Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, it certainly has seemed as though some common sense
(00:03):
has prevailed over the last few days of last week.
So Thursday, you'll recall that we're speaking at length about
the petition Justice for Decklan Lavity and calls from well
nearly twenty six thousand Territorians. For this to actually be
debated in Parliament, it had to go to the Public
Accounts Committee about lunchtime on Thursday. Now we all know
(00:26):
that then Friday was a public holiday, but they did
go to the Public Accounts Committee and it voted to
bring that petition back into Parliament. Now joining me on
the line to talk a little bit further about this
is Robin Lamley, the Independent Member for Ara Lewin. Good
morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Robin, Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Now, Robin, I know that there may be some details
that you can't sort of disclose, as you know, because
you are part of that Public Accounts Committee, But can
you tell us what happened on Thursday?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
So I'm a member of the publica Counts Committee. We
have five members. There are three government members and two
non government members. Myself and Bill Yan from the COLP
sit on that committee with Joel Bowden, who's the chair
of the Committee, Brent Potter who's the deputy chair, and
(01:18):
Darren Young is the other person on that committee. Those
three guys are all Labor guys, and Labor the Labor
government control that committee because they have the numbers. They
shouldn't but they do. There's meant to be single members
on that committee, but the government actually changed that early
in this parliamentary term, so they always had the absolute majority.
(01:41):
So we went into the meeting on Thursday at lunchtime
and very quickly it was resolved that this petition, with
as you said, nearly twenty six thousand signatures, which is incredible,
is now referred back to the Parliament for debate coming
up up in late August. Robin.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
There's been a couple of people messaging through saying Katie,
they're only going to be debating this for sixteen minutes?
Is that right?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Well, that's the other side of the story. So this
is another creation of the Northern Territory Labor government. They
decided that yes, petitions could go back for debate in Parliament,
but they would be limited to two lots of five
minute speeches and two lots of three minute speeches, which
totals sixteen minutes. So Whilst it is an absolute joke
(02:34):
that the government would limit any debate to that duration,
I think for me, it's just the symbolic nature of
the fact that they've finally conceded, after rejecting twenty two
out of the last twenty four petitions stopping them from
going back to Parliament for these sixteen minutes of debate,
(02:57):
they've conceded last Thursday to at least this one to
go back for a sixteen minute debate. It is an
absolute joke, Casey, but I think it's important that it
goes back for a mention by potentially four people in
Parliament in August. Yeah, I think that at a minimum
that's what people would expect. But you know, this Labor
(03:20):
government has created this situation where they are in absolute
control of everything that happens in Parliament in a very
undemocratic way, and this whole scenario playing out very publicly
thanks to you, is really a very sad indictment of
what they're thinking is and how hell then on controlling
(03:40):
everything they are to the detriment of democracy.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Well, and Robin, the thing is people are starting to
notice and they're starting to see this more and more,
and I know that you know, you've said thanks to me,
but we wouldn't have even been aware of this had
you not let us know. So I think the reality
here is that that you know, that blindfold needs to
be pulled off. People need to know exactly what's going on,
(04:05):
and you know, I'm pleased that the decision was made
that the debate's going to happen, but sixteen minutes is
absurd when you've got nearly twenty six thousand people saying
that they are not happy with the way in which
crime is being dealt with in the Northern Territory, that's
an absolute face for the government to think that that's okay.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Well, it's deeply offensive, but this is a government that
doesn't care. Katie. You know, they look like very kind,
friendly people, but how they play politics is fierce and
really disrespectful. What I was pleased to hear on Thursday
morning was your interview with Kezia per At, the Independent
(04:47):
member for Goiter. She's actually offered to put this whole
debate up as a matter of public importance, and I
spoke to Kezia later on Thursday afternoon and I think
she will do that so good. There will be more
debate on this issue, but going through the proper channels
of a debate, of a petition going to the Public
Accounts Committee, usually being knocked back, but in this case,
(05:10):
under enormous pressure, thanks to you and your show, it
will come back to that sixteen minute debate, but thanks
to keiv Epiric, it will be debated further as a
matter of a matter of public importance. So those twenty
six thousand people that have signed this petition can be
guaranteed that we will we will do our best to
(05:33):
play out a proper debate within the Northern Territory Parliament
at the end of August.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Robert, why do you think that that is so important?
