Ms CARTER - 2000-05-18
On Saturday there will be a welcome home parade in Darwin for those who served in East Timor. Can the Chief Minister tell us what role the parliament and members will be able to play in this worthy celebration?
ANSWER
That is a good question; something we can get interested in. On Saturday, not withstanding it is Supercar Saturday, I hope that Territorians turn out and welcome home our troops and all those who took part in the operation in East Timor way. It is going to be a massive parade, one of the largest parades that Darwin will have ever seen. Major General Cosgrove will be there and it will be a great pleasure for me to catch up with him for the first time since that operation.
Secondly, at the conclusion of Question Time, I will be asking parliament to support me in a motion which congratulates the Australian Defence Force on their efforts in East Timor. It is a motion that is most appropriate for this parliament not only because of our proximity to East Timor but because of the direct efforts that occurred in Darwin in relation to the operation in East Timor, and also because of the special relationship that we have with the majority of the troops that were involved in that operation.
Involved in that motion will be support for the following proclamation, which reads:
Many times the people of the Northern Territory have been called upon to defend their homes and families against the assaults of nature and of man.
Like our forebears who fought at Anzac Cove, the Western Front, throughout the Pacific and Europe in World War II and in conflicts since, they have been called upon to leave their families andhomes to defend our way of life at home, and the freedom of our friends and allies abroad.
Once again, in 1999 and 2000, they were summoned to serve the cause of liberty. The men and women of the Australian Defence Force put themselves in harms way to protect their neighbour’s homes and their neighbour’s lives.
This parliament, as the elected representative of all Territorians, pays tribute to those who answered the call, those who spent the final months of the old century and the first months of the new on active service in East Timor and their colleagues who stayed to man the Australian Defence Force bases in northern Australia, so maximum effort could be maintained on the front line.
The parliament salutes their professionalism and skill, pays tribute to their courage, and honours them for their service. We thank them and in the words of the ode, we will remember them.
That is a most appropriate proclamation, something that we can all do in a bipartisan and non-political way, and when that motion is put, I hope you will join me in signing that proclamation which will be sent to all the senior commanders of the units that were involved in those operations, so that it takes the place of prominence in those units.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms MARTIN: Mr Speaker, before I get to this question, could I ask the Chief Minister to please table that piece of paper he waved around before?
Mr SPEAKER: Would the Chief Minister wish to table that document?
Mr Burke: No.
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! He quoted from this piece of paper and we have every right to ask that it be tabled.
Mr SPEAKER: The Chief Minister, by rights, ought to table the document if he has quoted from it unless he can indicate that in some way it is confidential.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, notwithstanding your comments, I will take my own advice and in due course I will respond.
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! He quoted from that ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable Leader of the Opposition, you were going to ask a question.
ANSWER
That is a good question; something we can get interested in. On Saturday, not withstanding it is Supercar Saturday, I hope that Territorians turn out and welcome home our troops and all those who took part in the operation in East Timor way. It is going to be a massive parade, one of the largest parades that Darwin will have ever seen. Major General Cosgrove will be there and it will be a great pleasure for me to catch up with him for the first time since that operation.
Secondly, at the conclusion of Question Time, I will be asking parliament to support me in a motion which congratulates the Australian Defence Force on their efforts in East Timor. It is a motion that is most appropriate for this parliament not only because of our proximity to East Timor but because of the direct efforts that occurred in Darwin in relation to the operation in East Timor, and also because of the special relationship that we have with the majority of the troops that were involved in that operation.
Involved in that motion will be support for the following proclamation, which reads:
Many times the people of the Northern Territory have been called upon to defend their homes and families against the assaults of nature and of man.
Like our forebears who fought at Anzac Cove, the Western Front, throughout the Pacific and Europe in World War II and in conflicts since, they have been called upon to leave their families andhomes to defend our way of life at home, and the freedom of our friends and allies abroad.
Once again, in 1999 and 2000, they were summoned to serve the cause of liberty. The men and women of the Australian Defence Force put themselves in harms way to protect their neighbour’s homes and their neighbour’s lives.
This parliament, as the elected representative of all Territorians, pays tribute to those who answered the call, those who spent the final months of the old century and the first months of the new on active service in East Timor and their colleagues who stayed to man the Australian Defence Force bases in northern Australia, so maximum effort could be maintained on the front line.
The parliament salutes their professionalism and skill, pays tribute to their courage, and honours them for their service. We thank them and in the words of the ode, we will remember them.
That is a most appropriate proclamation, something that we can all do in a bipartisan and non-political way, and when that motion is put, I hope you will join me in signing that proclamation which will be sent to all the senior commanders of the units that were involved in those operations, so that it takes the place of prominence in those units.
Members: Hear, hear!
__________
Ms MARTIN: Mr Speaker, before I get to this question, could I ask the Chief Minister to please table that piece of paper he waved around before?
Mr SPEAKER: Would the Chief Minister wish to table that document?
Mr Burke: No.
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! He quoted from this piece of paper and we have every right to ask that it be tabled.
Mr SPEAKER: The Chief Minister, by rights, ought to table the document if he has quoted from it unless he can indicate that in some way it is confidential.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, notwithstanding your comments, I will take my own advice and in due course I will respond.
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! He quoted from that ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable Leader of the Opposition, you were going to ask a question.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016