Mr LUGG - 1998-04-28
He has supported the call for a referendum by the recent Statehood Convention. Is he in a position to tell Territorians when this legislation is likely to be progressed through the House?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to advise members, and Territorians listening to this broadcast, that the government will be introducing a referendum bill during the course of this week of sittings for passage in August. This is our commitment to the democratic process.
Of course, members opposite have been making much of the democratic process of late, as we heard during the course of last week, as they continue to fumble their way through the Senate preselection process. For how many months now have Territorians not been represented by a Labor Senator in the Senate?
On this side of the House, we give a commitment to introduce a referendum bill which will be passed subsequently to become an act. It will be a generic piece of legislation, designed not only for the purpose of statehood but also to be used on appropriate occasions when, on the motion of this parliament, an issue is to be put to Territorians. This issue was raised during the euthanasia debate when we did not have the capacity to put such matters to Territorians. We give a commitment that the bill will be introduced, that it will be passed in August and that it will facilitate Territorians being able to have their say on statehood.
In relation to the Senate vacancy, members opposite should not believe that this issue has gone away. I have written to the Leader of the Opposition in Canberra, Kim Beazley, requesting that he turn his attention to what has been occurring in his branch in the Northern Territory. My letter was met with the response that 'Labor has a democratic process in place'. I am about to respond to him, quoting the words of one of the ALP's former high-profile candidates, Tracker Tilmouth, who qualified in every respect at least to contest the preselection. He has gone public, saying that he has been told: 'Don't bother'. That is the Labor Party's version of the democratic process. I will have more to say about this tomorrow in the context of nominations for the Senate vacancy.
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to advise members, and Territorians listening to this broadcast, that the government will be introducing a referendum bill during the course of this week of sittings for passage in August. This is our commitment to the democratic process.
Of course, members opposite have been making much of the democratic process of late, as we heard during the course of last week, as they continue to fumble their way through the Senate preselection process. For how many months now have Territorians not been represented by a Labor Senator in the Senate?
On this side of the House, we give a commitment to introduce a referendum bill which will be passed subsequently to become an act. It will be a generic piece of legislation, designed not only for the purpose of statehood but also to be used on appropriate occasions when, on the motion of this parliament, an issue is to be put to Territorians. This issue was raised during the euthanasia debate when we did not have the capacity to put such matters to Territorians. We give a commitment that the bill will be introduced, that it will be passed in August and that it will facilitate Territorians being able to have their say on statehood.
In relation to the Senate vacancy, members opposite should not believe that this issue has gone away. I have written to the Leader of the Opposition in Canberra, Kim Beazley, requesting that he turn his attention to what has been occurring in his branch in the Northern Territory. My letter was met with the response that 'Labor has a democratic process in place'. I am about to respond to him, quoting the words of one of the ALP's former high-profile candidates, Tracker Tilmouth, who qualified in every respect at least to contest the preselection. He has gone public, saying that he has been told: 'Don't bother'. That is the Labor Party's version of the democratic process. I will have more to say about this tomorrow in the context of nominations for the Senate vacancy.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016