Debates Day 3 - Thursday 1 May 2003
Parliamentary Record 11
Debates for 9th Assembly 2001 - 2005; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 9th Assembly 2001 - 2005
2003-05-01
Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
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Debates
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
Darwin
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Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
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DEBATES - Thursday 1 May 2003 Dr LEM: It was the federal government which brought Virgin Blue to Darwin ... Mr Henderson: Wrong. It was not! Dr LEM: ... through the Deputy Prime Minister, who provided almost $7m to Virgin Blue to come to Darwin, following 11 September and the Ansett collapse. The federal government also offered to get Flight West to Alice Springs provided the Northern Territory government... Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This goes to truthful recollections before this House. I seem to recall a press conference where the Chief Minister was sat right next to Richard Branson, the owner of Virgin Blue Airlines, and he congratulated the Chief Minister on bringing Virgin Blue Airlines to the Northern Territory. Therefore, I would ask the member for Greatorex to withdraw the fabrication that he has put on the record in this House. Dr LEM: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker, the minister accuses me of lying. I suggest he brings on a substantive motion, otherwise, he should withdraw. Madam SPEAKER: No, he did not accuse of lying; he asked you to clarify what you were saying. Dr LEM: Speaking to a point of order, by way of explanation, Madam Speaker, the Northern Territory government received funding from the federal government to encourage Virgin Blue to come here ... Members: No! No! Madam SPEAKER: All right. If any member in this House feels that they have been misquoted, they have the opportunity at a later stage to make a personal explanation. That has always been the rule. Member for Greatorex, make sure that your remarks are accurate. Dr LEM: The federal government also offered to get Flight West to Alice Springs provided the Northern Territory government was prepared to contribute towards it. However, you said no to the people of Alice Springs. Then, over the next 12 months, you kept telling us Virgin Blue was coming, just like tomorrow and Christmas is coming. Let me now come to the Chief Ministers statement and make some comments about what she said. She claims that Central Australia is important to her government, yet in her last two years of budgets she gave nothing to the region in the way of capital works. At the last budget we received, in the greater scheme of things, a few measly dollars for the Alice Springs High School airconditioning, and let me not forget the building of a new Kintore police station for which I understand the budget has now been severely trimmed. As for the Traeger Park hockey oval, the money was already committed by the previous CLP government, so it was not something that the Labor government initiated. I say to the Chief Minister that i f ... Mr VATSKALIS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Greatorex is grossly misleading the House. Not a few dollars; $32m we spent by the end of March and about $59m is going to be spent in Central Australia. Not just a few dollars - $59m few dollars! Mr BURKE: Madam Speaker, speaking to the point of order, it seems to be a common habit o f the government to attack the member for Greatorex whenever he rises to speak. I would even go as far as to suggest that the unwarranted attacks on this member whenever stands to speak in this House is not only unfair, but bordering on racist. Everyone in this House speaks strongly and firmly in debate, including members of the government - the member for Wanguri is particularly strong and forceful in his criticism in debates. Every time the member for Greatorex stands up to say something, he cannot be heard in silence. I ask you to afford him that courtesy because he is only trying to make a point on behalf of his constituents. Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, speaking to the point of order ... Madam SPEAKER: You may speak to the point of order, but let me say that the member for Greatorex has been interrupted on a number of occasions today. If you have a point of order, make it quickly, but let us get on with the debate. Mr HENDERSON: Speaking on the point of order regarding the allegations made by the Leader of the Opposition about personal and racist attacks on the member for Greatorex, I am offended. The points of order in relation to the member for Greatorexs speech today go to accuracy. He cannot come in here and accuse this government of only spending a few dollars on capital works in Alice Springs in the last budget - only spending money on airconditioning at the Alice Springs High School- when, in fact we, will spend by the end o f the financial year $59m on capital works. It goes to accuracy and the member for Greatorex continually misleading the House. 3958