Dr LIM - 2000-02-23
The leader of the Territory branch of the Labor Party told Territorians that her leader, Kim Beazley, had told her that he would leave it up to her to get the Territory government’s mandatory sentencing laws overturned. Is there any indication that her boss may have changed his mind yet again?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this is another question that deals with how the Leader of the Opposition misleads this House, particularly with some of her statements and questions. Now, I’d like to use the word ‘lie’, frankly, but I’m not permitted to use the word ‘lie’ in this House, I recognise that. Although I do wonder why we can’t use a simple, one syllable, Saxon word like ‘lie’ when ...
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I think the Chief Minister is treading on pretty thin ice and he knows it. I believe that that is unparliamentary and if he wants to move a substantive motion …
Mr SPEAKER: There is a point of order. You can’t infer that the Leader of the Opposition has lied in any way ...
Mr Hatton interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order! The Chief Minister should withdraw that.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, she is guilty of consistently using terminological inexactitudes. A classic was to talk about what will happen with SPPs under the new tax system that comes into Australia. I have a pretty simple question for you. What will happen to SPPs under the Beazley plan? Do you know? How many SPPs will be rolled back? How much of the SPPs will be rolled back under the Beazley plan, because the Labor party are going to bring in a GST? That’s the fraud that they are trying to work on Australians. They are going to bring in a GST, that is a fact. They believe in a GST, that is a fact. They are going to roll back a GST. God knows what ‘roll back’ means. Tell Australians what roll back means. What does it mean, 10% is now 5%? She is giggling. That’s the classic retort of the Leader of the Opposition. We will talk about what is happening with a new tax system for Australia. Let’s talk about it ...
Mr TOYNE: A point of Order, Mr Speaker! The question was about mandatory sentencing.
Mr SPEAKER: As I have indicated before, ministers and the Chief Minister have a reasonably good scope in answering questions. I believe the Chief Minister will get around to it.
Mr BURKE: At the moment I am on terminological inexactitudes.
If you talk about a new tax system in Australia, talk about what Beazley is going to do. Tell us what you signed up to in 0Burnie. Tell us what you talked about with the rolling back the GST - were you going to make it 5% rather than 10%? If it is 5% rather than 10% how are you going to pay for it? Beazley is saying no state or territory will be worse off. If no state or territory is going to be worse off, are you going to keep all the SPPs? If you are going to keep all the SPPs, how are you going to pay for it? If you are going to pay for all the SPPs, tell me how you are going to balance your budget?
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I am sure he doesn’t have to yell that loud for the speakers to pick it up or for us to hear.
Mr SPEAKER: The member for Nhulunbuy is probably being cute, because if I were to play back a tape there is probably nobody who can match him. But I would ask the Chief Minister to get on with the answer as quickly as possible.
Mr BURKE: I will say again, nothing but fraud. What gall they have to raise the new tax systems, particularly for the performance of Beazley. God knows you signed up for it in Tasmania and sold out Territorians - who knows. They certainly can’t explain it.
This is a classic. I’ll give you a bit of background on mandatory sentencing and the Labor party position. Remember the Labor party position in the Northern Territory is ‘we will tell the federal party, whoever they are, to butt out. We will tell the United Nations to butt out. We support the Territory government overturning its own laws’. A bit of background. Bob Brown, he’s the guy that has the private member’s bill in parliament. Bob Brown says, talking about his bill: ‘The result is that the bill is before the Senate, co-hosted by the Greens, the Democrats and the ALP to overturn the mandatory sentencing of juvenile offenders.’ Co-hosted by the ALP is a bill to overturn democratic laws enacted within the Northern Territory. Co-hosted by Trish Crossin, member of the Northern Territory branch of the Labor party. The disciple of Kim Beazley and proudly a member of the Australian Labor Party has spoken to Kim on this and other issues. We’re yet to explore what they talked about with the GST, but on the issue of overturning Northern Territory law …
A member interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: I talked to the Prime Minister who is an honest man. He hasn’t failed on the railway. He hasn’t failed on his honour not to overturn mandatory sentencing. Not like that lot of frauds over there. She’s talking to the Messiah, Kim, and Martin says about Kim Beazley: ‘Kim Beazley 100% agrees with me’…
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! You cant refer to the Leader of the Opposition as ‘Martin’.
Mr SPEAKER: The Chief Minister should refer to the Leader of the Opposition as the Leader of the Opposition or the member for Fannie Bay ...
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I was quoting from the transcript, from the Channel 8 News on 22 February.
Mr SPEAKER: In that case, it’s acceptable.
