Mrs HICKEY - 1998-08-12
The Sessional Committee on Constitutional Development was axed before it considered the second part of its terms of reference, which was consideration of the following issues on a grant of statehood: the payment of mining royalties; ownership of uranium; environmental control of uranium mining; protection of world heritage areas; management of the national parks; Aboriginal land rights; and industrial relations powers.
Why were no concrete details released in the statehood announcement yesterday on the payment of mining royalties, ownership of uranium, environmental control of uranium mining, protection of world heritage areas, management of the national parks, Aboriginal land rights, and industrial relations powers?
Will the minister give a guarantee that a full explanation of these important issues will be given before the federal election campaign begins, and well before Territorians are asked to vote at a referendum?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I must be mistaken, but I thought the Leader of the Opposition was in the Chamber yesterday to hear the comments made by the federal minister in relation to most of those issues she has just raised. The minister also commented that a number of issues remain outstanding, but these are now fairly and squarely on the discussion paper and will be discussed between the 2 governments. The CLP government has been able to progress this matter to this stage in a period of 2 years when, for a period of 13 years of Labor federal governments, the issue of statehood went nowhere.
Mr Bailey: You only got a draft constitution 2 years ago from this committee.
Mr REED: Bearing in mind that ...
Mr Bailey: It just slipped your mind!
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Wanguri! The minister is answering the question.
Mr REED: ... the debate on statehood in the Northern Territory has been continuing for 15 or 20 years or more, and, bearing in mind the enormous amount of work that has been done by the Constitutional Development Committee in visiting ...
Mr Bailey: You ignored it all. There was no people’s convention. It was just a joke.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri! I have spoken to you once! Do not continue.
Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition is the member for Wanguri’s boss and she asked the question. Would the member be kind enough, not to me but to his leader, to allow me to provide the Leader of the Opposition with the answer - or is he the boss?
Madam SPEAKER: Exactly.
Mr Bailey: I am waiting for you to answer the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri, you are now on a warning! You have been spoken to a number of times while the first question is being answered. You are overdoing it.
Mr REED: The process that has been pursued has been very thorough and very inclusive. Committees have visited major centres and countless Aboriginal communities across the Northern Territory. Opportunity has been provided for input to the process that culminated in the statehood convention earlier this year. If the member thinks it was a joke ...
Mr Ah Kit: It was a joke!
Mr REED: I am sorry I woke you up.
Mr Bailey: It was a joke.
Mr REED: If members opposite think it was a joke, they should ask the 50 people who participated in the convention ...
Mr Bailey: Ask the 170 000 people who did not get a choice!
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that you request the Acting Chief Minister to direct his remarks through the Chair and thus avoid the provocation that is currently occurring in the House.
Madam SPEAKER: Acting Chief Minister, I think you should direct your remarks through the Chair. We should continue with the answer to the question without any interruptions from the other side.
Mr REED: Madam Speaker, I am prepared to adhere to your suggestion. Your last direction would be facilitated if the members opposite would remain quiet while ministers provide answers to questions which opposition members ask.
The opportunity was provided, through a process that was representative of an enormous range of community groups, business organisations, land councils and the like, to participate in the forum that was held in this very Chamber. We will be considering the deliberations of that constitutional forum during the course of these sittings.
I ask the Leader of the Opposition to look to the future. Members opposite should look at what is ahead of us. They should look at the opportunities that now lie before Territorians as a Northern Territory of Australia. We have the opportunity to progress this Territory to statehood in less than 2 years. We should grasp it, run with it, and be positive. Members opposite should not create obstacles. They should get out and sell it and participate in it, and they should prepared for the debate tomorrow. There will be a debate today on a referendums bill to enable Territorians to participate in a referendum. The Leader of the Opposition and her members will be able to contribute to that debate.
Tomorrow, for nearly the whole day, the debate will be dedicated to matters relating to constitutional development and the advancement of the Territory towards statehood. Members opposite will have the opportunity to be full participants in that process as representatives of their constituents across the Northern Territory. I ask them to approach it positively and to be prepared for it. They should do their jobs and represent Territorians properly because we have a marvellous future ahead of us, and this government will be part of it. Territorians want to be part of it. Members opposite are welcome to join us.
