Mr ELFERINK - 1999-02-25
For a good part of the last dry season we had scores of so-called peaceful protesters camped in Kakadu protesting over the Jabiluka mine. Just this week the Jabiluka Action Group, or JAG, the ringleaders in this circus surrounding this blockade, were presented with an award recognising the non-violent manner in which they injured police officers and abused police officers. Minister, how deserving exactly was this group of this award?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is true that this particular group received a commendation from the Freedom From Violence organisation on Wednesday of this week ...
A member: Based in Bosnia.
Mr MANZIE: No! I think I have to commend the intentions of Steven Murphy’s Freedom from Violence group to recognise anti-violence and peaceful dispute resolution. I think all members would agree that that, obviously, is something that we all should be aiming for. But he has unfortunately singled out the wrong group for the inaugural award.
We ought to keep in mind that the Freedom from Violence group was established after the horrific Port Arthur Massacre and it has noble intentions of commending peaceful conflict resolution. How then can it justifiably uphold the Jabiluka Action Group as a role model in this field? The Jabiluka Action Group certainly isn’t a model of peaceful protest or conflict resolution and its actions are not those of an anti-violence organisation.
You only have to follow their crusade to see - their crusade was to close down a multi-billion dollar mining operation - just how far their tactics went and how far they were from being non-violent. Then tell me how they can be considered free from violence when during their occupation of Kakadu the following events occurred? I am going to table some newspaper items from the NT News which highlight them. First of all the Winnellie office of Energy Resources of Australia was petrol bombed, destroying computers and causing more than $100 000 worth of damage and that was reported in the NT News of 22 September 1998.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: Mr Speaker, I hear a cry from the Opposition. I knew they couldn’t hold still on this. I knew that they…
Members interjecting
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: …would protect their mates. In protecting the people…
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: I knew they had to get involved in protecting their mates! In protecting the people that were ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am finding it impossible to hear this answer, and I would like to hear the answer.
Mr MANZIE: We know. We saw a number ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: ... of these people in and out of the Leader of the Opposition’s office in the period of their so-called peaceful occupation. But it just happened to coincide that, at the same time as this group were occupying Kakadu, there was a fire bomb that destroyed the offices of ERA. I table the newspaper, a copy of the front page of 22 September. However, let’s go on a bit further!
Mr Stirling: You grub!
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for Nhulunbuy will withdraw that.
Mr STIRLING: I withdraw, Mr Speaker.
Mr MANZIE: I find it is appalling that the damage and threat to Territorians is protected by members opposite. However, I will go on a bit ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: I’d hate to see you in a jury!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Toyne: Stand on the front steps and stay that, go on.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I will use the provisions of 240(a) if you maintain the level of interjection we are currently getting.
Mr MANZIE: As I said, during their occupation of Kakadu, the following events occurred. First, the fire-bombing of the office. Secondly, a security guard on patrol at the Jabiluka mine site was hit and knocked unconscious - a pretty gutless act, as he was attacked from behind with a piece of wood ..
Members interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: Where is the cry of the leader? You didn’t hear it that time, because that was a despicable act.
I table the NT News, a copy of 27 August 1998, which details that particular story. Protestors drove a van straight at police who were closing a gate to block them, very narrowly missing them and other demonstrators. That was reported in the Northern Territory News of 30 September 1998 and I will table a copy of that. In fact, on that occasion, Superintendent Warren O’Meara commented on the danger and a spokeswoman for some people out there also said it was a despicable act. That was part of the ‘peaceful protest’ and there is a photo of a flower power van that carried out this dangerous act. We did not hear from the opposition then.
What else happened? It was not just the greenies tying themselves to equipment or sitting under trees in protest. This has certainly been a very systematic, disruptive and mischievous process.
We had a potentially fatal stunt when a rope was strung across a track on the mine site. A security guard hit that rope while on his motorcycle, narrowly escaping serious injury and on that occasion Superintendent O’Meara said: ‘Some serious tactics are starting to be used which is disturbing to see’ - that was reported in the NT News of 15 July 1998. Another example of peaceful protest without violence. We did not hear from the opposition.
What else? Saboteurs stabbed more than 20 holes in the plastic lining of a pond designed to keep waste water away from other waterways, and that was reported in the NT News of 14 October. Numerous bomb threats were made to the offices of the Department of Mines and Energy. The owner of a company with a name similar to ERA was subjected to hoax calls and harassment. We had the disgusting act of human blood being poured over mining equipment and also damage to an excavator. It was an act which the Mirrar people themselves condemned. What an act of violence! Blood, which members know can carry diseases and bacteria, and can infect people in very serious ways. It was a very violent act. It was not a peaceful blockade.
There were daily confrontations in the shopping centre with the families of people working at Jabiru, and it has been said by some people that the attitude of the protest group created the biggest period of violent confrontation seen in the Kakadu area over 40 000 years of human occupation.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! If the minister wants to make long rambling statements he has the opportunity to do so by way of a ministerial statement after Question Time. It ill-behoves him to get up here on his high horse and try to provoke the opposition into a response to keep the answer going even longer. I ask you to ask him to finish his answer.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. As I have ruled on many occasions, a minister has the capacity to answer a question in the way that he believes is relevant, but I would ask the minister to wind up the answer as quickly as possible. Sometimes answers to questions in here do take longer than necessary.
