Debates Day 2 - Wednesday 17 May 1995
Parliamentary Record 10
Debates for 7th Assembly 1994 - 1997; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 7th Assembly 1994 - 1997
1995-05-17
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Debates
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
Darwin
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DEBATES - Wednesday 17 May 1995 administrative difficulties with them, but I believe they have to be pursued more vigorously than they have been. Likewise, the ministers behaviour in so far as rehabilitation facilities are concerned has been simply disgraceful. No rehabilitation facility is available in Alice Springs on a residential basis. For 6 months now, the minister has pulled the wool over the eyes of the journalists who report on these matters. However, he has not pulled the wool over my eyes. Mr Reed: Yes, but you expect... Mr BELL: I refer the minister to his dishonest statement in December last year in which he said that he was removing funding from the Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Program Unit (CAAAPU) on the basis of mismanagement. Mr Reed: Absolutely! Mr BELL: He did not tell this Assembly anything about it. He waited until the Assembly had risen for the Christmas break before he made the announcement... Mr Reed: I was not going ... Mr BELL: ... which was an indication of how guilty he was feeling about it and of how unsure he was of his ground. I raised those matters with the minister by way of letter. Mr Reed: And you got an answer. Mr BELL: I raised those matters through the Sessional Committee on Use and Abuse of Alcohol by the Community. I was shocked and amazed to find that the minister had not learnt of the administrative abuses in CAAAPU only a week or so before he chopped its funding. He had known about it for 6 months. Mr Reed: I think I said that in my press release. Mr BELL: No fear! You did not say that in your press release at all. Mr Reed: Yes, I did. Mr BELL: You said absolutely nothing about that at a l l ... Mr Reed: I did so. Mr BELL: ... and even now ... Mr Reed inteijecting. Mr BELL: Perhaps, in this debate, we can have some truth from the minister because he has not given me the truth and he has not given the truth to the Sessional Committee on Use and Abuse of Alcohol by the Community. I point out to the minister that, when I wrote to him 3220