Why were no concrete details released in the statehood announcement yesterday on the payment of mining royalties, ownership of uranium, environmental control of uranium mining, protection of world heritage areas, management of the national parks, Aboriginal land rights, and industrial relations powers?
Will the minister give a guarantee that a full explanation of these important issues will be given before the federal election campaign begins, and well before Territorians are asked to vote at a referendum?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I must be mistaken, but I thought the Leader of the Opposition was in the Chamber yesterday to hear the comments made by the federal minister in relation to most of those issues she has just raised. The minister also commented that a number of issues remain outstanding, but these are now fairly and squarely on the discussion paper and will be discussed between the 2 governments. The CLP government has been able to progress this matter to this stage in a period of 2 years when, for a period of 13 years of Labor federal governments, the issue of statehood went nowhere.
Mr Bailey: You only got a draft constitution 2 years ago from this committee.
Mr REED: Bearing in mind that ...
Mr Bailey: It just slipped your mind!
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Wanguri! The minister is answering the question.
Mr REED: ... the debate on statehood in the Northern Territory has been continuing for 15 or 20 years or more, and, bearing in mind the enormous amount of work that has been done by the Constitutional Development Committee in visiting ...
Mr Bailey: You ignored it all. There was no people’s convention. It was just a joke.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri! I have spoken to you once! Do not continue.
Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition is the member for Wanguri’s boss and she asked the question. Would the member be kind enough, not to me but to his leader, to allow me to provide the Leader of the Opposition with the answer - or is he the boss?
Madam SPEAKER: Exactly.
Mr Bailey: I am waiting for you to answer the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri, you are now on a warning! You have been spoken to a number of times while the first question is being answered. You are overdoing it.
Mr REED: The process that has been pursued has been very thorough and very inclusive. Committees have visited major centres and countless Aboriginal communities across the Northern Territory. Opportunity has been provided for input to the process that culminated in the statehood convention earlier this year. If the member thinks it was a joke ...
Mr Ah Kit: It was a joke!
Mr REED: I am sorry I woke you up.
Mr Bailey: It was a joke.
Mr REED: If members opposite think it was a joke, they should ask the 50 people who participated in the convention ...
Mr Bailey: Ask the 170 000 people who did not get a choice!
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that you request the Acting Chief Minister to direct his remarks through the Chair and thus avoid the provocation that is currently occurring in the House.
Madam SPEAKER: Acting Chief Minister, I think you should direct your remarks through the Chair. We should continue with the answer to the question without any interruptions from the other side.
Mr REED: Madam Speaker, I am prepared to adhere to your suggestion. Your last direction would be facilitated if the members opposite would remain quiet while ministers provide answers to questions which opposition members ask.
The opportunity was provided, through a process that was representative of an enormous range of community groups, business organisations, land councils and the like, to participate in the forum that was held in this very Chamber. We will be considering the deliberations of that constitutional forum during the course of these sittings.
I ask the Leader of the Opposition to look to the future. Members opposite should look at what is ahead of us. They should look at the opportunities that now lie before Territorians as a Northern Territory of Australia. We have the opportunity to progress this Territory to statehood in less than 2 years. We should grasp it, run with it, and be positive. Members opposite should not create obstacles. They should get out and sell it and participate in it, and they should prepared for the debate tomorrow. There will be a debate today on a referendums bill to enable Territorians to participate in a referendum. The Leader of the Opposition and her members will be able to contribute to that debate.
Tomorrow, for nearly the whole day, the debate will be dedicated to matters relating to constitutional development and the advancement of the Territory towards statehood. Members opposite will have the opportunity to be full participants in that process as representatives of their constituents across the Northern Territory. I ask them to approach it positively and to be prepared for it. They should do their jobs and represent Territorians properly because we have a marvellous future ahead of us, and this government will be part of it. Territorians want to be part of it. Members opposite are welcome to join us.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016