Mr AH KIT - 1998-10-07
The Prime Minister told you in clear terms, Chief Minister, that the referendum was only about the principle of statehood. But in your $600 000 propaganda campaign, you continued to make false claims about other matters. You told Territorians, for example that the referendum would determine the name of the new state. I quote from your own pamphlet:
What will our state be called? If you agree by voting in the referendum, the State of the Northern Territory.
Why did you spread this untrue information?
ANSWER
Do I take it from that, Madam Speaker, that the member for Arnhem, John Ah Kit, does not support the name of the State of the Northern Territory? I recall the Leader of the Opposition going on radio at one point and certainly saying: ‘Look, you don’t need 3 questions. You can have 2 because I think everyone’s pretty settled in terms of the name’.
I say this to members opposite: now you are picking over the nitty gritty of it. Is this your best shot? It is time to move on and get back to the business of retrieving the situation.
Mr Bailey: You broke the law.
Mr STONE: You say I broke the law. Well if I broke the law, then you are going to have to take me down to the local police station and have me processed. You galah! Absolute galah!
Mr Bailey: You broke the referendums legislation by putting out false advertising.
Mr STONE: Territorians …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri.
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, Territorians listening to this must be really starting to ask themselves the question: - what have the politicians learned out of all this? Now the CLP is trying to move on. The CLP is trying to recommit itself to statehood. The ALP continues to maintain its party political bickering across the Chamber, and let Territorians know that the Labor Party has absolutely no interest in trying to retrieve the situation. It is obvious from the demeanour, the body language, the questions and the interjections. You are just not fair dinkum when it comes to moving on.
Now haven’t you heard what the people said. We have. I have. But you haven’t. There you were in the media yesterday, you, Maggie Hickey, Leader of the Opposition saying: ‘Oh, I have nothing to apologise for. Labor has nothing to apologise for’. I mean, more pure than the driven snow in all of this. Well, you will get left behind let me tell you, because the people, Territorians, want to see us move on and you are obviously not prepared to do it.
What will our state be called? If you agree by voting in the referendum, the State of the Northern Territory.
Why did you spread this untrue information?
ANSWER
Do I take it from that, Madam Speaker, that the member for Arnhem, John Ah Kit, does not support the name of the State of the Northern Territory? I recall the Leader of the Opposition going on radio at one point and certainly saying: ‘Look, you don’t need 3 questions. You can have 2 because I think everyone’s pretty settled in terms of the name’.
I say this to members opposite: now you are picking over the nitty gritty of it. Is this your best shot? It is time to move on and get back to the business of retrieving the situation.
Mr Bailey: You broke the law.
Mr STONE: You say I broke the law. Well if I broke the law, then you are going to have to take me down to the local police station and have me processed. You galah! Absolute galah!
Mr Bailey: You broke the referendums legislation by putting out false advertising.
Mr STONE: Territorians …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri.
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, Territorians listening to this must be really starting to ask themselves the question: - what have the politicians learned out of all this? Now the CLP is trying to move on. The CLP is trying to recommit itself to statehood. The ALP continues to maintain its party political bickering across the Chamber, and let Territorians know that the Labor Party has absolutely no interest in trying to retrieve the situation. It is obvious from the demeanour, the body language, the questions and the interjections. You are just not fair dinkum when it comes to moving on.
Now haven’t you heard what the people said. We have. I have. But you haven’t. There you were in the media yesterday, you, Maggie Hickey, Leader of the Opposition saying: ‘Oh, I have nothing to apologise for. Labor has nothing to apologise for’. I mean, more pure than the driven snow in all of this. Well, you will get left behind let me tell you, because the people, Territorians, want to see us move on and you are obviously not prepared to do it.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016