Why do you think it's important that a proper public
debate happens, Because you know some listening are going to think,
oh goodness me. You know, the government made their announcement
last week about what they're going to do. Can't we
all just put this to bed and stop talking about crime.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
If we cannot have a proper and awesome debate about
this issue, which is of grave importance to so many
Territorians in the Northern Territory Parliament, then we may as
well all pack up and go home. And save many, many,
(06:18):
many millions of dollars every year paying for the likes
of me to front up, travel to Darwin, to participate
in in democracy. This is the place that we need
to do it in Parliament on behalf of our constituents.
That's what the parliamentary system is meant to be about.
(06:38):
For Labor to block it time and time again is
just so fundamentally wrong. It enrages me. It makes me sick.
I bring it up time and time again in Parliament.
Just how wrong these parliamentary committees are being stacked with
government members, government making decisions about government, scrutinizing government. It
(07:03):
is fundamentally wrong, Katie. And honestly, if you can't do
the basic thing of bringing up issues that matter when
we go to Parliament and debating them properly, then the
whole thing is just a farce and we should save
a hell of a lot of money and shut the
doors and go home.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Robin, we've just had word from Brent Potter apparently saying
there was no pressure. He moved it to parliament. He
says he moved it to and Bill Yan second did it.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Well, he's actually breaching the rules of his public Accounts Committee.
But yes, if Brent's happy to share that, that's exactly
what happened. But it was under jures. I mean, every
other time the petition's come to that Parliamentary committee, the
Public Accounts Committee, the committee has said, no, we're not
referring petitions back to Parliament for debate. So Brent obviously
(07:55):
heard the debate on your show on Thursday morning, read
the room final, and yes he did get in first,
but it was there was so much pressure on the
likes of Brent Potter and Joel Bowden, the chair of
this committee, and Barren Young, the other Labor member, that
they obviously talked about it before going in there, and
(08:17):
they decided that this was how it was going to happen,
with no debate and a unanimous support it for that happening.
But you know, Brent, you need to go back to
the history books. Over the last yeah years, I was
realized that most of the petitions that have come through
twenty two out of the last twenty four petitions have
been rejected by your government, your members into going back
(08:40):
into Parliament for debate.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Well, and apparently has also said and I'm hearing this
obviously through Crystal my producer that there was no opposition
from the Northern Territory government for this to progress. But
he obviously didn't hear the Attorney General Chancey Paig on
the show on Thursday morning, because it certainly didn't sound
as though it was going to be progressing when the
Attorney General wasn't even prepared to give us his personal
(09:02):
view as to whether he thought that it should or not.
But Robert, I want to move along. Not only did
the Public Accounts Committee determine that that debate is going
to go ahead even though it's only for sixteen minutes,
but my understanding is that there was also that pressure
was placed obviously by you about the fact that this
committee is only five members, three of them are labor.
(09:26):
Has there been some change now or is there going
to be some change to the way that Public Accounts
Committee is actually made up?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
So, Katie, straight after we decided to allow that petition
to go back to Parliament the debate, I've moved a
motion in that meeting, And because Brent's been on the
phone talking to you about what he did, I'll tell
you what I did. I moved a motion that the
Public Accounts Committee recommend to the government, the Labor government,
that the committee be restored to six members, three government
(09:59):
and three non government members, as per the Legislative Assembly
Standing Orders one seven seven that stipulates there should be six.
The government changed that on the floor of Parliament. They said,
oh no, we don't need six, will only have five,
even though the rules of the Parliament say there should
be six. So once again the committee under jurors agreed
(10:22):
to it, and they've written to the government, the Chief Minister,
the Leader of Government Business Chancey Paiks, saying that this
parliament Public Accounts Committee wanted to be returned to what
it should be six members. So at least you have
the look of a democratic process in place.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Excellent and so is that going to happen, Robin.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yes, it has happened. The letter one unful Thursday afternoon,
and so there has been a big change in the
Public Accounts Committee of Parliament thanks to your exposure and
as you say, very taking the blindfold off and letting
us have a look at what's really going on inside Parliament.
