Mrs HICKEY - 1998-04-21
The antics of the Chief Minister and his deputy over their threat to impose Labor's Senate replacement have made them the laughing stock of Australian politics. Is the Chief Minister aware that his own Prime Minister has said Senate casual vacancies will be filled 'in accordance with both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution'. Will the Chief Minister admit he has no support from his Prime Minister and the only person supporting his crazy antics is his equally foolish deputy?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this really has them on the run. They have had 3 months to get this right. Come 13 May, it will be 4 months. With the federal budget to commence in early May, this means that Territorians will be under-represented in the Senate ...
Mr Ah Kit: One day.
Mr STONE: Let me pick that up. Do not think for one moment that I will convene a special sitting of the parliament to endorse your ...
Mr Bailey: You don't have to.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Do not think for one moment that the opposition will determine whether or not the Executive Council will sit. I determine that, not the opposition. Do not believe for one moment ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr Toyne: You're not into democracy, are you?
Mr STONE: I will pick up that interjection. What started all this was this remark: 'Well, let me put on radio - I think it is Territory-wide radio - that I also have no faith in the leadership of the Labor Party'. That was Tracker Tilmouth talking on 18 August 1997. Members opposite may laugh ...
Mr Stirling: What has that to do with it?
Mr STONE: The member for Nhulunbuy well knows that the majority of Territorians took the same view. Based on that comment, he was consigned to the sin bin and this whole farce commenced. We have never seen such antics ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Stuart.
Mr Bailey: On your trip to Indonesia ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri, that is the third time I have called you to order.
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, I am sure that Territorians will be interested in the view of the Northern Territory government on this important issue. It has not escaped Territorians that the Labor Party seems to be totally incapable of running a preselection process. How on earth could it ever aspire to be the government of the Northern Territory when it cannot even run a preselection process? It defies imagination. To add to her stupidity, the Leader of the Opposition leads with this question to highlight her incompetence. She is incompetent. She really is. I know I am sounding like Neville Wran. I am sure that Neville Wran would view this lot opposite with the same disdain that I do. I have appealed to the Labor Party, and I have done it genuinely, to put its house in order.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: The acting Chief Minister wrote to the Leader of the Opposition asking her when we could expect a nomination. He received a terse reply from Mike Smith, the ALP state secretary. That implied basically that the Leader of the Opposition was irrelevant and that he was running the show. It will be 4 or possibly 5 months before we see a Labor Senator take his or her place. That is totally unacceptable.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri!
Mr STONE: How many times does he have to be warned, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: Not many more, I can assure you.
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Mr STONE: The Labor Party will have had 4 or possibly 5 months. I hear now, from my own Labor sources, that candidates are unhappy with the process. One of its current members has already rung and asked whether I would consider their appointment to the Senate.
Ms Martin: That is rubbish!
Mr STONE: You may say that it is rubbish ...
Mr Stirling: Name one! Try it and see how far you get!
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, this highlights the total incompetence of the Labor Party. In its own report, the observation was made that Territorians believe that Labor is 'poorly led and not fit to govern'. This is a real demonstration of incompetence. Go away and get on with it. It can be done over the next 2 weeks. Send up the black smoke or the white smoke, whatever needs to be done. The ALP has a membership of fewer than 200 Territorians. How difficult is it to organise a preselection panel?
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: It has fewer than 200 members. Why is it unable to get on top of this? Get it over and done with, because Territorians are entitled to be properly represented in the Senate from both sides of politics.
Madam SPEAKER: Members on my left, you are very disorderly this morning. In deference to the fact that the Chief Minister has laryngitis, you could at least allow the general public to hear the response.
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this really has them on the run. They have had 3 months to get this right. Come 13 May, it will be 4 months. With the federal budget to commence in early May, this means that Territorians will be under-represented in the Senate ...
Mr Ah Kit: One day.
Mr STONE: Let me pick that up. Do not think for one moment that I will convene a special sitting of the parliament to endorse your ...
Mr Bailey: You don't have to.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Do not think for one moment that the opposition will determine whether or not the Executive Council will sit. I determine that, not the opposition. Do not believe for one moment ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr Toyne: You're not into democracy, are you?
Mr STONE: I will pick up that interjection. What started all this was this remark: 'Well, let me put on radio - I think it is Territory-wide radio - that I also have no faith in the leadership of the Labor Party'. That was Tracker Tilmouth talking on 18 August 1997. Members opposite may laugh ...
Mr Stirling: What has that to do with it?
Mr STONE: The member for Nhulunbuy well knows that the majority of Territorians took the same view. Based on that comment, he was consigned to the sin bin and this whole farce commenced. We have never seen such antics ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Stuart.
Mr Bailey: On your trip to Indonesia ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri, that is the third time I have called you to order.
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, I am sure that Territorians will be interested in the view of the Northern Territory government on this important issue. It has not escaped Territorians that the Labor Party seems to be totally incapable of running a preselection process. How on earth could it ever aspire to be the government of the Northern Territory when it cannot even run a preselection process? It defies imagination. To add to her stupidity, the Leader of the Opposition leads with this question to highlight her incompetence. She is incompetent. She really is. I know I am sounding like Neville Wran. I am sure that Neville Wran would view this lot opposite with the same disdain that I do. I have appealed to the Labor Party, and I have done it genuinely, to put its house in order.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: The acting Chief Minister wrote to the Leader of the Opposition asking her when we could expect a nomination. He received a terse reply from Mike Smith, the ALP state secretary. That implied basically that the Leader of the Opposition was irrelevant and that he was running the show. It will be 4 or possibly 5 months before we see a Labor Senator take his or her place. That is totally unacceptable.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri!
Mr STONE: How many times does he have to be warned, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: Not many more, I can assure you.
Page 171
Mr STONE: The Labor Party will have had 4 or possibly 5 months. I hear now, from my own Labor sources, that candidates are unhappy with the process. One of its current members has already rung and asked whether I would consider their appointment to the Senate.
Ms Martin: That is rubbish!
Mr STONE: You may say that it is rubbish ...
Mr Stirling: Name one! Try it and see how far you get!
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, this highlights the total incompetence of the Labor Party. In its own report, the observation was made that Territorians believe that Labor is 'poorly led and not fit to govern'. This is a real demonstration of incompetence. Go away and get on with it. It can be done over the next 2 weeks. Send up the black smoke or the white smoke, whatever needs to be done. The ALP has a membership of fewer than 200 Territorians. How difficult is it to organise a preselection panel?
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: It has fewer than 200 members. Why is it unable to get on top of this? Get it over and done with, because Territorians are entitled to be properly represented in the Senate from both sides of politics.
Madam SPEAKER: Members on my left, you are very disorderly this morning. In deference to the fact that the Chief Minister has laryngitis, you could at least allow the general public to hear the response.
Page 172
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016