Territory FM - Strategic Indigenous Housing & Infrastructure Program; Indonesia Visit
PETER PERRIN:
You know just because something disappears from the public consciousness doesn’t mean the matter has been resolved. In fact, Senator Nigel Scullion is fairly critical of the NT Government and what he sees as incompetence regarding the SIHIP program, which we haven’t heard of for a while. Good morning Senator.
NIGEL SCULLION:
Yes good morning, Peter, how you going?
PETER PERRIN:
I’m all right, sir. They haven’t done the job properly and you don’t think we’re getting value for money?
NIGEL SCULLION:
Well I don’t think any, everybody knows we’re not getting value for money. And I was pretty disappointed when Chris Burns stood up in the Northern Territory Parliament on Monday and started talking about the photos, particularly of House 232 that I tabled in Federal Parliament that demonstrated that they were spending less than $10,000 and actually charging taxpayers up to $200,000 for the work. It’s just, this is Grand Theft Housing. And he stands up and says “oh no, the Senator’s wrong, they were just refurbishments. Let me tell you, that is completely and utterly incorrect. They were rebuilds. So he can stand up in Cowards Castle and say what he likes, just blither it off, and hopefully it’ll all, people will just sort of believe it. Well it’s absolute and utter rubbish. This Northern Territory Government are responsible for signing off that this is all okay under Chris Burns’ watch. That a house that has been less than $20,000 has been spent on a house , and they’re actually charging the taxpayers, and they’re disappointing Aboriginal people in those houses by charging $200,000 for what is effectively a lick of paint, a couple of fan switches, one new fan and a stainless steel bench. Which, in anyone’s figuring, doesn’t come to $5,000. But let’s say you double it, I still don’t know where the $200,000 cost comes into it. And somehow Chris Burns is now defending that. Which is just a complete outrage, he’s just a complete bonehead.
PETER PERRIN:
Nigel, I’m just having a think about this. $10,000 … I mean in a metropolitan area you don’t get much for that. Out in the sticks you’re not going to get anything.
NIGEL SCULLION:
I was in the house, and that’s what you get for ten grand, I looked at it. I was invited into the houses by these individuals and I looked at less than $10,000 worth. You don’t get much, you’re dead right. You don’t get much. And so it was a lick of paint, a couple of switches, a bit of stainless steel and a new oven. That’s ten grand. But someone who charges $200,000 for that and Chris Burns reckons it’s okay and Chris Burns reckons that somehow I’m being disingenuous and it was all a bit of mischief. Of course that’s not the case.
PETER PERRIN:
I also note here you said “there’s something seriously wrong if it costs $50,000 in overhead and management costs to deliver a mere $25,000 worth of work.” It doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t add up.
NIGEL SCULLION:
Well no it doesn’t at all. For the actual refurbishments – so there are two levels: one is the refurbishments, which are costing $75,000; and a rebuild costs $200,000. When I was in Wadeye I was able to demonstrate – you couldn’t tell the difference between them except for the bill that came in. And so there’s much less than $25,000 being spent on these refurbishments and yet they’re being charged $75,000 each for them. So there’s $50,000 that is disappearing in bloated bureaucracies within the Alliance or within the Northern Territory Government. And again, Chris Burns is saying “I think that’s okay. I’m here to defend $50,000 worth of bureaucracy and $25,000 – at your wildest dreams – on renovations in a house. And then he’s got the temerity to say oh look, the reason we’re doing this, to do just the urgent and [inaudible] safety, that makes the money go further. Well, there has been no announcement in the increase of the number of houses. So again, this is completely and utterly disingenuous. Now Chris Burns needs to start protecting and standing up for Territorians rather than a failed alliance and a failed ministry, which is his ministry, which is ripping off our First Australians and stealing from the taxpayers of the Northern Territory.
PETER PERRIN:
So what do you now, Nigel? I mean, apart from naming and shaming some of them?
NIGEL SCULLION:
Well, apart from continuing to correct the record from people like Chris Burns, who obviously simply doesn’t know what’s going on, and sadly probably doesn’t care, I’m continuing to hold the Commonwealth Government responsible. They keep saying, “well listen, the responsibility of this is with the Northern Territory Government. We’ve given the $675million to go and build these houses.” They wasted $40million before a single brick was laid. So then in 2009 the Commonwealth Government, because of the pushing from the Opposition and myself, actually put people, implanted people in the Department to ensure that this didn’t happen again. And we’re now calling on the Macklin Government: what has to happen? How bad does it have to get? You’ve got people in there and it’s still happening. And Chris Burns is still out there saying this is completely okay. This Grand Theft Housing is happening on my watch, and instead of holding the Alliance to account he’s saying no, no, everything’s okay, I’m on track and on budget when everybody else knows this is probably the biggest waste of taxpayers money and mismanagement of housing since – well certainly in the history of the Territory Government.
PETER PERRIN:
How long does it go on for? I mean, we’ve gone through the Building the Education Ripoff …
NIGEL SCULLION:
Well I just don’t know, we keep – we have to get to an election. And I know that the Northern Territory people are poised. They would love to have the opportunity to tell Chris Burns what they think of how he’s managed these matters. Now I’m out there all the time and I’d encourage Chris Burns to go and visit the people. Go and visit the people and actually go inside their house and see what he’s apparently paid $200,000 for. And he should be ashamed. But it appears, Peter, I don’t know what we have to do, there’s no amount of shame that will allow these people to even change the direction that they’re heading. And it’s very disappointing. And I still don’t understand why they just seem to continue to stand up in Parliament and provide information to Territorians that’s completely disingenuous and incorrect. We’ve had Vatskalis – I’m not sure if you heard Vatskalis yesterday in his Cowards Castle? He got up in Question Time and he said: “Politicians from Australia, and Senator Nigel Scullion went to Indonesia unannounced on a Tourist Visa, turned up at the Embassy and asked assistance to visit abattoirs.” What a bunch of absolute rubbish. I went over there on a Diplomatic Passport with the invitation of industry, with a visa for the visa for the specific purpose of what I intended to go there. I didn’t go and visit the Embassy, I didn’t ask for assistance to visit any of the abattoirs, it is just complete and utter rubbish. And then he goes on to say “I believe Nigel Scullion was the spokesperson for primary industry from Federal Opposition.” Which shows exactly how much Mr Vatskalis knows what’s going on: it’s actually John Cobb. And Kon, if you’re ever confused about who’s who in the zoo, just give me a ring mate, I’ll set you straight.
PETER PERRIN:
Telling it like it is, Senator Nigel Scullion. Nigel, thanks for your time.
NIGEL SCULLION:
Good to talk to you, buddy.
PETER PERRIN:
Okay. He doesn’t hold back does he? I must admit, “Minister Bonehead” is a bit rough.
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