Mr BAILEY - 1997-12-01
In what way does sitting by himself in his Sydney hotel room with his X-rated homosexual videos inform him and the community in the Northern Territory about the age of consent? Why doesn’t he tell the truth as to why he purchased those videos?
ANSWER
First of all, Madam Speaker, the honourable member is making the assumption that there was a video player in the hotel room, and there was not.
Mr Bailey: I simply said you got your videos ...
Mr REED: No, what you said was that I sat in a hotel and watched a video.
Mr Bailey: No, I said ...
Mr REED: We will read the Hansard.
Interestingly, Fred McCue disclosed on ABC radio this morning that members opposite have known about this matter for 5 weeks. If they had known about it for 5 weeks and it had been a matter of such concern to them, one would have expected them to have pursued it earlier. Their real intention in relation to this is political. It has nothing to do with anything else.
Members interjecting.
Mr Bailey: You lied.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: Madam Speaker, I ask for that to be withdrawn.
Madam SPEAKER: The minister will resume his seat. The member for Wanguri will withdraw that remark. The opposition’s interjections are getting out of hand. I ask members to settle down.
Mr BAILEY: I withdraw.
Mr REED: Madam Speaker, it is interesting to reflect on this. It is true that I went and bought the videos. It is true that obviously I was seen by someone who was offended. They were offended morally, I suppose you could say, and they made assumptions in the first instance as to what these videos would be used for. The second matter is worthy of some consideration. After seeing me buy a couple of videos, this person followed me all the way back to my hotel. He did not have any moral concerns about impinging on someone’s privacy by following them some 3 km or 4 km from the video shop back to their hotel. I guess he was hoping that I would go into some other establishment so that he might have been able to make up some other stories about what my intentions may have been, much the same as the member for Wanguri suggested that I sat and watched the videos all night. However, he was sadly disappointed in that regard.
May I say in passing that, if I were in Sydney to pick up a fellow, I have to admit that I would be no good at it. I was followed by one for 3 km or 4 km and did not even know he was there.
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ANSWER
First of all, Madam Speaker, the honourable member is making the assumption that there was a video player in the hotel room, and there was not.
Mr Bailey: I simply said you got your videos ...
Mr REED: No, what you said was that I sat in a hotel and watched a video.
Mr Bailey: No, I said ...
Mr REED: We will read the Hansard.
Interestingly, Fred McCue disclosed on ABC radio this morning that members opposite have known about this matter for 5 weeks. If they had known about it for 5 weeks and it had been a matter of such concern to them, one would have expected them to have pursued it earlier. Their real intention in relation to this is political. It has nothing to do with anything else.
Members interjecting.
Mr Bailey: You lied.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: Madam Speaker, I ask for that to be withdrawn.
Madam SPEAKER: The minister will resume his seat. The member for Wanguri will withdraw that remark. The opposition’s interjections are getting out of hand. I ask members to settle down.
Mr BAILEY: I withdraw.
Mr REED: Madam Speaker, it is interesting to reflect on this. It is true that I went and bought the videos. It is true that obviously I was seen by someone who was offended. They were offended morally, I suppose you could say, and they made assumptions in the first instance as to what these videos would be used for. The second matter is worthy of some consideration. After seeing me buy a couple of videos, this person followed me all the way back to my hotel. He did not have any moral concerns about impinging on someone’s privacy by following them some 3 km or 4 km from the video shop back to their hotel. I guess he was hoping that I would go into some other establishment so that he might have been able to make up some other stories about what my intentions may have been, much the same as the member for Wanguri suggested that I sat and watched the videos all night. However, he was sadly disappointed in that regard.
May I say in passing that, if I were in Sydney to pick up a fellow, I have to admit that I would be no good at it. I was followed by one for 3 km or 4 km and did not even know he was there.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016