Mr DUNHAM - 1998-08-18
What is the Chief Minister’s response to yet another federal Labor politician admitting that Labor will not support statehood for Territorians unless it is on the Labor Party’s terms?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please refrain from making your answer until members are quiet.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, on ABC television late news last night, we saw the Leader of the Opposition at Kalkarindji. It was interesting that the Leader of the Opposition chose to go to Kalkarindji rather than attend the Police Association conference. However, there he was with Daryl Melham. Who is Daryl Melham? It is important that Territorians know who Daryl Melham is. He is a federal member of the ALP. He has a seat in Sydney. He did me the honour of standing at my booth in Stuart Park at the last Territory election when I achieved a significant swing in my favour. Who is Daryl Melham? He is a person who makes his office available to Warren Snowdon, Tracker Tilmouth and the Indigenous Working Group. Who is Daryl Melham? Daryl Melham represents the Socialist Left faction, and he is the man who tells the Territory that it will not have the railway and we will not become a state.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: The Leader of the Opposition may interject all she wants, but it is important that Territorians know just who Warren Snowdon is running with at the moment. He is running with a man who says, as an ALP spokesman speaking on behalf of Kim Beazley:
Shane Stone can promise anything he likes. In the end, you won’t get statehood unless you can get all parties supporting it in Canberra. The Labor Party won’t support a constitution that discriminates against Aboriginal people.
I invite members opposite to show me where the draft constitution discriminates against Aboriginal people. It does not. For the first time in the history of this great nation of ours, there is reference to Aboriginal people in a preamble.
Daryl Melham did not finish there. When asked about special legislation for the railway, another project dear to the hearts of Territorians, and whether Labor federally will support it, he said:
Well, it will not have the Labor Party’s support.
I want Territorians who are listening to this broadcast to understand that the Labor Party does not support their aspirations for statehood and it does not support the railway. Daryl Melham, speaking on behalf of Kim Beazley, the federal Leader of the Opposition ...
A member: Lies!
Mr STONE: The member interjects ‘lies’, but those are the transcribed words of the Labor spokesman from Canberra. The Labor Party stands condemned - all of you. If members opposite had any courage at all, they would stand up and say to Territorians: ‘We dissociate ourselves from those remarks. We will have no truck with the Daryl Melhams of this world’. However, they will not do it because they do not know how to stand up for the Territory. They never have known how to and never will. That is why they are the biggest bunch of losers that have ever walked into this Chamber.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please refrain from making your answer until members are quiet.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, on ABC television late news last night, we saw the Leader of the Opposition at Kalkarindji. It was interesting that the Leader of the Opposition chose to go to Kalkarindji rather than attend the Police Association conference. However, there he was with Daryl Melham. Who is Daryl Melham? It is important that Territorians know who Daryl Melham is. He is a federal member of the ALP. He has a seat in Sydney. He did me the honour of standing at my booth in Stuart Park at the last Territory election when I achieved a significant swing in my favour. Who is Daryl Melham? He is a person who makes his office available to Warren Snowdon, Tracker Tilmouth and the Indigenous Working Group. Who is Daryl Melham? Daryl Melham represents the Socialist Left faction, and he is the man who tells the Territory that it will not have the railway and we will not become a state.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: The Leader of the Opposition may interject all she wants, but it is important that Territorians know just who Warren Snowdon is running with at the moment. He is running with a man who says, as an ALP spokesman speaking on behalf of Kim Beazley:
Shane Stone can promise anything he likes. In the end, you won’t get statehood unless you can get all parties supporting it in Canberra. The Labor Party won’t support a constitution that discriminates against Aboriginal people.
I invite members opposite to show me where the draft constitution discriminates against Aboriginal people. It does not. For the first time in the history of this great nation of ours, there is reference to Aboriginal people in a preamble.
Daryl Melham did not finish there. When asked about special legislation for the railway, another project dear to the hearts of Territorians, and whether Labor federally will support it, he said:
Well, it will not have the Labor Party’s support.
I want Territorians who are listening to this broadcast to understand that the Labor Party does not support their aspirations for statehood and it does not support the railway. Daryl Melham, speaking on behalf of Kim Beazley, the federal Leader of the Opposition ...
A member: Lies!
Mr STONE: The member interjects ‘lies’, but those are the transcribed words of the Labor spokesman from Canberra. The Labor Party stands condemned - all of you. If members opposite had any courage at all, they would stand up and say to Territorians: ‘We dissociate ourselves from those remarks. We will have no truck with the Daryl Melhams of this world’. However, they will not do it because they do not know how to stand up for the Territory. They never have known how to and never will. That is why they are the biggest bunch of losers that have ever walked into this Chamber.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016