(11:06):
And Katie, I can assure you there's a whole lot
more that I can and will provide you going forward,
because things are not functioning well within the Northern Territory Parliament,
and territorians need to know what's going on inside there
because it is reflecting on the decisions that are being
made by the Parliament and the fact that the government
is actually getting away with so much more than what
(11:28):
people even realize.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
And Robin, you know the thing that astonished me when
we spoke to you on Thursday and you said it
just a moment ago. Twenty two out of the last
twenty four petitions have not then been able to go
forward for debate. Now, I know that sometimes those numbers
would not be very big that have signed those petitions,
(11:50):
but territorians signed those petitions hoping that they're going to
be heard and hoping that they will be discussed in
Parliament or that our is your makers are going to
listen to them.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
The Labor government have blocked that from happening. They are
so thin skin. You know, a petition about you know,
something very very minor, like you know, putting a gate
on a public housing block of units or something that
might come be cabled as a petition in Parliament, but
(12:25):
they're so thin skin they don't want that petition going
back for a sixteen minute debate. In Parliament. It is
absolutely ridiculous and they have actively blocked those debates from
the curR and Katie and territory. As I said, they
need to be aware of this happening. It is just
so wrong, so ridiculous, and very strongly reflective of just
(12:52):
how this Labor government operates. They have to control every
part of that Parliament and they're not entire Under the
Westminster parliamentary system, those parliamentary committees are meant to be bipartisan,
they're meant to be evenly balanced, and the government is
not meant to control those parliamentary committees that they do
(13:15):
at every turn, and it is wrong and it doesn't
happen in other Commonwealth countries around the world because in
other Commonwealth parliaments they respect the fact that you can't
have government scrutinizing government because it is a thurfy, it
doesn't work, and it just doesn't enhance the democratic process
(13:37):
at all like they're meant to.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Well, Robin, I'll tell you what people are going off
about this debate only going to happen for sixteen minutes,
but really pleasing And Kesier did say that on the
show last week that she would move this forward as
a matter of public importance. I know that both you
and Kesier have spoken to us about the fact that
we have not had a petition with this level of support.
(14:01):
I mean, nearly twenty six thousand signatures. It's an unbelievable
amount and it's a number that cannot be.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Ignored thinking about it. It's incredible and congratulations to territori ands.
It just shows that when things are wrong, people will
come out in force and express themselves and that's fantastic,
sometimes at their own peril, because I know that the
government members were very keen to have a look at
whose names were on that list, so you know, and
(14:27):
labor are very unforgiving, I can assure you, but don't
be fearful people. No, keep up the rage, maintain the rage,
put your hands up, show your support if you can,
and let's make the territory better place, because that's what
Parliament is meant to be doing, improving the lives of Territorians,
not keeping secrets and hiding away and trying to protect
(14:49):
the government from scrutiny. That's just nonsense.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Just before I let you go, you know how important
is it that this Public Accounts Committee now is going
to be restored to three government members and three non
government members. When it comes to that transparency and it
comes to territorians being heard.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
You know, the Public Accounts Committee is supposed to be
scrutinizing government expenditure at every turn. We've had one inquiry
in the last three years. One. I was the chair
of the Public Accounts Committee for twelve months in twenty
fifteen sixteen, and during that twelve month period we undertook
(15:30):
three inquiries. We completed three inquiries, so that the level
of output of the Public Accounts Committee at the moment
is at an all time low under the leadership of
Joel Bowden and the Labor government. With going back to
six members, although the chair will still have the casting boat,
I have to say so Labor will still be in charge.
(15:53):
The chair of all parliamentary committees cannot be government members.
They should not big government members. But at least with
six you will have a more wholesome debate and they
will have to they will have to adhere to the
spirit of how these parliamentary committees should function. So there
(16:15):
will be a greater level of democracy because the numbers even,
and there should be greater scrutiny of government and stare
scrutiny of government.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Well, Robin Lamley, I always appreciate your time. Thank you
very much for coming on the show this morning, but
thank you as well for last Thursday, you know, speaking
up and telling us what the situation was, because I
do think that it's incredibly important that Territorians realize exactly
what's going on and realize, you know, the process that
this petition had to go through to actually get to
(16:49):
the point where it is going to be debated, even
if it's only for sixteen minutes. But like we've said,
kesy Epiric also going to make some moves to make
sure that it does get some further debate in Parliament.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
My pleasure, Katie, Thank you,
Well, it certainly has seemed as though some common sense
(00:03):
has prevailed over the last few days of last week.
