Mr BALCH - 1998-12-03
Can he demonstrate that the key document claimed to be a poll report, tabled in this parliament by the ALP, is in fact a forgery?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I can. I will provide a copy of the document I am about to table for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Bailey: Let’s have an inquiry.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: If there’s any inquiry it would be into your sanity.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, I ask you to make the member for Wanguri be quiet.
The central thrust of their grubby allegations ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: I would just listen if I were you, and give Territorians an opportunity to make their own assessment. This is pretty serious stuff. You either stand up and apologise for misleading parliament, or you do what Jon Isaacs did and resign. That’s what he did when he used a bodgy document and got caught.
Mr Bailey: Send it to the Privileges Committee.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr STONE: The Leader of the Opposition didn’t need a new door in her ministerial suite. She needs a revolving door.
I will read a statement. The author is indeed Mark Textor, the one person who can tell the truth about the opposition’s bodgy document. This is what it has to say ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, I would like to hear your answer. Members of the opposition, come on!
Mr STONE: It is addressed to me as Chief Minister:
I have been advised of questions that were asked in the Northern Territory parliament on Tuesday 1 December. During the course of Question Time, a number of documents were tabled. I have now had an opportunity to sight those documents.
The first is a letter dated 19 April 1993 to Mr Paul Cowdy in his capacity as chief of staff to the then Chief Minister, Hon Marshall Perron MLA. It deals with a consultancy relating to market research. The letter appears to be a genuine copy of my correspondence and sets out the parameters of the research and makes the important point that ‘a verbal research debriefing presentation be given to the Chief Minister on Thursday 22 April 1993’.
The second document that was tabled was headed ‘Preliminary Findings from Qualitative Research on Uncommitted Voters from Darwin and Palmerston 21 April 1993. I will return to that document last.
The third document was an invoice for works undertaken, which also appears to be a genuine copy.
Returning now to the alleged preliminary finding from qualitative research on uncommitted voters from Darwin and Palmerston, the document does not appear to be mine. The handwritten notes are certainly not mine,and the typed text is not in a typeface or format I would have personally used at the time.
These are pretty serious matters ...
Mrs Hickey: Yes, they certainly are.
Mr Bailey: So why didn’t he say definitely, rather than …
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Members of the opposition.
Mr STONE: Why won’t you let Territorians hear this?
Mr Bailey: Why don’t we have an inquiry?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: Okay, take this to the Privileges Committee.
Mr STONE: I think it is a bit rich, interjections coming particularly from the member for Nhulunbuy who has had 2 weeks to produce the so-called confidential reports and videos. I will return to the final paragraph.
Mr Stirling: Textor just paid out because you talked to him.
Mr STONE: They’re squirming over there, but Territorians will hear this. I don’t care how long I have to stand here to get silence so that it can be read.
Mr Bailey: You want access to the radio waves that you won’t give to other Territorians, to perpetuate your lies.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, I ask for that to be withdrawn.
Madam SPEAKER: Withdraw it.
Mr Bailey: I withdraw it.
Mr Palmer: How many warnings does he get?
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, how many warnings does he get? Order!
Mr STONE:
The handwritten notes are certainly not mine, and the typed text is not in a typeface or format I would have personally used at the time. Nor was it my practice to report findings in a preliminary written way as this document purports to do.
These people opposite have used a forged document. They have pinned their name to it. They have built their case around it. They have been caught.
As I said to the Leader of the Opposition, you don’t need a new door in your suite, you need a revolving door. When Jon Isaacs did something like this, he resigned from the parliament. You have been absolutely caught. This hapless mob who sit beside you cannot and will not bring into this parliament and table the evidence that they conned the media into believing that they had.
That was the real acid test in all this. People like the member for Wanguri said: ‘Just you wait’. Well, we have waited for 2 weeks of sittings during Question Time, and it just hasn’t happened. The member for Nhulunbuy now should be called to account by those journalists whom he conned into giving him the headlines and the stories that he was able to manufacture. The member for Fannie Bay smirks as if to say: ‘What do we care? We conned them. We got our grubby stories over. We don’t care’.
I take this opportunity in the closing minutes of Question Time to wish the opposition a merry Christmas. I hope you do better next year. I extend the best wishes of the CLP government to all the staff of the Legislative Assembly, all those who work in this building, and also to all those who work tirelessly in the Northern Territory Public Service. To Territorians generally who have listened faithfully to this broadcast throughout the course of 1998, I wish you a happy and safe Christmas. I plead for safety on the roads. We have an unacceptably high level of casualties and injuries on the roads. We hope to see everyone back here next year.
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr BURKE (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that the broadcast cease.
Mrs Hickey: Oh, very nice! Thank you very much!
Mr Stone: You have the adjournment debate. You can do it in the adjournment debate.
Mr Bailey: Not on the radio, you dill.
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, I ask for that to be withdrawn.
Madam SPEAKER: Withdraw it, member for Wanguri.
Mr Bailey: I withdraw it.
Mr Stone: Stand up when you speak to the Speaker. Show some courtesy.
Mr Bailey: You wouldn’t know what courtesy was.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri, you’ve tried my patience. I’ve allowed you to stay in the House during Question Time ...
