Ms MARTIN - 1999-08-17
I was curious to hear the Chief Minister refer to the Northern Territory as a ‘vacuum’ in the context of preparing a draft constitution, given that we have had a committee prepare one already and the Chief Minister himself did one over a weekend. So that we are absolutely clear on this essential issue, will the Chief Minister clarify who will write the Territory’s draft constitution - Territorians or politicians in Canberra?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker,I expect the constitution to be written primarily by Territorians. My simple premise is this, and I’ll say it again: First of all, we have to educate to ensure whether Territorians wish the issue of statehood progressed or not. From that point on there will be a process both at the Territory level and at the Commonwealth level that we will go through. That process will take some time. I imagine, thinking out loud, that there could be a House of Representatives committee to investigate the issue of statehood. There is no doubt in my mind that a Senate select committee would get their hands all over the issue of statehood. I understand your own Senator Trish Crossin today made a point with regard to the interest that the Senate would have in it.
In my discussions with Bob Collins, he made the point that I reiterated earlier, that for some senators it will be the opportunity of a lifetime to get their fingers all over the constitution of a new state. Some Territorians should be very comfortable with this idea - some Territorians, but certainly not a majority, I think. The Senate is controlled by the Democrats, who have an agenda which is not the CLP agenda but would be of interest to some of the lobby groups. That Democrat-controlled Senate will certainly get their fingers all over the Territory constitution.
Therefore, it seems to me that the best approach is to decide whether Territorians want to progress the issue of statehood or not. Then, in conjunction with the Commonwealth, we will go through the issue of how the constitution should be developed. To my mind, that could involve one, two or any number of democratically-elected constitutional conventions. I certainly don’t dismiss that at all. I simply want Territorians to understand the process and to be told the truth. The truth is that the constitution for the new state of the Northern Territory will not be developed entirely by Territorians. That is the simple fact of the matter.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker,I expect the constitution to be written primarily by Territorians. My simple premise is this, and I’ll say it again: First of all, we have to educate to ensure whether Territorians wish the issue of statehood progressed or not. From that point on there will be a process both at the Territory level and at the Commonwealth level that we will go through. That process will take some time. I imagine, thinking out loud, that there could be a House of Representatives committee to investigate the issue of statehood. There is no doubt in my mind that a Senate select committee would get their hands all over the issue of statehood. I understand your own Senator Trish Crossin today made a point with regard to the interest that the Senate would have in it.
In my discussions with Bob Collins, he made the point that I reiterated earlier, that for some senators it will be the opportunity of a lifetime to get their fingers all over the constitution of a new state. Some Territorians should be very comfortable with this idea - some Territorians, but certainly not a majority, I think. The Senate is controlled by the Democrats, who have an agenda which is not the CLP agenda but would be of interest to some of the lobby groups. That Democrat-controlled Senate will certainly get their fingers all over the Territory constitution.
Therefore, it seems to me that the best approach is to decide whether Territorians want to progress the issue of statehood or not. Then, in conjunction with the Commonwealth, we will go through the issue of how the constitution should be developed. To my mind, that could involve one, two or any number of democratically-elected constitutional conventions. I certainly don’t dismiss that at all. I simply want Territorians to understand the process and to be told the truth. The truth is that the constitution for the new state of the Northern Territory will not be developed entirely by Territorians. That is the simple fact of the matter.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016