Mr BURKE: Martin says: ‘Kim Beazley 100% agrees with me. This legislation is Territory legislation, and it should be thrown out’. Within days - we referred to it yesterday - the classic case of a boo-boo with international relations, when the Secretary General of the United Nations, in the best political speak, and a classic rebuff, says, after Beazley had supposedly either leaked, misled or told flat lies about the conversation that they had, a private conversation ...
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Chief Minister knows ...
Mr SPEAKER: There is in fact a point of order. The Chief Minister can’t infer that a member from another parliament has lied.
Mr BURKE: I’ll withdraw.
Ms Martin: Would you like a copy of this, Denis? It might help.
Mr BURKE: Well, when you start sticking by the rules, I might start sticking by the rules. When you ask a question that has the slightest basis of honesty, I might start sticking by the rules. However, I do apologise.
Annan said: ‘I did have a private conversation with the Leader of the Opposition, and I usually don’t discuss my private conversations, and if you don’t mind I won’t do it this time either’. That’s a classic slap. That’s a classic slap in political speak of a man who was very disappointed at the shallow nature of the guy he was talking to. And in any case, it proves that the Leader of the Opposition in the Northern Territory has little influence on her federal Messiah, because he didn’t take much notice of her comment that he would let this issue be decided in the Northern Territory.
7 pm news, ABC TV news, Martin again says: ‘Kim Beazley said to me: “Win the next election, Clare. Win it. Get rid of mandatory sentencing”’. This is the Leader of the Opposition saying to Territorians: ‘I’m telling them to butt out, they will butt out, Beazley and I are at one on this issue’.
Last night, transcript ABC 3LO Melbourne, Beazley under questions says: ‘If I was Prime Minister I would be putting very intense pressure on the Northern Territory government, in particular’. The reporter pushes him a bit further: ‘Would you pass laws to override these laws?’ meaning the Northern Territory laws. Beazley’s answer: ‘If there was a failure to act, and I agree that it is more desirable that it be done at the level of government that actually enforced the laws, but if there was a failure to act, then I would’. Tell us about you being at one with Beazley, now.
Will the Leader of the Opposition please explain to Territorians how this Labor Party in the Northern Territory is at one. How can the Labor Party of the Northern Territory say that it’s up to the Northern Territory government to overturn its own laws when your own members, Trish Crossin and Snowdon, are working tirelessly to overturn these laws? How can she say she is at one with her federal leader, Kim Beazley, who on radio last night flatly disputes any connection with the fact that he would overturn these laws. He’s on the record and it just goes to show the continued irrelevance that the Leader of the Opposition of the Northern Territory has with her own colleagues in the Territory and her federal colleagues.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this is another question that deals with how the Leader of the Opposition misleads this House, particularly with some of her statements and questions. Now, I’d like to use the word ‘lie’, frankly, but I’m not permitted to use the word ‘lie’ in this House, I recognise that. Although I do wonder why we can’t use a simple, one syllable, Saxon word like ‘lie’ when ...
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I think the Chief Minister is treading on pretty thin ice and he knows it. I believe that that is unparliamentary and if he wants to move a substantive motion …
Mr SPEAKER: There is a point of order. You can’t infer that the Leader of the Opposition has lied in any way ...
Mr Hatton interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order! The Chief Minister should withdraw that.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, she is guilty of consistently using terminological inexactitudes. A classic was to talk about what will happen with SPPs under the new tax system that comes into Australia. I have a pretty simple question for you. What will happen to SPPs under the Beazley plan? Do you know? How many SPPs will be rolled back? How much of the SPPs will be rolled back under the Beazley plan, because the Labor party are going to bring in a GST? That’s the fraud that they are trying to work on Australians. They are going to bring in a GST, that is a fact. They believe in a GST, that is a fact. They are going to roll back a GST. God knows what ‘roll back’ means. Tell Australians what roll back means. What does it mean, 10% is now 5%? She is giggling. That’s the classic retort of the Leader of the Opposition. We will talk about what is happening with a new tax system for Australia. Let’s talk about it ...
Mr TOYNE: A point of Order, Mr Speaker! The question was about mandatory sentencing.
Mr SPEAKER: As I have indicated before, ministers and the Chief Minister have a reasonably good scope in answering questions. I believe the Chief Minister will get around to it.
Mr BURKE: At the moment I am on terminological inexactitudes.
If you talk about a new tax system in Australia, talk about what Beazley is going to do. Tell us what you signed up to in 0Burnie. Tell us what you talked about with the rolling back the GST - were you going to make it 5% rather than 10%? If it is 5% rather than 10% how are you going to pay for it? Beazley is saying no state or territory will be worse off. If no state or territory is going to be worse off, are you going to keep all the SPPs? If you are going to keep all the SPPs, how are you going to pay for it? If you are going to pay for all the SPPs, tell me how you are going to balance your budget?
