Mr TOYNE - 1998-10-06
Your administration, with no consultation with Labor or other Territorians, spent more than $0.5m on a publicity campaign on Statehood referendum.
You have claimed the explanation for the 53% majority ‘no’ vote was baseless ill informed fears about barramundi bag limits, fire cracker night and speed restrictions. If they are so important, why did not your $0.5m propaganda campaign address fire crackers, bag limits and speeding? Will you admit your fire cracker explanation is an insult to the intelligence of 53% of Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I notice the recurring theme of barramundi bag limits . . .
Ms Martin: That was the best you could do.
Mr STONE: Well, I would like you to show me where I said that. But, then again, it has never stopped you before in terms of running a good story. There were probably 30 or 40 different reasons why you would vote ‘no’; but only one reason as to why you would vote ‘yes’. I have to say to the member I did not hear his question. It was garbled and largely not amplified and I am sorry you have a problem - people cannot hear you on this side of the Chamber. If you were asking about - and I think I picked up the first part of your question - about running a campaign without consultation. I remind Territorians that the Leader of the Opposition signed off on the ‘yes’ case and the material which was to be circulated to households. That is a fact. It is an indisputable fact, and it is in writing. So just before we start to handball on all of this let’s get the facts right and, as I say, move on. It is time to recommit ourselves to the cause of Territory statehood.
You have claimed the explanation for the 53% majority ‘no’ vote was baseless ill informed fears about barramundi bag limits, fire cracker night and speed restrictions. If they are so important, why did not your $0.5m propaganda campaign address fire crackers, bag limits and speeding? Will you admit your fire cracker explanation is an insult to the intelligence of 53% of Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I notice the recurring theme of barramundi bag limits . . .
Ms Martin: That was the best you could do.
Mr STONE: Well, I would like you to show me where I said that. But, then again, it has never stopped you before in terms of running a good story. There were probably 30 or 40 different reasons why you would vote ‘no’; but only one reason as to why you would vote ‘yes’. I have to say to the member I did not hear his question. It was garbled and largely not amplified and I am sorry you have a problem - people cannot hear you on this side of the Chamber. If you were asking about - and I think I picked up the first part of your question - about running a campaign without consultation. I remind Territorians that the Leader of the Opposition signed off on the ‘yes’ case and the material which was to be circulated to households. That is a fact. It is an indisputable fact, and it is in writing. So just before we start to handball on all of this let’s get the facts right and, as I say, move on. It is time to recommit ourselves to the cause of Territory statehood.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016