Lambley gets hype not dollars on gallery

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2472 Michael Gunner SMp2215-Robyn-Lambley-SMBy ERWIN CHLANDA
 
The government is honing its skills in giving answers while not giving answers and Chief Minister Michael Gunner is leading the way.
 
In Parliament yesterday the Independent Member for Araluen addressed Mr Gunner with statements and questions.
 
The statements: “Over the last two years since you have been in government, you have not put one additional cent to the national Indigenous art gallery and National Indigenous Cultural Centre. The $70m that is on the table was put there in 2016 by the CLP government.
 
Your Minister for Tourism and Culture told the people of Alice Springs earlier this year that the gallery alone would cost more than $150m.
 
If you add another $100m or more to the tally for the national Indigenous cultural centre, you are talking about a huge amount of money that is not anywhere to be seen in the Budget.
 
The questions: Where will this huge amount of money come from? Can you guarantee the people of Alice Springs that the national Indigenous art gallery and national Indigenous cultural centre will proceed?
 
Mr Gunner’s answers: Madam Speaker, yes, there will be a national Aboriginal art gallery in Alice Springs.
 
This is followed by 453 words of the now standard government hype: Sensational … inland capital of Australia (twice) … Alice Springs is put first … amazing … brilliant … destination in its own right (twice) and so on.
 
“Our money is on the table,” says Mr Gunner.
 
What money is that? The one put there by the previous government? Where will the rest come from, Ms Lambley wants to know.
 
She isn’t told, and so neither is the public.
 
 
 

3 COMMENTS

  1. The Gunner Government recently stumped up for a full-page advertisement (with the ACT) demanding “rights” to legislate euthanasia, but that Bill was defeated yesterday by Senators changing their minds after consultation with the medical profession.
    One wonders if the Gunner Government consulted similarly, before spending the dollars.
    Maybe, like the Greens who also supported the Bill, they expected doctors to fall in line or be outed according to conscience.
    Meanwhile, we read the same political pork-barrelling dished out in accusations to Jacinta Price.
    At least, we have equality.

  2. Lambley is spot on. With the reduction of the GST revenue it will be hard to come up with this money without getting the NT into more and more debt.
    But hey, just do that and when you get voted out you can carry on about how the budget is blown out.

  3. This is a good example of a good legitimate question put to a government and to be answered fully, but unfortunately the waffle is typical of most answers given in Parliament and to the media.

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