Mr AH KIT - 1998-10-06
Before and after the statehood referendum, the Chief Minister abused Aboriginal groups and leaders and other people for expressing their view on our move towards statehood. Does he now accept that the issues raised in the Kalkarindji statement, and by other Aboriginal groups, have an important role in shaping our future path towards statehood? Does he agree that the issues raised in the Kalkarindji statement must and should be addressed in an inclusive process of consultations towards statehood?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, again, I have not abused anyone in the course of this debate. I do not even recall making any statement about the Kalkarindji meeting at all. But in any event ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: Are you going to let me be heard? The member for Wanguri, John Bailey, is interjecting again.
I have made the point this morning, in acknowledging that I got it wrong, and I say it again, don’t blame members of my government. If they have a fault, it is because they were so enthusiastic, probably like everybody in this Chamber, about achieving statehood. Can I say to members, and Territorians listening, that I was absolutely shattered on Saturday night, because this has been a hope and aspiration of Territorians for such a long time.
Mr Bailey: And you trampled all over them. Why didn’t you ...
Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri, John Bailey, is interjecting again. People trying to listen to the broadcast can’t hear when people interject across the Chamber, so I will start that bit again.
The realisation on Saturday night that we had left the people behind, that we had moved too quickly ...
Mr Bailey: You ignored them.
Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri, John Bailey, is interjecting again.
Mr Bailey: Well, tell the truth.
Mr STONE: And again!
I have had to face up to that. There is a lot of pain in facing up to that, but it is all part of the peaks and the troughs of your public life. And what happens?
Mr Bailey: You did it to get Nick Dondas re-elected.
Mr STONE: John Bailey, the member for Wanguri, again.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr STONE: I accept that there has to be an inclusive process and I also accept that the people have to be largely the determinants of that process.
Mr Stirling: Yep.
Mr STONE: The interjection was ‘yep’ from the member for Nhulunbuy. Yet Labor is already trying to lay out a blueprint of how it is going to be done. I have heard what the people have had to say. I accept what the people say, because ...
Mr Bailey: Why don’t you resign then?
Mr STONE: ... that is a mark of leadership, to be able to face up to these things and cop them squarely on the chin, and I do that. In response to the interjection, ‘Why don’t you resign?’, what a cop-out that would be by me! To pick up my pension, to pick up my superannuation, and just walk out the door - what kind of cowardly political act would that be?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms Martin interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fannie Bay, order!
Mr STONE: I now have a clear responsibility as the Chief Minister to make right what went wrong. And that is another mark of leadership too, to face up to it and say: ‘Well, it has to be fixed’. If members opposite …
Ms Martin: You have failed.
Mr STONE: … think that I am just going to walk away, then they are going to be sadly mistaken. The member for Fannie Bay said: ‘You failed’. I have failed at a number of things in my life, and I suspect that she probably has too. I am not some infallible, superhuman person who doesn’t make mistakes. While members of the Labor Party may work assiduously to belittle that and treat this all as a joke - and people listening to this broadcast would hear the laughter - well, it is the ALP. While they think all this is a joke, the reality is that we move on, and I won’t be just picking up my superannuation, with my tail between my legs, and walking out of here, because I have a responsibility, together with my colleagues - and together with the Labor Party, because that was the message, it was a message to all of us - to get it right. And I am committed to getting it right.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, again, I have not abused anyone in the course of this debate. I do not even recall making any statement about the Kalkarindji meeting at all. But in any event ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: Are you going to let me be heard? The member for Wanguri, John Bailey, is interjecting again.
I have made the point this morning, in acknowledging that I got it wrong, and I say it again, don’t blame members of my government. If they have a fault, it is because they were so enthusiastic, probably like everybody in this Chamber, about achieving statehood. Can I say to members, and Territorians listening, that I was absolutely shattered on Saturday night, because this has been a hope and aspiration of Territorians for such a long time.
Mr Bailey: And you trampled all over them. Why didn’t you ...
Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri, John Bailey, is interjecting again. People trying to listen to the broadcast can’t hear when people interject across the Chamber, so I will start that bit again.
The realisation on Saturday night that we had left the people behind, that we had moved too quickly ...
Mr Bailey: You ignored them.
Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri, John Bailey, is interjecting again.
Mr Bailey: Well, tell the truth.
Mr STONE: And again!
I have had to face up to that. There is a lot of pain in facing up to that, but it is all part of the peaks and the troughs of your public life. And what happens?
Mr Bailey: You did it to get Nick Dondas re-elected.
Mr STONE: John Bailey, the member for Wanguri, again.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr STONE: I accept that there has to be an inclusive process and I also accept that the people have to be largely the determinants of that process.
Mr Stirling: Yep.
Mr STONE: The interjection was ‘yep’ from the member for Nhulunbuy. Yet Labor is already trying to lay out a blueprint of how it is going to be done. I have heard what the people have had to say. I accept what the people say, because ...
Mr Bailey: Why don’t you resign then?
Mr STONE: ... that is a mark of leadership, to be able to face up to these things and cop them squarely on the chin, and I do that. In response to the interjection, ‘Why don’t you resign?’, what a cop-out that would be by me! To pick up my pension, to pick up my superannuation, and just walk out the door - what kind of cowardly political act would that be?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms Martin interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fannie Bay, order!
Mr STONE: I now have a clear responsibility as the Chief Minister to make right what went wrong. And that is another mark of leadership too, to face up to it and say: ‘Well, it has to be fixed’. If members opposite …
Ms Martin: You have failed.
Mr STONE: … think that I am just going to walk away, then they are going to be sadly mistaken. The member for Fannie Bay said: ‘You failed’. I have failed at a number of things in my life, and I suspect that she probably has too. I am not some infallible, superhuman person who doesn’t make mistakes. While members of the Labor Party may work assiduously to belittle that and treat this all as a joke - and people listening to this broadcast would hear the laughter - well, it is the ALP. While they think all this is a joke, the reality is that we move on, and I won’t be just picking up my superannuation, with my tail between my legs, and walking out of here, because I have a responsibility, together with my colleagues - and together with the Labor Party, because that was the message, it was a message to all of us - to get it right. And I am committed to getting it right.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016