Questions - 07 December - 21 December 1976
Parliamentary record 16
Questions for 1st Assembly 1974 - 1977; Parliamentary Record; ParliamentNT; 1st Assembly 1974 - 1977
1976-12-21
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Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
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QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE - Tuesday 7 December 1976 claims for all sorts of assorted de terminations on 21 June of this year. They still have no reply and a young gentleman from the Industrial Affairs Branch of the Department of the Northern Territory told the Police Association the other day that if it got to the point of the Arbitra1 Tribunal the Department of the Northern Territory would not be ready to put their case before the judge because they had not had time to prepare it. It has been with them since 21 June and I think that a certain gentleman within the Department of the Northern Territory should pull up his socks and get moving. 1654 Mr EVERINGHAM to Mr RYAN ANSWER The honourable executive member will recall that at the last sittings I asked certain questions regarding the Northumberland Insurance Company and its demise, and the possible - in fact probable - bankruptcy of persons who have been sued and thought they were indemnified by the Northumberland Insurance Company. I am now asking the honourable Executive member, in view of the fact that the Government apparently does not propose to underwrite companies that it authorises pursuant to the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, and that therefore such authorisation is absolutely worthless, does the Government propose to continue with the system of authorised third party insurers? I understand that the Government is going to continue with authorised insurers; I have had no instructions to amend the ordinance. However, I think the honourable member for Jingi1i has a good point and, as I have said before in answer to questions concerning Northumberland Insurance, it is a sad situation where people in good faith take out insurance then find that when the insurance company goes through the hoop they are left holding the bag. The Government has expressed a desire to keep out of the whole af fair; they do not appear to be interested in helping to foot the bill and, as I explained before, neither do the insurance companies. I intend talking to the member for Jingi1i because I believe this is an extremely important matter and hopefully we can come up with something and ask the Government to give some assistance. Unfortunately, we do not have any real power in this area and we can only ask the Government if they would be of some assistance. 1655 Mr MANUELL to Mr RYAN ANSWER Is the honourable executive member aware of a recent press statement, reputed to be attributable to the Federal Minister for Transport, stating that there would only be need for a review of the present railway line from A1ice Springs to Maree, in terms of repositioning a siding north of Tarcoo1a, if Lake Eyre South was to overflow and inhibit railway traffic between Maree and A1ice Springs? Has the honourable member taken any steps to inquire as to whether Lake Eyre South is likely to overflow in this coming wet season and, if it is not, whether this means that we can expect the Central Australian Railway to remain open from Maree to A1ice Springs? With regard to the C~ntra1 Australian Railway, I believe that the comments made by the honourable member for Alice Springs are correct. I am not aware at this stage whether or not they expect Lake Eyre to fill up this year. I do not know whether or not it is going to fill up and if it is going to cause a problem. I hope that it does not. I