Debates and Questions - Day 1 - 24 April 2020
Parliamentary Record 27
Debates and Questions for 13th Assembly 2019 - 2020; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 13th Assembly 2016 - 2020
2020-04-24
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Debates and Questions
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
Darwin
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DEBATES AND QUESTIONS Friday 24 April 2020 8348 Ms FYLES: As soon as I start to point to the evidence, the interjections fly up. They do not like listening to the expert advice. They do not want to listen to professionals. But we will continue, in order to save the lives of Territorians. We will listen to the experts Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Relevance once again. How will Territorians lives be saved by not presenting the petition? Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. Minister, you have the call. Get to the point. Ms FYLES: We have extensive pandemic plans across the Territory to keep the community safe. Those opposite are just trivialising. I am pointing out why this government, on such an important issue, is not supporting this suspension of standing orders. We will not support it because we are here today with important legislation to protect Territorians. Mrs FINOCCHIARO (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, so many things come to mind, but I will keep my comments brief. I stood in this parliament to simply present a petition. It would have taken 30 seconds. The Attorney-General stood up and, in an extraordinary rant that politicises a global pandemic, talked about how we do not possibly have the time to present a petition to the parliament, which would have taken 30 seconds. She proceeded to rant for 10 minutes creating further debate. Now the Member for Araluen presented her petitionagain which would have taken 30 seconds, so we are up to a minute of timeand again the Attorney-General ranted for another 10 minutes. The hypocrisy is writ large for all to see. This governments agenda, quite frankly, is disgusting. Presenting a petition that would take 30 seconds is not stopping the bill process. It is not stopping anything related to Coronavirus from being done. We are happy to sit here all night, all the way through to tomorrow, all weekend and all of next week if you want. We are not afraid of hard work. However, your government is so disgusting, out of touch and drunk on power that you cannot let ordinary processes important to Territorians happen in this Chamber. Shame on you. You will wear that around your neck. It is a disgrace. What you have done is wrong. You spent 20 minutes, Attorney-General, as the hypocrite you are, talking about the exact thing you are criticising the Member for Araluen and me of doing. I have now spent 30 seconds talking about something important; the Member for Araluen spent 30 seconds talking about something important; and you wasted 20 minutes. Madam SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to. The Assembly divided. Ayes 9 Noes 16 Mr Collins Ms Ah Kit Mrs Finocchiaro Mr Bowden Mr Guyula Mr Costa Mr Higgins Ms Fyles Mrs Lambley Mr Gunner Mr McConnell Mr Kirby Mr Mills Ms Lawler Ms Purick Mr McCarthy Mr Wood Ms Manison Ms Moss Ms Nelson Mr Paech Mr Sievers Ms Uibo Ms Wakefield Mrs Worden Motion not agreed to. PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL (Serial 131) Ms FYLES (Health): Madam Speaker, I present a bill entitled the Public and Environmental Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 and table a copy of the explanatory statement and a statement on the