Mrs HICKEY - 1998-10-06
In the wake of the disastrous referendum result, the current Chief Minister has tried to blame Aboriginal Territorians, blame the land councils, blame the media, blame Territorians for Democratic Statehood, blame Labor, blame individual Territorians. He has even tried to blame the 53% of Territorians for voting ‘no’, because he claims they had fears about firecracker night, barramundi bag limits and speeding restrictions.
Madam Speaker, when will the Chief Minister stop blaming everybody but himself.
ANSWER
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, that was a fairly good dramatization of what in fact I actually said.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr STONE: Well, if you give me the dignity of allowing me to answer my question in silence - and I say that to the member for Nhulunbuy, Syd Stirling, ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, order!
Mr STONE: ... I would like to be heard in silence.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, order!
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, I was bitterly disappointed with the result, as disappointed as anyone else who has worked hard for statehood, particularly given that, finally, we had been given an opportunity by the Prime Minister, John Howard, the first prime minister to realise that statehood was achievable in the year 2001. And, Madam Speaker, having been given that opportunity, I set about the task of going out there and trying to persuade Territorians - and I failed.
Mr Stirling: You did fail.
Mr STONE: I failed.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I failed.
I left the people behind. Don’t blame any of my colleagues it was me, Shane Stone…
Mrs Hickey: interjecting.
Mr STONE: … Chief Minister. Madam Speaker, if I could again appeal to you to be heard in silence because I am sure that people listening to this broadcast would want that. I accept full responsibility for what occurred. I have thought long and hard over the last two to three days as to the reasons why we find ourselves where we are today.
And I have thought about those who sit opposite and I am not going to say anything about them. That is a matter for commentators and others who will make an assessment of their role in all of this. But I am here to stand squarely and humbly before this Parliament and say to my fellow Territorians that I accept responsibility.
I was greatly moved by the unsolicited interview that my colleague, the member for Brennan, gave on the radio this morning.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: I did not ask him to do that, but I guess it is a depth of how people feel. But it also a mark of one’s leadership to be able to stand up from time to time and say I accept responsibility for my actions and I will accept the responsibility - and I got it wrong. But it does not make me any less determined, any less committed to achieve the goal of Territory statehood.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: I think, members of the opposition, this is an important answer and I do ask that you listen in silence.
Mr STONE: Well, I do understand, in response to the interjection from the member for Wanguri, John Bailey, Madam Speaker. I suspect that I understand better than even those sitting opposite and I cop it squarely on the chin and I will wear it and, as I said before, stand humbly before this parliament and face it squarely, because that is a mark of leadership.
Madam Speaker, when will the Chief Minister stop blaming everybody but himself.
ANSWER
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, that was a fairly good dramatization of what in fact I actually said.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr STONE: Well, if you give me the dignity of allowing me to answer my question in silence - and I say that to the member for Nhulunbuy, Syd Stirling, ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, order!
Mr STONE: ... I would like to be heard in silence.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, order!
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, I was bitterly disappointed with the result, as disappointed as anyone else who has worked hard for statehood, particularly given that, finally, we had been given an opportunity by the Prime Minister, John Howard, the first prime minister to realise that statehood was achievable in the year 2001. And, Madam Speaker, having been given that opportunity, I set about the task of going out there and trying to persuade Territorians - and I failed.
Mr Stirling: You did fail.
Mr STONE: I failed.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I failed.
I left the people behind. Don’t blame any of my colleagues it was me, Shane Stone…
Mrs Hickey: interjecting.
Mr STONE: … Chief Minister. Madam Speaker, if I could again appeal to you to be heard in silence because I am sure that people listening to this broadcast would want that. I accept full responsibility for what occurred. I have thought long and hard over the last two to three days as to the reasons why we find ourselves where we are today.
And I have thought about those who sit opposite and I am not going to say anything about them. That is a matter for commentators and others who will make an assessment of their role in all of this. But I am here to stand squarely and humbly before this Parliament and say to my fellow Territorians that I accept responsibility.
I was greatly moved by the unsolicited interview that my colleague, the member for Brennan, gave on the radio this morning.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: I did not ask him to do that, but I guess it is a depth of how people feel. But it also a mark of one’s leadership to be able to stand up from time to time and say I accept responsibility for my actions and I will accept the responsibility - and I got it wrong. But it does not make me any less determined, any less committed to achieve the goal of Territory statehood.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: I think, members of the opposition, this is an important answer and I do ask that you listen in silence.
Mr STONE: Well, I do understand, in response to the interjection from the member for Wanguri, John Bailey, Madam Speaker. I suspect that I understand better than even those sitting opposite and I cop it squarely on the chin and I will wear it and, as I said before, stand humbly before this parliament and face it squarely, because that is a mark of leadership.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016