Mr Bailey: I’ll leave now.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I can. I will provide a copy of the document I am about to table for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Bailey: Let’s have an inquiry.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: If there’s any inquiry it would be into your sanity.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, I ask you to make the member for Wanguri be quiet.
The central thrust of their grubby allegations ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: I would just listen if I were you, and give Territorians an opportunity to make their own assessment. This is pretty serious stuff. You either stand up and apologise for misleading parliament, or you do what Jon Isaacs did and resign. That’s what he did when he used a bodgy document and got caught.
Mr Bailey: Send it to the Privileges Committee.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr STONE: The Leader of the Opposition didn’t need a new door in her ministerial suite. She needs a revolving door.
I will read a statement. The author is indeed Mark Textor, the one person who can tell the truth about the opposition’s bodgy document. This is what it has to say ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, I would like to hear your answer. Members of the opposition, come on!
Mr STONE: It is addressed to me as Chief Minister:
I have been advised of questions that were asked in the Northern Territory parliament on Tuesday 1 December. During the course of Question Time, a number of documents were tabled. I have now had an opportunity to sight those documents.
The first is a letter dated 19 April 1993 to Mr Paul Cowdy in his capacity as chief of staff to the then Chief Minister, Hon Marshall Perron MLA. It deals with a consultancy relating to market research. The letter appears to be a genuine copy of my correspondence and sets out the parameters of the research and makes the important point that ‘a verbal research debriefing presentation be given to the Chief Minister on Thursday 22 April 1993’.
The second document that was tabled was headed ‘Preliminary Findings from Qualitative Research on Uncommitted Voters from Darwin and Palmerston 21 April 1993. I will return to that document last.
The third document was an invoice for works undertaken, which also appears to be a genuine copy.
Returning now to the alleged preliminary finding from qualitative research on uncommitted voters from Darwin and Palmerston, the document does not appear to be mine. The handwritten notes are certainly not mine,and the typed text is not in a typeface or format I would have personally used at the time.
These are pretty serious matters ...
Mrs Hickey: Yes, they certainly are.
Mr Bailey: So why didn’t he say definitely, rather than …
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Members of the opposition.
Mr STONE: Why won’t you let Territorians hear this?
Mr Bailey: Why don’t we have an inquiry?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: Okay, take this to the Privileges Committee.
Mr STONE: I think it is a bit rich, interjections coming particularly from the member for Nhulunbuy who has had 2 weeks to produce the so-called confidential reports and videos. I will return to the final paragraph.
Mr Stirling: Textor just paid out because you talked to him.
Mr STONE: They’re squirming over there, but Territorians will hear this. I don’t care how long I have to stand here to get silence so that it can be read.
Mr Bailey: You want access to the radio waves that you won’t give to other Territorians, to perpetuate your lies.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, I ask for that to be withdrawn.
Madam SPEAKER: Withdraw it.
Mr Bailey: I withdraw it.
Mr Palmer: How many warnings does he get?
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, how many warnings does he get? Order!
Mr STONE:
The handwritten notes are certainly not mine, and the typed text is not in a typeface or format I would have personally used at the time. Nor was it my practice to report findings in a preliminary written way as this document purports to do.
These people opposite have used a forged document. They have pinned their name to it. They have built their case around it. They have been caught.
As I said to the Leader of the Opposition, you don’t need a new door in your suite, you need a revolving door. When Jon Isaacs did something like this, he resigned from the parliament. You have been absolutely caught. This hapless mob who sit beside you cannot and will not bring into this parliament and table the evidence that they conned the media into believing that they had.
That was the real acid test in all this. People like the member for Wanguri said: ‘Just you wait’. Well, we have waited for 2 weeks of sittings during Question Time, and it just hasn’t happened. The member for Nhulunbuy now should be called to account by those journalists whom he conned into giving him the headlines and the stories that he was able to manufacture. The member for Fannie Bay smirks as if to say: ‘What do we care? We conned them. We got our grubby stories over. We don’t care’.
I take this opportunity in the closing minutes of Question Time to wish the opposition a merry Christmas. I hope you do better next year. I extend the best wishes of the CLP government to all the staff of the Legislative Assembly, all those who work in this building, and also to all those who work tirelessly in the Northern Territory Public Service. To Territorians generally who have listened faithfully to this broadcast throughout the course of 1998, I wish you a happy and safe Christmas. I plead for safety on the roads. We have an unacceptably high level of casualties and injuries on the roads. We hope to see everyone back here next year.
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr BURKE (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that the broadcast cease.
Mrs Hickey: Oh, very nice! Thank you very much!
Mr Stone: You have the adjournment debate. You can do it in the adjournment debate.
Mr Bailey: Not on the radio, you dill.
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, I ask for that to be withdrawn.
Madam SPEAKER: Withdraw it, member for Wanguri.
Mr Bailey: I withdraw it.
Mr Stone: Stand up when you speak to the Speaker. Show some courtesy.
Mr Bailey: You wouldn’t know what courtesy was.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri, you’ve tried my patience. I’ve allowed you to stay in the House during Question Time ...
Mr Bailey: I’ll leave now.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016