Mr BALCH - 1998-10-06
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BALCH: Where now for statehood?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I moved a notice of motion in this parliament this morning and I set out our re-commitment to the process of statehood. I know that all of my parliamentary colleagues are equally committed. I have called on both political parties are represented in this Chamber to re-commit and be prepared to work proactively and positively to persuade and amplify the merits of statehood.
But I had an important fifth clause in my motion and it was that we develop a mechanism of wide and extensive consultation with the community to determine the process. I received the message from the people, Madam Speaker, but my opponents did not, because they came in here with three pages saying: ‘This is the process’. As I said, I received the message – the people want to determine the process. The Labor Party has come in here and said: ‘No, this is the process.”
Mrs Hickey: No, that is a frame up.
Mr STONE: Well, I appeal to them on this...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: …because they are wrong. They have gone through, and they have laid out in great detail, over 4 pages, what Territorians are going to cop. You are condemned by your own document.
Before we even get to working through what the process is going to be, before we get to where the process is going to be, perhaps I might just quote from Rob Hiscott, one of your union delegates …
Mr Bailey: Hitchcock. Get his name right.
Mr STONE: … on the radio this morning. He said, and I quote:
Mr Bailey: Untrue!
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: That is not true. They certainly voted unanimously for Statehood. And they unanimously ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: Are you going to listen? Are you going to give a man a chance to have his say?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I am just reading the quote. One of your delegates.
There would not be many times that I would agree with Rob Hitchcock ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: Well as I say to the member for Wanguri, John Bailey, I have heard the message from the people and the people have told me that they want to not only determine the process but they want to run the process. That is my guarantee to Territorians. The Labor Party has walked in here with the ALP blueprint for statehood, and I appeal to them to listen to what the people said.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BALCH: Where now for statehood?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I moved a notice of motion in this parliament this morning and I set out our re-commitment to the process of statehood. I know that all of my parliamentary colleagues are equally committed. I have called on both political parties are represented in this Chamber to re-commit and be prepared to work proactively and positively to persuade and amplify the merits of statehood.
But I had an important fifth clause in my motion and it was that we develop a mechanism of wide and extensive consultation with the community to determine the process. I received the message from the people, Madam Speaker, but my opponents did not, because they came in here with three pages saying: ‘This is the process’. As I said, I received the message – the people want to determine the process. The Labor Party has come in here and said: ‘No, this is the process.”
Mrs Hickey: No, that is a frame up.
Mr STONE: Well, I appeal to them on this...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: …because they are wrong. They have gone through, and they have laid out in great detail, over 4 pages, what Territorians are going to cop. You are condemned by your own document.
Before we even get to working through what the process is going to be, before we get to where the process is going to be, perhaps I might just quote from Rob Hiscott, one of your union delegates …
Mr Bailey: Hitchcock. Get his name right.
Mr STONE: … on the radio this morning. He said, and I quote:
- I think all the carping, whingeing politicians on both sides of the fence should just shut up and listen to what the people have said. The politicians unanimously voted in favour of the draft constitution ...
Mr Bailey: Untrue!
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: That is not true. They certainly voted unanimously for Statehood. And they unanimously ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: Are you going to listen? Are you going to give a man a chance to have his say?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I am just reading the quote. One of your delegates.
- ‘They [and he means they, CLP and ALP] unanimously, without a single dissenting voice, endorsed the whole thing and now they have been told to get lost, and now they have got to cop that, the whole lot of them.
There would not be many times that I would agree with Rob Hitchcock ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: Well as I say to the member for Wanguri, John Bailey, I have heard the message from the people and the people have told me that they want to not only determine the process but they want to run the process. That is my guarantee to Territorians. The Labor Party has walked in here with the ALP blueprint for statehood, and I appeal to them to listen to what the people said.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016