answer the question?
Ms McCARTHY: Not for business, no, Madam Speaker, but I do have …
Madam SPEAKER: You can only answer a question for which you are responsible. Are you responsible for the matters which have been raised in this question?
Ms McCARTHY: I am responsible for Indigenous affairs, Madam Speaker, not for business.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, I will allow the question, but I do not believe you are responsible for this under the administration ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, I will allow the question, but it needs to be brought to your attention, once again, that you have to have responsibility for the administration of the matter.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I would like to respond to elements of the question which do relate to me regarding Indigenous affairs.
First, I remind the House of how important this issue is for Indigenous people across the Northern Territory. It is all very well …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms McCARTHY: No, seriously. It is all very well for members opposite to laugh and have fun over an issue that has impacted dramatically on the lives of Indigenous people in the Northern Territory. This has had a profound impact on Indigenous people in the Northern Territory …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Drysdale, you are on a warning! Member for Katherine!
Ms McCARTHY: … and all you can do is laugh, member for Braitling. All you can do is laugh at the very people who are impoverished across the Northern Territory. Shame on you!
Shame on you, member for Fong Lim. You did not even read the 500-page legislation that impacted on Indigenous people in the Northern Territory, and you have the gall to stand here now and question what this does for Indigenous people when all you want to do is call them hellholes and move them to …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms McCARTHY: … the Stuart Highway. Each and every one of you on that side should be ashamed of yourselves ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: I think you would like to resume your seat, member for Katherine.
Honourable members, I remind you of the standing orders in relation to interjections, and how it is my responsibility to call people if they are not behaving according to the standing orders. The level of interjections is beyond belief. I cannot hear the person speaking. I cannot hear people calling points of order. We have a new sound system which blasts everything out, but I cannot hear things that are going on. It is appalling.
The minister has the call. I believe the member for Katherine was going to call a point of order. I hope it really is a point of order, member for Katherine.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Yes, Madam Speaker, it is. I ask you to …
Madam SPEAKER: Relating to the standing orders?
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Yes, Madam Speaker, it is.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Katherine.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: The point of order is, if could you ask the minister to direct her comments through the Chair.
Madam CHAIR: Member for Katherine, resume your seat. Minister, you have the call.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that you ask the minister to be relevant to the question.
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Fong Lim will resume his seat. Minister, can you come to the point? You only have 20 seconds, and direct your comments through the Chair.
Ms McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, members on this side of the House have a vision to work with the people of the Northern Territory, to work with the Indigenous people of the Northern Territory, and we will do everything in our efforts to ensure that the federal government works in partnership with the Indigenous people of the Northern Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016