So Thursday, you'll recall that we're speaking at length about
the petition Justice for Decklan Lavity and calls from well
nearly twenty six thousand Territorians. For this to actually be
debated in Parliament, it had to go to the Public
Accounts Committee about lunchtime on Thursday. Now we all know
(00:26):
that then Friday was a public holiday, but they did
go to the Public Accounts Committee and it voted to
bring that petition back into Parliament. Now joining me on
the line to talk a little bit further about this
is Robin Lamley, the Independent Member for Ara Lewin. Good
morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Robin, Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Now, Robin, I know that there may be some details
that you can't sort of disclose, as you know, because
you are part of that Public Accounts Committee, But can
you tell us what happened on Thursday?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
So I'm a member of the publica Counts Committee. We
have five members. There are three government members and two
non government members. Myself and Bill Yan from the COLP
sit on that committee with Joel Bowden, who's the chair
of the Committee, Brent Potter who's the deputy chair, and
(01:18):
Darren Young is the other person on that committee. Those
three guys are all Labor guys, and Labor the Labor
government control that committee because they have the numbers. They
shouldn't but they do. There's meant to be single members
on that committee, but the government actually changed that early
in this parliamentary term, so they always had the absolute majority.
(01:41):
So we went into the meeting on Thursday at lunchtime
and very quickly it was resolved that this petition, with
as you said, nearly twenty six thousand signatures, which is incredible,
is now referred back to the Parliament for debate coming
up up in late August. Robin.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
There's been a couple of people messaging through saying Katie,
they're only going to be debating this for sixteen minutes?
Is that right?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Well, that's the other side of the story. So this
is another creation of the Northern Territory Labor government. They
decided that yes, petitions could go back for debate in Parliament,
but they would be limited to two lots of five
minute speeches and two lots of three minute speeches, which
totals sixteen minutes. So Whilst it is an absolute joke
(02:34):
that the government would limit any debate to that duration,
I think for me, it's just the symbolic nature of
the fact that they've finally conceded, after rejecting twenty two
out of the last twenty four petitions stopping them from
going back to Parliament for these sixteen minutes of debate,
(02:57):
they've conceded last Thursday to at least this one to
go back for a sixteen minute debate. It is an
absolute joke, Casey, but I think it's important that it
goes back for a mention by potentially four people in
Parliament in August. Yeah, I think that at a minimum
that's what people would expect. But you know, this Labor
(03:20):
government has created this situation where they are in absolute
control of everything that happens in Parliament in a very
undemocratic way, and this whole scenario playing out very publicly
thanks to you, is really a very sad indictment of
what they're thinking is and how hell then on controlling
(03:40):
everything they are to the detriment of democracy.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Well, and Robin, the thing is people are starting to
notice and they're starting to see this more and more,
and I know that you know, you've said thanks to me,
but we wouldn't have even been aware of this had
you not let us know. So I think the reality
here is that that you know, that blindfold needs to
be pulled off. People need to know exactly what's going on,
(04:05):
and you know, I'm pleased that the decision was made
that the debate's going to happen, but sixteen minutes is
absurd when you've got nearly twenty six thousand people saying
that they are not happy with the way in which
crime is being dealt with in the Northern Territory, that's
an absolute face for the government to think that that's okay.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Well, it's deeply offensive, but this is a government that
doesn't care. Katie. You know, they look like very kind,
friendly people, but how they play politics is fierce and
really disrespectful. What I was pleased to hear on Thursday
morning was your interview with Kezia per At, the Independent
(04:47):
member for Goiter. She's actually offered to put this whole
debate up as a matter of public importance, and I
spoke to Kezia later on Thursday afternoon and I think
she will do that so good. There will be more
debate on this issue, but going through the proper channels
of a debate, of a petition going to the Public
Accounts Committee, usually being knocked back, but in this case,
(05:10):
under enormous pressure, thanks to you and your show, it
will come back to that sixteen minute debate, but thanks
to keiv Epiric, it will be debated further as a
matter of a matter of public importance. So those twenty
six thousand people that have signed this petition can be
guaranteed that we will we will do our best to
(05:33):
play out a proper debate within the Northern Territory Parliament
at the end of August.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Robert, why do you think that that is so important?