Mr MANZIE: I will be writing to the Freedom from Violence Group to set the record straight. I think members should remember that Jabiluka is a $12 000m mine. It will create hundreds of jobs in the Territory, with spin-offs for industry, and it provides a basis of energy for greenhouse-free electricity production.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is true that this particular group received a commendation from the Freedom From Violence organisation on Wednesday of this week ...
A member: Based in Bosnia.
Mr MANZIE: No! I think I have to commend the intentions of Steven Murphy’s Freedom from Violence group to recognise anti-violence and peaceful dispute resolution. I think all members would agree that that, obviously, is something that we all should be aiming for. But he has unfortunately singled out the wrong group for the inaugural award.
We ought to keep in mind that the Freedom from Violence group was established after the horrific Port Arthur Massacre and it has noble intentions of commending peaceful conflict resolution. How then can it justifiably uphold the Jabiluka Action Group as a role model in this field? The Jabiluka Action Group certainly isn’t a model of peaceful protest or conflict resolution and its actions are not those of an anti-violence organisation.
You only have to follow their crusade to see - their crusade was to close down a multi-billion dollar mining operation - just how far their tactics went and how far they were from being non-violent. Then tell me how they can be considered free from violence when during their occupation of Kakadu the following events occurred? I am going to table some newspaper items from the NT News which highlight them. First of all the Winnellie office of Energy Resources of Australia was petrol bombed, destroying computers and causing more than $100 000 worth of damage and that was reported in the NT News of 22 September 1998.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: Mr Speaker, I hear a cry from the Opposition. I knew they couldn’t hold still on this. I knew that they…
Members interjecting
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: …would protect their mates. In protecting the people…
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: I knew they had to get involved in protecting their mates! In protecting the people that were ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am finding it impossible to hear this answer, and I would like to hear the answer.
Mr MANZIE: We know. We saw a number ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: ... of these people in and out of the Leader of the Opposition’s office in the period of their so-called peaceful occupation. But it just happened to coincide that, at the same time as this group were occupying Kakadu, there was a fire bomb that destroyed the offices of ERA. I table the newspaper, a copy of the front page of 22 September. However, let’s go on a bit further!
Mr Stirling: You grub!
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for Nhulunbuy will withdraw that.
Mr STIRLING: I withdraw, Mr Speaker.
Mr MANZIE: I find it is appalling that the damage and threat to Territorians is protected by members opposite. However, I will go on a bit ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: I’d hate to see you in a jury!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Toyne: Stand on the front steps and stay that, go on.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I will use the provisions of 240(a) if you maintain the level of interjection we are currently getting.
Mr MANZIE: As I said, during their occupation of Kakadu, the following events occurred. First, the fire-bombing of the office. Secondly, a security guard on patrol at the Jabiluka mine site was hit and knocked unconscious - a pretty gutless act, as he was attacked from behind with a piece of wood ..
Members interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: Where is the cry of the leader? You didn’t hear it that time, because that was a despicable act.
I table the NT News, a copy of 27 August 1998, which details that particular story. Protestors drove a van straight at police who were closing a gate to block them, very narrowly missing them and other demonstrators. That was reported in the Northern Territory News of 30 September 1998 and I will table a copy of that. In fact, on that occasion, Superintendent Warren O’Meara commented on the danger and a spokeswoman for some people out there also said it was a despicable act. That was part of the ‘peaceful protest’ and there is a photo of a flower power van that carried out this dangerous act. We did not hear from the opposition then.
What else happened? It was not just the greenies tying themselves to equipment or sitting under trees in protest. This has certainly been a very systematic, disruptive and mischievous process.
We had a potentially fatal stunt when a rope was strung across a track on the mine site. A security guard hit that rope while on his motorcycle, narrowly escaping serious injury and on that occasion Superintendent O’Meara said: ‘Some serious tactics are starting to be used which is disturbing to see’ - that was reported in the NT News of 15 July 1998. Another example of peaceful protest without violence. We did not hear from the opposition.
What else? Saboteurs stabbed more than 20 holes in the plastic lining of a pond designed to keep waste water away from other waterways, and that was reported in the NT News of 14 October. Numerous bomb threats were made to the offices of the Department of Mines and Energy. The owner of a company with a name similar to ERA was subjected to hoax calls and harassment. We had the disgusting act of human blood being poured over mining equipment and also damage to an excavator. It was an act which the Mirrar people themselves condemned. What an act of violence! Blood, which members know can carry diseases and bacteria, and can infect people in very serious ways. It was a very violent act. It was not a peaceful blockade.
There were daily confrontations in the shopping centre with the families of people working at Jabiru, and it has been said by some people that the attitude of the protest group created the biggest period of violent confrontation seen in the Kakadu area over 40 000 years of human occupation.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! If the minister wants to make long rambling statements he has the opportunity to do so by way of a ministerial statement after Question Time. It ill-behoves him to get up here on his high horse and try to provoke the opposition into a response to keep the answer going even longer. I ask you to ask him to finish his answer.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. As I have ruled on many occasions, a minister has the capacity to answer a question in the way that he believes is relevant, but I would ask the minister to wind up the answer as quickly as possible. Sometimes answers to questions in here do take longer than necessary.
Mr MANZIE: I will be writing to the Freedom from Violence Group to set the record straight. I think members should remember that Jabiluka is a $12 000m mine. It will create hundreds of jobs in the Territory, with spin-offs for industry, and it provides a basis of energy for greenhouse-free electricity production.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016