Page 607 - Week 03 - Thursday, 15 March 2007
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There is the failure to deliver projects, which has happened before, and budget difficulties that he has done nothing to control. That is why this morning the volunteers voted no confidence in the reform, in the commissioner and in the minister. This minister should go.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella—Minister for the Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Housing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (11.42): I want to address a couple of things that Mr Smyth said. He was talking about Mr Corbell’s transition from minister for health to the position of being the first law officer of the territory. I find that a very interesting backward slide—to go from being the minister for health to being the first law officer of the territory, being responsible for policing, for community safety generally, for emergency services and for corrections. I find that an interesting one.
When those opposite say that Mr Corbell has had a transition, I also find it interesting to note that he is still the Minister for Planning. If my recollection serves me correctly, Mr Corbell was the Minister for Planning after the 2001 election. That is a long time ago. Mr Speaker, it may very well be that Mr Corbell—having enjoyed the confidence of two sets of government, thank you very much—may be the longest serving planning minister in Australia. In my view, that does not sound like a lack of confidence—quite the contrary.
I will observe this, Mr Speaker: Mr Corbell has never once lost the leadership of his parliamentary party. He has never lost an election. What was the result in 1996—in the federal election of 1996? Oh dear, there was a 20 something per cent swing against somebody. I wonder who that was. Perhaps it was the member for backbench activity up the back there, Mr Smyth. Perhaps it was. Mr Speaker, let us talk about confidence. Mr Smyth has lost the confidence of his colleagues, yet he has the temerity to talk about lack of confidence in Mr Corbell.
I believe that going from the poison chalice of health to the poison chalice of AG’s is an upward mark, thank you very much.
Ms Gallagher: John!
MR HARGREAVES: Sorry about that, DCM. But you will get to be the attorney-general one day, Deputy Chief Minister, when your stars are on the ascendancy. I just think this is silly. If you come forward with a silly argument, you are going to get a silly argument back. The reason is that he is a silly, argumentative little man.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Withdraw that.
MR HARGREAVES: I withdraw most of that, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Withdraw all of it.
MR HARGREAVES: All right, I withdraw all of it then, Mr Speaker, if it pleases you. Mr Speaker, this whole issue goes to operational management. These people here are saying, “Minister, you’ve got a couple of thousand people in your department;
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