The Northern Territory news Sat 25 Feb 2012
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2012-02-25
This publication contains may contain links to external sites. These external sites may no longer be active.
English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Darwin
application/pdf
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Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/238940
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/629104
22 NT NEWS. Saturday, February 25, 2012. www.ntnews.com.au P U B : N T N E W S D A T E : 2 5 -F E B -2 0 1 2 P A G E : 2 2 C O L O R : C M Y K SATURDAY EXTRA l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ntnews.com.au Burning A Labor minister has used parliamentary privilege to accuse a former party MP of despicable behaviour, writesNIGELADLAM Labor Minister Chris Burns She told us theseweremade-up storieswith no basis in truth. That iswhywedefended her;we believed her P OLITICIANS are like married couples the hatred is awful to behold when they fall out. Alison Anderson said last year that she hated her former soulmates in the Labor Party. Well, it seems that the feeling is reciprocated. Labor Cabinet Minister Chris Burns used parliamentary privilege to put the boot into the woman who won her seat of Macdonnell as an ALP candidate but switched to the CLP without then contesting a by-election to see if voters agreed with her defection. He quoted at length in Parliament from a book by highly regarded journalist Russell Skelton called King Brown Country. The award-winning book examined life at the poverty-stricken and dysfunctional community of Papunya, particularly when Anderson was town clerk. Burns said that Ms Anderson had an appalling record. He admitted that Labor had defended Anderson from CLP attacks when she was in the ALP government. She told us these were made-up stories with no basis in truth. That is why we defended her; we believed her. But Burns said Andersons failure to challenge the allegations in King Brown Country meant we must conclude the contents of this book are true and accurate. He said money from the Papunya store when Anderson ran the community was scandalously misused. Quoting from Skeltons book, Burns spoke of Motorcar Dreaming where store profits were systematically siphoned off to buy motor vehicles for a chosen few. Then store manager John Verek said: The money spent on cars would have been in hundreds of thousands of dollars a waste, a fortune squandered on a minority. Burns said the actual distribution of the vehicles was overseen by Anderson, despite allegedly being warned by Verek that it was illegal. The Minister also quoted allegations in King Brown Country about price gouging at the Papunya store. When it was suggested prices be lowered, Anderson flatly rejected the idea. In the meantime, Anderson and her then-husband allegedly avoided the store and did most of their shopping in Alice Springs yet they benefited from the profits via, among other prizes, a $35,000 Toyota LandCruiser. Burns stated: I am not saying this behaviour is dishonest in the legal sense, but it is despicable. Here is someone who has set herself up as a defender, a champion, a saviour of indigenous rights. However, in King Brown Country, we learn that she insisted on price gouging in that remote store, ripping off needy, vulnerable indigenous people on necessities like food, so she could benefit personally with the car she used to shop elsewhere for herself. One also has to ask whether Commonwealth tax was paid on that vehicle. Burns said there were clashes over store trading hours. Anderson allegedly wanted the store closed at weekends so it did not interfere with the small business she operated from her house. Burns also accused Anderson of being guilty of repugnant bullying of workers at Papunya. Anderson, in turn, said Burns was a raving lunatic. She said King Brown Country was full of falsehoods and errors she had not taken legal action because as a public figure she accepts such blows. NET NEGOTIATIONS The Net Negotiations program is designed to provide you with skills to help you in your parenting role, ensuring the Internet plays a constructive role in your childrens lives. Teaches you the myths, benefi ts and hazards of cyberspace to empower and protect your children and adolescents. Please contact CatholicCare NT on 8944 2000 Bookings are essential. www.catholiccarent.org.au VENUE: DATES: TIME: COST: CatholicCare NT 17 Hidden Valley Road, BERRIMAH Thursday evenings 8th, 15th and 22nd March 2012 6:30pm - 8:30pm $30.00 per person $40.00 per couple 1 0 0 8 4 1 5