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I am sure he doesn’t have to yell that loud for the speakers to pick it up or for us to hear.
Mr SPEAKER: The member for Nhulunbuy is probably being cute, because if I were to play back a tape there is probably nobody who can match him. But I would ask the Chief Minister to get on with the answer as quickly as possible.
Mr BURKE: I will say again, nothing but fraud. What gall they have to raise the new tax systems, particularly for the performance of Beazley. God knows you signed up for it in Tasmania and sold out Territorians - who knows. They certainly can’t explain it.
This is a classic. I’ll give you a bit of background on mandatory sentencing and the Labor party position. Remember the Labor party position in the Northern Territory is ‘we will tell the federal party, whoever they are, to butt out. We will tell the United Nations to butt out. We support the Territory government overturning its own laws’. A bit of background. Bob Brown, he’s the guy that has the private member’s bill in parliament. Bob Brown says, talking about his bill: ‘The result is that the bill is before the Senate, co-hosted by the Greens, the Democrats and the ALP to overturn the mandatory sentencing of juvenile offenders.’ Co-hosted by the ALP is a bill to overturn democratic laws enacted within the Northern Territory. Co-hosted by Trish Crossin, member of the Northern Territory branch of the Labor party. The disciple of Kim Beazley and proudly a member of the Australian Labor Party has spoken to Kim on this and other issues. We’re yet to explore what they talked about with the GST, but on the issue of overturning Northern Territory law …
A member interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: I talked to the Prime Minister who is an honest man. He hasn’t failed on the railway. He hasn’t failed on his honour not to overturn mandatory sentencing. Not like that lot of frauds over there. She’s talking to the Messiah, Kim, and Martin says about Kim Beazley: ‘Kim Beazley 100% agrees with me’…
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! You cant refer to the Leader of the Opposition as ‘Martin’.
Mr SPEAKER: The Chief Minister should refer to the Leader of the Opposition as the Leader of the Opposition or the member for Fannie Bay ...
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I was quoting from the transcript, from the Channel 8 News on 22 February.
Mr SPEAKER: In that case, it’s acceptable.
Mr BURKE: Martin says: ‘Kim Beazley 100% agrees with me. This legislation is Territory legislation, and it should be thrown out’. Within days - we referred to it yesterday - the classic case of a boo-boo with international relations, when the Secretary General of the United Nations, in the best political speak, and a classic rebuff, says, after Beazley had supposedly either leaked, misled or told flat lies about the conversation that they had, a private conversation ...
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Chief Minister knows ...
Mr SPEAKER: There is in fact a point of order. The Chief Minister can’t infer that a member from another parliament has lied.
Mr BURKE: I’ll withdraw.
Ms Martin: Would you like a copy of this, Denis? It might help.
Mr BURKE: Well, when you start sticking by the rules, I might start sticking by the rules. When you ask a question that has the slightest basis of honesty, I might start sticking by the rules. However, I do apologise.
Annan said: ‘I did have a private conversation with the Leader of the Opposition, and I usually don’t discuss my private conversations, and if you don’t mind I won’t do it this time either’. That’s a classic slap. That’s a classic slap in political speak of a man who was very disappointed at the shallow nature of the guy he was talking to. And in any case, it proves that the Leader of the Opposition in the Northern Territory has little influence on her federal Messiah, because he didn’t take much notice of her comment that he would let this issue be decided in the Northern Territory.
7 pm news, ABC TV news, Martin again says: ‘Kim Beazley said to me: “Win the next election, Clare. Win it. Get rid of mandatory sentencing”’. This is the Leader of the Opposition saying to Territorians: ‘I’m telling them to butt out, they will butt out, Beazley and I are at one on this issue’.
Last night, transcript ABC 3LO Melbourne, Beazley under questions says: ‘If I was Prime Minister I would be putting very intense pressure on the Northern Territory government, in particular’. The reporter pushes him a bit further: ‘Would you pass laws to override these laws?’ meaning the Northern Territory laws. Beazley’s answer: ‘If there was a failure to act, and I agree that it is more desirable that it be done at the level of government that actually enforced the laws, but if there was a failure to act, then I would’. Tell us about you being at one with Beazley, now.
Will the Leader of the Opposition please explain to Territorians how this Labor Party in the Northern Territory is at one. How can the Labor Party of the Northern Territory say that it’s up to the Northern Territory government to overturn its own laws when your own members, Trish Crossin and Snowdon, are working tirelessly to overturn these laws? How can she say she is at one with her federal leader, Kim Beazley, who on radio last night flatly disputes any connection with the fact that he would overturn these laws. He’s on the record and it just goes to show the continued irrelevance that the Leader of the Opposition of the Northern Territory has with her own colleagues in the Territory and her federal colleagues.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016