Why do you think it's important that a proper public
debate happens, Because you know some listening are going to think,
oh goodness me. You know, the government made their announcement
last week about what they're going to do. Can't we
all just put this to bed and stop talking about crime.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
If we cannot have a proper and awesome debate about
this issue, which is of grave importance to so many
Territorians in the Northern Territory Parliament, then we may as
well all pack up and go home. And save many, many,
(06:18):
many millions of dollars every year paying for the likes
of me to front up, travel to Darwin, to participate
in in democracy. This is the place that we need
to do it in Parliament on behalf of our constituents.
That's what the parliamentary system is meant to be about.
(06:38):
For Labor to block it time and time again is
just so fundamentally wrong. It enrages me. It makes me sick.
I bring it up time and time again in Parliament.
Just how wrong these parliamentary committees are being stacked with
government members, government making decisions about government, scrutinizing government. It
(07:03):
is fundamentally wrong, Katie. And honestly, if you can't do
the basic thing of bringing up issues that matter when
we go to Parliament and debating them properly, then the
whole thing is just a farce and we should save
a hell of a lot of money and shut the
doors and go home.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Robin, we've just had word from Brent Potter apparently saying
there was no pressure. He moved it to parliament. He
says he moved it to and Bill Yan second did it.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Well, he's actually breaching the rules of his public Accounts Committee.
But yes, if Brent's happy to share that, that's exactly
what happened. But it was under jures. I mean, every
other time the petition's come to that Parliamentary committee, the
Public Accounts Committee, the committee has said, no, we're not
referring petitions back to Parliament for debate. So Brent obviously
(07:55):
heard the debate on your show on Thursday morning, read
the room final, and yes he did get in first,
but it was there was so much pressure on the
likes of Brent Potter and Joel Bowden, the chair of
this committee, and Barren Young, the other Labor member, that
they obviously talked about it before going in there, and
(08:17):
they decided that this was how it was going to happen,
with no debate and a unanimous support it for that happening.
But you know, Brent, you need to go back to
the history books. Over the last yeah years, I was
realized that most of the petitions that have come through
twenty two out of the last twenty four petitions have
been rejected by your government, your members into going back
(08:40):
into Parliament for debate.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Well, and apparently has also said and I'm hearing this
obviously through Crystal my producer that there was no opposition
from the Northern Territory government for this to progress. But
he obviously didn't hear the Attorney General Chancey Paig on
the show on Thursday morning, because it certainly didn't sound
as though it was going to be progressing when the
Attorney General wasn't even prepared to give us his personal
(09:02):
view as to whether he thought that it should or not.
But Robert, I want to move along. Not only did
the Public Accounts Committee determine that that debate is going
to go ahead even though it's only for sixteen minutes,
but my understanding is that there was also that pressure
was placed obviously by you about the fact that this
committee is only five members, three of them are labor.
(09:26):
Has there been some change now or is there going
to be some change to the way that Public Accounts
Committee is actually made up?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
So, Katie, straight after we decided to allow that petition
to go back to Parliament the debate, I've moved a
motion in that meeting, And because Brent's been on the
phone talking to you about what he did, I'll tell
you what I did. I moved a motion that the
Public Accounts Committee recommend to the government, the Labor government,
that the committee be restored to six members, three government
(09:59):
and three non government members, as per the Legislative Assembly
Standing Orders one seven seven that stipulates there should be six.
The government changed that on the floor of Parliament. They said,
oh no, we don't need six, will only have five,
even though the rules of the Parliament say there should
be six. So once again the committee under jurors agreed
(10:22):
to it, and they've written to the government, the Chief Minister,
the Leader of Government Business Chancey Paiks, saying that this
parliament Public Accounts Committee wanted to be returned to what
it should be six members. So at least you have
the look of a democratic process in place.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Excellent and so is that going to happen, Robin.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yes, it has happened. The letter one unful Thursday afternoon,
and so there has been a big change in the
Public Accounts Committee of Parliament thanks to your exposure and
as you say, very taking the blindfold off and letting
us have a look at what's really going on inside Parliament.
