Ms CARNEY - 2005-06-30
You ridiculed the previous Leader of the Opposition when he warned Territorians that the deal for piped gas from Wadeye to Gove was in trouble. He was telling the truth. On Top FM on 28 June, Pacific President of Alcan, Richard Yank, said that during the election his company had continued to work through the process with the departments involved.
Chief Minister, are you asking us to believe that your office of major projects is so incompetent that it did not advise you of the impending collapse of the trans-Territory pipeline deal at that time or, did you have this knowledge but not attach much importance to telling the truth?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a very sad start from the Opposition Leader, when we have a company the size of Alcan, which has a strong connection to the Northern Territory, currently spending $2bn to expand their alumina production in Gove that the Opposition Leader is implying that the head of Alcan Pacific is somehow lying in what he is saying. This is a very poor start for the Opposition Leader.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I did not say or even infer that Mr Yank had been lying. I ask the Chief Minister to withdraw that comment.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, let me quote from the interview conducted with ABC on 28 June. The Opposition Leader has a copy of this. The reporter said: ‘Denis Burke was flagging the fact that these negotiations were in jeopardy’. Richard Yank replied:
If the Opposition Leader wants to continue to say that, somehow or other, we knew differently when that is what Alcan is saying very clearly, then she is saying that these guys are lying. It is a very poor start to deal with a company of the size of Alcan, of importance to the Territory in a multinational sense, to say that she does not believe it …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Ms MARTIN: … and I believe it reflects very poorly on the Opposition Leader.
Ms CARNEY: I am sure that you do. The point of order I raised, Madam Speaker, was in relation to the suggestion by this Chief Minister that I had suggested that Richard Yank had been lying. That is not the suggestion, inference or comment that I made, and she should withdraw it.
Madam SPEAKER: I believe the Chief Minister was answering the question. As you know, there is a fair bit of latitude in relation to ministers answering questions. I do not believe that there was that imputation. I am sure the Chief Minister has just explained herself in her response.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, may I finish this answer? I am not going to stand in here and have the Opposition Leader imply, and even say more directly, that senior members of Alcan have lied to the media. I will stand up on behalf of Alcan very strongly.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Once again, the Chief Minister is just off in fantasy land, suggesting that I am stating or implying …
Members interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: Excuse me! … that another …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: There is no point of order. If you go to standing orders, the Leader of the Opposition is using spurious points of order to make statements to this parliament. Unless she can address her point of order to a particular standing order she has no point of order.
Madam SPEAKER: I am advised that, if you feel that you have been misrepresented in this place, you should come and see me after Question Time and that you can consider making a personal explanation.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Chief Minister, are you asking us to believe that your office of major projects is so incompetent that it did not advise you of the impending collapse of the trans-Territory pipeline deal at that time or, did you have this knowledge but not attach much importance to telling the truth?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a very sad start from the Opposition Leader, when we have a company the size of Alcan, which has a strong connection to the Northern Territory, currently spending $2bn to expand their alumina production in Gove that the Opposition Leader is implying that the head of Alcan Pacific is somehow lying in what he is saying. This is a very poor start for the Opposition Leader.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I did not say or even infer that Mr Yank had been lying. I ask the Chief Minister to withdraw that comment.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, let me quote from the interview conducted with ABC on 28 June. The Opposition Leader has a copy of this. The reporter said: ‘Denis Burke was flagging the fact that these negotiations were in jeopardy’. Richard Yank replied:
- We answered questions at the time from the media. David Sutherland …
- … spoke to the media the week before the election and advised that negotiations were at a delicate stage and had not been finalised.
If the Opposition Leader wants to continue to say that, somehow or other, we knew differently when that is what Alcan is saying very clearly, then she is saying that these guys are lying. It is a very poor start to deal with a company of the size of Alcan, of importance to the Territory in a multinational sense, to say that she does not believe it …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Ms MARTIN: … and I believe it reflects very poorly on the Opposition Leader.
Ms CARNEY: I am sure that you do. The point of order I raised, Madam Speaker, was in relation to the suggestion by this Chief Minister that I had suggested that Richard Yank had been lying. That is not the suggestion, inference or comment that I made, and she should withdraw it.
Madam SPEAKER: I believe the Chief Minister was answering the question. As you know, there is a fair bit of latitude in relation to ministers answering questions. I do not believe that there was that imputation. I am sure the Chief Minister has just explained herself in her response.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, may I finish this answer? I am not going to stand in here and have the Opposition Leader imply, and even say more directly, that senior members of Alcan have lied to the media. I will stand up on behalf of Alcan very strongly.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Once again, the Chief Minister is just off in fantasy land, suggesting that I am stating or implying …
Members interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: Excuse me! … that another …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: There is no point of order. If you go to standing orders, the Leader of the Opposition is using spurious points of order to make statements to this parliament. Unless she can address her point of order to a particular standing order she has no point of order.
Madam SPEAKER: I am advised that, if you feel that you have been misrepresented in this place, you should come and see me after Question Time and that you can consider making a personal explanation.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016