Mr MITCHELL - 1998-08-13
My question concerns an interview on yesterday’s radio...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Millner, I am unable to hear your question because of the interjections from the opposition. I warn the member for Wanguri very early in the piece today. Will the member for Millner please repeat his question.
Mr MITCHELL: Thank you Madam Speaker,
Mrs Hickey: Your boss has been in Canberra for days grandstanding. He ...
Mr Coulter: And you do not have a question to ask him.
A member interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Members of the opposition, we are waiting to hear the member for Millner’s question in silence.
Mr MITCHELL: My question concerns an interview yesterday between an ABC interviewer and Labor Senator Nick Bolkus. The interviewer tried to obtain a commitment from Senator Bolkus that he would support statehood for Territorians. However, the interviewer was unable to obtain that commitment. Why are we unable to obtain a straight answer from Labor on whether or not it supports legislation to grant Territorians statehood by 2001.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Millner.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr STONE: If the member for Arnhem would pay me the courtesy of listening to my answer, I am sure that Territorians who are tuned into this broadcast are as interested as I am to know why it is not possible to obtain a commitment from the Labor Party on statehood.
Mr Bailey: You had the opportunity a few minutes ago and you turned it down! That is hypocrisy.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri, your last warning!
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, Tuesday was a proud day for all Territorians, to receive the news that Prime Minister John Howard had carried this matter through the federal Cabinet and that a firm commitment for statehood by 1 January 2001 was to be given. I can understand why that would irk the Labor Party because, for 13 years, it was the federal government. Indeed, Warren Snowdon, the former federal member, had responsibility, as a parliamentary secretary, and he did nothing to progress the hopes and aspirations of Territorians.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: Members opposite may interject …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Members opposite can interject ‘wrong’, but the facts speak for themselves. Labor was in government for 13 years and it did not deliver statehood. Members opposite cannot then say that they tried to be helpful, when they did absolutely nothing to progress statehood.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: If members opposite, including the member for Wanguri, would pay me the courtesy of listening in silence, I would complete my answer.
Senator Bolkus, a Labor Senator from South Australia, was interviewed about statehood for the Northern Territory. He has had a great deal to say about the Northern Territory from time to time. He responded to the interviewer by saying that even with a referendum in the next 10 weeks, the Labor Party would not support statehood for the Territory until 2001. He went on to qualify whether he ever would support statehood for the Territory.
The reality is, as the interviewer observed at the end of the interview, that the Senator does not support statehood for the Northern Territory. It is a great disappointment that we have come this far ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: Despite the interjections of the Leader of the Opposition, I say to her that she could end this now. She could give an unequivocal commitment that the Labor Party in the Territory will support statehood on the exact terms presented by the Statehood Convention …
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Stirling: You want an open cheque!
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker …
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Members of the opposition!
Mr STONE: The member for Nhulunbuy interjects with ‘You want an open cheque’.
Mr Stirling: You do!
Mr STONE: I remind the Leader of the Opposition of what she said when she addressed the Statehood Convention. She stood at the front of this Chamber and she spoke to delegates on the day. This is what she had to say:
If the government wants to kill off the resolutions of this convention, let it explain its actions to the people of the Territory. The Labor opposition and others in the community will force the current administration to account for any recommendations of this body that it chooses to ignore.
The Leader of the Opposition gave an assurance to the Statehood Convention that she would defend its recommendations and resolutions. It is exactly those resolutions and recommendations that the government adopts as the constitution of the new state.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: The Leader of the Opposition will be reminded repeatedly of her words, unless she is talking out of both sides of her mouth.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: As I said, it was a proud moment ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: ... on Tuesday ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, cease your interjections.
Mr STONE: However, the gloss is taken off it when it is impossible to obtain a commitment from the Labor Party consistent with the recommendations of the Statehood Convention.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: The Leader of the Opposition said that she would defend the convention’s recommendations and resolutions. Now she has her chance. However, let me tell Labor this. The CLP will deliver, indeed has delivered, statehood for the Territory. This is history repeating itself because it was the Labor Party that opposed self-government, and it is setting itself up now to oppose statehood. We will fight Labor every inch of the way.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Millner, I am unable to hear your question because of the interjections from the opposition. I warn the member for Wanguri very early in the piece today. Will the member for Millner please repeat his question.