(11:06):
And Katie, I can assure you there's a whole lot
more that I can and will provide you going forward,
because things are not functioning well within the Northern Territory Parliament,
and territorians need to know what's going on inside there
because it is reflecting on the decisions that are being
made by the Parliament and the fact that the government
is actually getting away with so much more than what
(11:28):
people even realize.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
And Robin, you know the thing that astonished me when
we spoke to you on Thursday and you said it
just a moment ago. Twenty two out of the last
twenty four petitions have not then been able to go
forward for debate. Now, I know that sometimes those numbers
would not be very big that have signed those petitions,
(11:50):
but territorians signed those petitions hoping that they're going to
be heard and hoping that they will be discussed in
Parliament or that our is your makers are going to
listen to them.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
The Labor government have blocked that from happening. They are
so thin skin. You know, a petition about you know,
something very very minor, like you know, putting a gate
on a public housing block of units or something that
might come be cabled as a petition in Parliament, but
(12:25):
they're so thin skin they don't want that petition going
back for a sixteen minute debate. In Parliament. It is
absolutely ridiculous and they have actively blocked those debates from
the curR and Katie and territory. As I said, they
need to be aware of this happening. It is just
so wrong, so ridiculous, and very strongly reflective of just
(12:52):
how this Labor government operates. They have to control every
part of that Parliament and they're not entire Under the
Westminster parliamentary system, those parliamentary committees are meant to be bipartisan,
they're meant to be evenly balanced, and the government is
not meant to control those parliamentary committees that they do
(13:15):
at every turn, and it is wrong and it doesn't
happen in other Commonwealth countries around the world because in
other Commonwealth parliaments they respect the fact that you can't
have government scrutinizing government because it is a thurfy, it
doesn't work, and it just doesn't enhance the democratic process
(13:37):
at all like they're meant to.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Well, Robin, I'll tell you what people are going off
about this debate only going to happen for sixteen minutes,
but really pleasing And Kesier did say that on the
show last week that she would move this forward as
a matter of public importance. I know that both you
and Kesier have spoken to us about the fact that
we have not had a petition with this level of support.
(14:01):
I mean, nearly twenty six thousand signatures. It's an unbelievable
amount and it's a number that cannot be.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Ignored thinking about it. It's incredible and congratulations to territori ands.
It just shows that when things are wrong, people will
come out in force and express themselves and that's fantastic,
sometimes at their own peril, because I know that the
government members were very keen to have a look at
whose names were on that list, so you know, and
(14:27):
labor are very unforgiving, I can assure you, but don't
be fearful people. No, keep up the rage, maintain the rage,
put your hands up, show your support if you can,
and let's make the territory better place, because that's what
Parliament is meant to be doing, improving the lives of Territorians,
not keeping secrets and hiding away and trying to protect
(14:49):
the government from scrutiny. That's just nonsense.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Just before I let you go, you know how important
is it that this Public Accounts Committee now is going
to be restored to three government members and three non
government members. When it comes to that transparency and it
comes to territorians being heard.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
You know, the Public Accounts Committee is supposed to be
scrutinizing government expenditure at every turn. We've had one inquiry
in the last three years. One. I was the chair
of the Public Accounts Committee for twelve months in twenty
fifteen sixteen, and during that twelve month period we undertook
(15:30):
three inquiries. We completed three inquiries, so that the level
of output of the Public Accounts Committee at the moment
is at an all time low under the leadership of
Joel Bowden and the Labor government. With going back to
six members, although the chair will still have the casting boat,
I have to say so Labor will still be in charge.
(15:53):
The chair of all parliamentary committees cannot be government members.
They should not big government members. But at least with
six you will have a more wholesome debate and they
will have to they will have to adhere to the
spirit of how these parliamentary committees should function. So there
(16:15):
will be a greater level of democracy because the numbers even,
and there should be greater scrutiny of government and stare
scrutiny of government.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Well, Robin Lamley, I always appreciate your time. Thank you
very much for coming on the show this morning, but
thank you as well for last Thursday, you know, speaking
up and telling us what the situation was, because I
do think that it's incredibly important that Territorians realize exactly
what's going on and realize, you know, the process that
this petition had to go through to actually get to
(16:49):
the point where it is going to be debated, even
if it's only for sixteen minutes. But like we've said,
kesy Epiric also going to make some moves to make
sure that it does get some further debate in Parliament.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
My pleasure, Katie, Thank you,
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