Mr CONLAN - 2011-10-20
I know it has been a tough week for the government. They have had a motion blow up in their face. They are at loggerheads with the federal government. He has lost control …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is Question Time and the member should be asking a question, not using his …
Mr Conlan: I am. That is my preamble.
Mr HENDERSON: … radio jock tactics as he likes to do. Can he get on with the question, please?
Madam SPEAKER: Indeed.
Mr CONLAN: That is right, it has been a hard week, I know. You have had a motion blow up in your face. A bit embarrassing for you, we understand.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, this is not a question.
Mr CONLAN: We understand, poor old Hendo.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Mr CONLAN: Yesterday, you and a number of your members received an e-mail from …
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member very well knows he should be addressing the Chief Minister by his title, the Chief Minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Indeed. Member for Greatorex, so far it has not been a question. Can you get to the question and forget the preamble?
Mr CONLAN: Yesterday, you and a number of your members received an e-mail from an Alice Springs resident about an incident at the Yeperenye complex last night. I seek leave to table that letter …
Madam SPEAKER: No, member for Greatorex, your time has expired. You did not actually ask the question.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The courtesy of stopping the clock for the Chief Minister was extended to the Chief Minister. I ask that the same courtesy is extended to the member for Greatorex.
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin - member for Greatorex, resume your seat! The stopping of the clock is what happens when I am seeking advice. That is the only time we stop the clock.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That is actually not correct. What occurred was the Chief Minister asked for the clock to be stopped and you acquiesced to that request. I ask in the name of equality that you …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, can you just resume your seat please?
Member for Greatorex, we did not hear any of the question. There was a one-minute preamble, which was, in fact, even beyond any kind of preamble …
Mr CONLAN: I get 30 seconds to ask a question.
Madam SPEAKER: No, you get a minute. You had a minute, and it was a total preamble without any question.
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, I am speaking, resume your seat!
Member for Greatorex, do you have a question which takes about 10 seconds?
Mr CONLAN: I do, and I assure you I will get to it.
Madam SPEAKER: We are nearly at 10 seconds now.
Mr CONLAN: This letter I tabled focuses on an incident involving a number of youths and security guards at the Yeperenye Shopping Centre in Alice Springs. A woman who also wanted to report the incident, said she phoned 000 twice but the calls went unanswered. Can you explain why the police station was unoccupied in Alice Springs last night?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I will not insult the member for Greatorex, because this is a serious question. I, too, received this e-mail last night, as did a number of other people. It is a serious issue. I just wish the member for Greatorex would take these issues seriously instead of revelling in them. If he was genuinely interested in this issue, knowing the question had come to me - it is copied on a pretty wide e-mail list - he could have contacted my office this morning and said: ‘Chief Minister, I am very concerned at this. Can you let me know what has occurred and what action the police took?’ But no, he does not want to be responsible about these things. He is a shock jock and wants to revel in the sensational aspects of it all and politicise every single offence that occurs in Alice Springs.
There are three people in custody assisting police with their inquiries. If you had contacted my office, member for Greatorex, instead of going: ‘Yippee, I have another question for Question Time’; if you were genuinely serious about the victim in this particular case, if you were genuinely serious and concerned ...
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! All he has to do is answer the question. I am genuinely concerned, hence I bring it into this parliament and ask a question. Why don’t you stop politicising it?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, that is not a point order.
Mr Conlan: Just answer the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, you will recall there was a one-minute preamble.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, if he was genuinely concerned for the victim, instead of waiting until 2.45 pm - this e-mail went to him at 8.22 pm last night, as it came to me. The first thing I did this morning was seek a briefing from police because I was concerned for the victim. If you were genuinely concerned, you would have contacted my office this morning and you would have received the advice I have given you. But you are just a nasty, little shock jock from Alice Springs who wants to play politics all the time …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: There are three people in custody assisting police with their inquiries, one adult and two youths …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Police also advise that one of the calls which aided in the apprehensions was a 000 call. Police are happy to discuss any issues with 000. However, I am advised one of the calls which aided in the apprehensions was a 000 call. For any people who have further information, I encourage them to contact Superintendent Michael Murphy. The station was attended. The officer or officers at the station would have been busy whilst the rest of their colleagues were out on the streets of Alice Springs, as they should be.
Yes, it was a nasty incident. Yes, police have acted; three people are in custody. I urge the member for Greatorex, if he is interested in the victims, to contact my office and I will provide a police brief. It is like being flogged by a feather duster, member for Greatorex. You are about as intimidating as a feather duster.