Mr MITCHELL: Thank you Madam Speaker,
Mrs Hickey: Your boss has been in Canberra for days grandstanding. He ...
Mr Coulter: And you do not have a question to ask him.
A member interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Members of the opposition, we are waiting to hear the member for Millner’s question in silence.
Mr MITCHELL: My question concerns an interview yesterday between an ABC interviewer and Labor Senator Nick Bolkus. The interviewer tried to obtain a commitment from Senator Bolkus that he would support statehood for Territorians. However, the interviewer was unable to obtain that commitment. Why are we unable to obtain a straight answer from Labor on whether or not it supports legislation to grant Territorians statehood by 2001.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Millner.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr STONE: If the member for Arnhem would pay me the courtesy of listening to my answer, I am sure that Territorians who are tuned into this broadcast are as interested as I am to know why it is not possible to obtain a commitment from the Labor Party on statehood.
Mr Bailey: You had the opportunity a few minutes ago and you turned it down! That is hypocrisy.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri, your last warning!
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, Tuesday was a proud day for all Territorians, to receive the news that Prime Minister John Howard had carried this matter through the federal Cabinet and that a firm commitment for statehood by 1 January 2001 was to be given. I can understand why that would irk the Labor Party because, for 13 years, it was the federal government. Indeed, Warren Snowdon, the former federal member, had responsibility, as a parliamentary secretary, and he did nothing to progress the hopes and aspirations of Territorians.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: Members opposite may interject …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Members opposite can interject ‘wrong’, but the facts speak for themselves. Labor was in government for 13 years and it did not deliver statehood. Members opposite cannot then say that they tried to be helpful, when they did absolutely nothing to progress statehood.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: If members opposite, including the member for Wanguri, would pay me the courtesy of listening in silence, I would complete my answer.
Senator Bolkus, a Labor Senator from South Australia, was interviewed about statehood for the Northern Territory. He has had a great deal to say about the Northern Territory from time to time. He responded to the interviewer by saying that even with a referendum in the next 10 weeks, the Labor Party would not support statehood for the Territory until 2001. He went on to qualify whether he ever would support statehood for the Territory.
The reality is, as the interviewer observed at the end of the interview, that the Senator does not support statehood for the Northern Territory. It is a great disappointment that we have come this far ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: Despite the interjections of the Leader of the Opposition, I say to her that she could end this now. She could give an unequivocal commitment that the Labor Party in the Territory will support statehood on the exact terms presented by the Statehood Convention …
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Stirling: You want an open cheque!
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker …
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Members of the opposition!
Mr STONE: The member for Nhulunbuy interjects with ‘You want an open cheque’.
Mr Stirling: You do!
Mr STONE: I remind the Leader of the Opposition of what she said when she addressed the Statehood Convention. She stood at the front of this Chamber and she spoke to delegates on the day. This is what she had to say:
If the government wants to kill off the resolutions of this convention, let it explain its actions to the people of the Territory. The Labor opposition and others in the community will force the current administration to account for any recommendations of this body that it chooses to ignore.
The Leader of the Opposition gave an assurance to the Statehood Convention that she would defend its recommendations and resolutions. It is exactly those resolutions and recommendations that the government adopts as the constitution of the new state.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: The Leader of the Opposition will be reminded repeatedly of her words, unless she is talking out of both sides of her mouth.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: As I said, it was a proud moment ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: ... on Tuesday ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, cease your interjections.
Mr STONE: However, the gloss is taken off it when it is impossible to obtain a commitment from the Labor Party consistent with the recommendations of the Statehood Convention.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: The Leader of the Opposition said that she would defend the convention’s recommendations and resolutions. Now she has her chance. However, let me tell Labor this. The CLP will deliver, indeed has delivered, statehood for the Territory. This is history repeating itself because it was the Labor Party that opposed self-government, and it is setting itself up now to oppose statehood. We will fight Labor every inch of the way.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016