Ms MARTIN - 1999-08-10
In an attempt to smear the Labor candidate during the Wanguri by-election campaign, in full-page advertisements the Territory Liberal Party placed a big black cross next to the words ‘born in France, raised in England’. The Chief Minister even abused Labor’s nearly-successful candidate for Blain, Nicole Cridland, who happens to be a born-and-bred Territorian, labelling her ‘a blow-in’. Will the Chief Minister apologise to all Territorians, including those born in Greece, Italy, East Timor, Queensland or any other part of the world, for these attacks which play on racism and bigotry?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the one-person Labor Party could at least have given the new member whose reputation was ‘smeared’, purportedly, the chance to ask the question. Why don’t you give someone else a crack in this House? And let’s not lie. There was one advertisement, not ‘advertisements’.
Ms Martin: You tried to get two.
Mr BURKE: Was there one advertisement or not? ‘Full-page advertisements’ was what you said. ‘Full-page advertisements labelled the fact that he was born in France and raised in England’. Did you lie or didn’t you?
Ms Martin: Apology, Denis!
Mr BURKE: So you’re apologising? I accept the apology.
The CLP ad showed differences between our candidate, Maisie Austin, and Mr Paul Henderson. The intent of the advertisement was no different from what Nicole Cridland did in bold type in her newsletter in Blain, comparing herself with Mr Mills. She said in bold type, ‘I’m Territory-born and proud of it’, and that’s fair enough. She was making the point that she was Territory-born and proud of it and he wasn’t, so somehow she had greater credibility. That was the aim of the comment. This ad was constructed the same way.
I can tell you that I am personally upset that it has had the effect that it did. There are times when things work and occasionally things don’t. This one here didn’t work. It was never intended to besmirch the reputation of someone who, among many of us, wasn’t born in the Northern Territory. It was never intended to cast doubt on our support for the efforts and productivity of people who were born in other countries. My God, we have a Malaysian-born Chinese sitting on our side of the Chamber of whom we are absolutely proud.
If people were hurt by one ad that was run once in the newspaper, I apologise. It was never the intent of the CLP to do any more in that ad than compare the qualities of those particular two candidates. If it has upset a wider group, I certainly apologise on behalf of my government.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the one-person Labor Party could at least have given the new member whose reputation was ‘smeared’, purportedly, the chance to ask the question. Why don’t you give someone else a crack in this House? And let’s not lie. There was one advertisement, not ‘advertisements’.
Ms Martin: You tried to get two.
Mr BURKE: Was there one advertisement or not? ‘Full-page advertisements’ was what you said. ‘Full-page advertisements labelled the fact that he was born in France and raised in England’. Did you lie or didn’t you?
Ms Martin: Apology, Denis!
Mr BURKE: So you’re apologising? I accept the apology.
The CLP ad showed differences between our candidate, Maisie Austin, and Mr Paul Henderson. The intent of the advertisement was no different from what Nicole Cridland did in bold type in her newsletter in Blain, comparing herself with Mr Mills. She said in bold type, ‘I’m Territory-born and proud of it’, and that’s fair enough. She was making the point that she was Territory-born and proud of it and he wasn’t, so somehow she had greater credibility. That was the aim of the comment. This ad was constructed the same way.
I can tell you that I am personally upset that it has had the effect that it did. There are times when things work and occasionally things don’t. This one here didn’t work. It was never intended to besmirch the reputation of someone who, among many of us, wasn’t born in the Northern Territory. It was never intended to cast doubt on our support for the efforts and productivity of people who were born in other countries. My God, we have a Malaysian-born Chinese sitting on our side of the Chamber of whom we are absolutely proud.
If people were hurt by one ad that was run once in the newspaper, I apologise. It was never the intent of the CLP to do any more in that ad than compare the qualities of those particular two candidates. If it has upset a wider group, I certainly apologise on behalf of my government.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016