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is Question Time and the member should be asking a question, not using his …
Mr Conlan: I am. That is my preamble.
Mr HENDERSON: … radio jock tactics as he likes to do. Can he get on with the question, please?
Madam SPEAKER: Indeed.
Mr CONLAN: That is right, it has been a hard week, I know. You have had a motion blow up in your face. A bit embarrassing for you, we understand.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, this is not a question.
Mr CONLAN: We understand, poor old Hendo.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Mr CONLAN: Yesterday, you and a number of your members received an e-mail from …
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member very well knows he should be addressing the Chief Minister by his title, the Chief Minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Indeed. Member for Greatorex, so far it has not been a question. Can you get to the question and forget the preamble?
Mr CONLAN: Yesterday, you and a number of your members received an e-mail from an Alice Springs resident about an incident at the Yeperenye complex last night. I seek leave to table that letter …
Madam SPEAKER: No, member for Greatorex, your time has expired. You did not actually ask the question.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The courtesy of stopping the clock for the Chief Minister was extended to the Chief Minister. I ask that the same courtesy is extended to the member for Greatorex.
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin - member for Greatorex, resume your seat! The stopping of the clock is what happens when I am seeking advice. That is the only time we stop the clock.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That is actually not correct. What occurred was the Chief Minister asked for the clock to be stopped and you acquiesced to that request. I ask in the name of equality that you …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, can you just resume your seat please?
Member for Greatorex, we did not hear any of the question. There was a one-minute preamble, which was, in fact, even beyond any kind of preamble …
Mr CONLAN: I get 30 seconds to ask a question.
Madam SPEAKER: No, you get a minute. You had a minute, and it was a total preamble without any question.
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, I am speaking, resume your seat!
Member for Greatorex, do you have a question which takes about 10 seconds?
Mr CONLAN: I do, and I assure you I will get to it.
Madam SPEAKER: We are nearly at 10 seconds now.
Mr CONLAN: This letter I tabled focuses on an incident involving a number of youths and security guards at the Yeperenye Shopping Centre in Alice Springs. A woman who also wanted to report the incident, said she phoned 000 twice but the calls went unanswered. Can you explain why the police station was unoccupied in Alice Springs last night?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I will not insult the member for Greatorex, because this is a serious question. I, too, received this e-mail last night, as did a number of other people. It is a serious issue. I just wish the member for Greatorex would take these issues seriously instead of revelling in them. If he was genuinely interested in this issue, knowing the question had come to me - it is copied on a pretty wide e-mail list - he could have contacted my office this morning and said: ‘Chief Minister, I am very concerned at this. Can you let me know what has occurred and what action the police took?’ But no, he does not want to be responsible about these things. He is a shock jock and wants to revel in the sensational aspects of it all and politicise every single offence that occurs in Alice Springs.
There are three people in custody assisting police with their inquiries. If you had contacted my office, member for Greatorex, instead of going: ‘Yippee, I have another question for Question Time’; if you were genuinely serious about the victim in this particular case, if you were genuinely serious and concerned ...
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! All he has to do is answer the question. I am genuinely concerned, hence I bring it into this parliament and ask a question. Why don’t you stop politicising it?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, that is not a point order.
Mr Conlan: Just answer the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, you will recall there was a one-minute preamble.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, if he was genuinely concerned for the victim, instead of waiting until 2.45 pm - this e-mail went to him at 8.22 pm last night, as it came to me. The first thing I did this morning was seek a briefing from police because I was concerned for the victim. If you were genuinely concerned, you would have contacted my office this morning and you would have received the advice I have given you. But you are just a nasty, little shock jock from Alice Springs who wants to play politics all the time …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: There are three people in custody assisting police with their inquiries, one adult and two youths …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Police also advise that one of the calls which aided in the apprehensions was a 000 call. Police are happy to discuss any issues with 000. However, I am advised one of the calls which aided in the apprehensions was a 000 call. For any people who have further information, I encourage them to contact Superintendent Michael Murphy. The station was attended. The officer or officers at the station would have been busy whilst the rest of their colleagues were out on the streets of Alice Springs, as they should be.
Yes, it was a nasty incident. Yes, police have acted; three people are in custody. I urge the member for Greatorex, if he is interested in the victims, to contact my office and I will provide a police brief. It is like being flogged by a feather duster, member for Greatorex. You are about as intimidating as a feather duster.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016