Ms CARTER - 2000-05-10
The Labor Party yesterday admitted its responsibility for a poll of Territory women, which pushes their propaganda with regard to mandatory sentencing. What is the Chief Minister’s response to denials by the Opposition Leader that it is not push polling?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for her question. I raised the issue yesterday of push polling by the Labor Party. It is interesting that the Leader of the Opposition ...
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I find that allegation offensive. If he wants to accuse us of push polling, bring on a motion, because we have the evidence that they did it in 1994. He’s ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat! There is no point of order. Let’s hear ...
Mr Stirling: They can ...
Mr SPEAKER: No, hang on a minute. The Chief Minister has just stood to answer a question ...
Mr Stirling: And made an allegation against us.
Mr SPEAKER: ... he has not been given an opportunity yet to back up the accusation.
Mr Stirling: Oh, well, we will wait for the evidence.
Mr SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I am astounded by the outburst by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, one who calls for the production of documents in this parliament so that we will clarify perceptions and misconceptions that might be in the mind of the general public. Well, there is an easy way to clarify misconceptions. I make the allegation straight up. The Labor Party are push polling in the Northern Territory and they’re targeting their push polling against women.
The Leader of the Opposition, last night, and in the media, said firstly that Labor was responsible for that polling, tick, and secondly, said that they are not push polling, the questions that they are asking are truthful. The questions that have been put to me that are being asked are, firstly, the CLP has only one shot in the locker called mandatory sentencing. I ask a simple question: Is that a fact or isn’t it? Does anyone in the Northern Territory or in this House who understands the law and order policies and strategies of the Northern Territory truly believe that the only way we deal with law and order in the Northern Territory is with one shot in the locker called mandatory sentencing? It pays no regard to things like all of the efforts we have made with better parenting and positive parenting programs, and it is interesting to see the people in government have put extra money into that program. It pays no regard to school based constables, to the excellent domestic violence strategies we have in place in the Northern Territory, to the Aboriginal community police officers that have been in the Northern Territory for many years, and I can go on and on, including the many, many dollars that are part of the Living with Alcohol campaign that are targeted against crime and supervised by Corrections amongst others.
It is therefore the lie, the first lie, and the first push is this question, this statement: The CLP has only one shot in the locker called mandatory sentencing. The second push is this: Mandatory sentencing has not worked, crime is on the increase. The Leader of the Opposition says that is a true statement. Well, how does Labor explain the 15% drop in unlawful home entries last year? These are police figures, not mine. How do they explain the 15% drop in unlawful home entries last year? In 1998, unlawful home entries in the Territory were 3469. This fell 15% last year to 2947 and, as I said, these are actual police figures.
The third lie is this: Clare Martin has the team. Well excuse me, Clare Martin has the team. The magnificent seven. Is that a truthful statement when she could only convince 26% of the electorate in the Port Darwin by-election of the strength of that team? Not even a 1% increase in the last general election. Now they are 3 of the questions that are being asked in this poll. It is push-polling, that is my allegation and from an opposition who makes much of tabling things in this parliament so we can clear up misconceptions, I simply say: ‘Table the poll questions’. Table the poll questions in this House so that Territorians can look at those questions and judge for themselves whether or not a) they are truthful and, b) they are push-polling, because we will get an independent analyst to have a look at them and say is this push-polling or not.
They can laugh and scoff but this, as I said yesterday, demonstrates clearly the lack of substance, the lack of truthfulness, the lack of basic morality that comes from that side of the House. They come into this Chamber and make every effort to destroy the reputation of an innocent man, and yet at the same they can make allegations against the CLP for push-polling without one shred of evidence. I will give you straight evidence: ‘We, the Labor Party, are polling in the Northern Territory at the moment’. Clare Martin, Leader of the Opposition, says ‘Yes, these are the questions that are being asked, I have just given you some of them’. Clare Martin says they are true.
I simply ask, is this push-polling or not? Lay the questions out on the table and let us all see.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for her question. I raised the issue yesterday of push polling by the Labor Party. It is interesting that the Leader of the Opposition ...
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I find that allegation offensive. If he wants to accuse us of push polling, bring on a motion, because we have the evidence that they did it in 1994. He’s ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat! There is no point of order. Let’s hear ...
Mr Stirling: They can ...
Mr SPEAKER: No, hang on a minute. The Chief Minister has just stood to answer a question ...
Mr Stirling: And made an allegation against us.
Mr SPEAKER: ... he has not been given an opportunity yet to back up the accusation.
Mr Stirling: Oh, well, we will wait for the evidence.
Mr SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I am astounded by the outburst by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, one who calls for the production of documents in this parliament so that we will clarify perceptions and misconceptions that might be in the mind of the general public. Well, there is an easy way to clarify misconceptions. I make the allegation straight up. The Labor Party are push polling in the Northern Territory and they’re targeting their push polling against women.
The Leader of the Opposition, last night, and in the media, said firstly that Labor was responsible for that polling, tick, and secondly, said that they are not push polling, the questions that they are asking are truthful. The questions that have been put to me that are being asked are, firstly, the CLP has only one shot in the locker called mandatory sentencing. I ask a simple question: Is that a fact or isn’t it? Does anyone in the Northern Territory or in this House who understands the law and order policies and strategies of the Northern Territory truly believe that the only way we deal with law and order in the Northern Territory is with one shot in the locker called mandatory sentencing? It pays no regard to things like all of the efforts we have made with better parenting and positive parenting programs, and it is interesting to see the people in government have put extra money into that program. It pays no regard to school based constables, to the excellent domestic violence strategies we have in place in the Northern Territory, to the Aboriginal community police officers that have been in the Northern Territory for many years, and I can go on and on, including the many, many dollars that are part of the Living with Alcohol campaign that are targeted against crime and supervised by Corrections amongst others.
It is therefore the lie, the first lie, and the first push is this question, this statement: The CLP has only one shot in the locker called mandatory sentencing. The second push is this: Mandatory sentencing has not worked, crime is on the increase. The Leader of the Opposition says that is a true statement. Well, how does Labor explain the 15% drop in unlawful home entries last year? These are police figures, not mine. How do they explain the 15% drop in unlawful home entries last year? In 1998, unlawful home entries in the Territory were 3469. This fell 15% last year to 2947 and, as I said, these are actual police figures.
The third lie is this: Clare Martin has the team. Well excuse me, Clare Martin has the team. The magnificent seven. Is that a truthful statement when she could only convince 26% of the electorate in the Port Darwin by-election of the strength of that team? Not even a 1% increase in the last general election. Now they are 3 of the questions that are being asked in this poll. It is push-polling, that is my allegation and from an opposition who makes much of tabling things in this parliament so we can clear up misconceptions, I simply say: ‘Table the poll questions’. Table the poll questions in this House so that Territorians can look at those questions and judge for themselves whether or not a) they are truthful and, b) they are push-polling, because we will get an independent analyst to have a look at them and say is this push-polling or not.
They can laugh and scoff but this, as I said yesterday, demonstrates clearly the lack of substance, the lack of truthfulness, the lack of basic morality that comes from that side of the House. They come into this Chamber and make every effort to destroy the reputation of an innocent man, and yet at the same they can make allegations against the CLP for push-polling without one shred of evidence. I will give you straight evidence: ‘We, the Labor Party, are polling in the Northern Territory at the moment’. Clare Martin, Leader of the Opposition, says ‘Yes, these are the questions that are being asked, I have just given you some of them’. Clare Martin says they are true.
I simply ask, is this push-polling or not? Lay the questions out on the table and let us all see.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016