Mrs HICKEY - 1998-10-15
Madam Speaker, my question without notice is directed to the Chief Minister, and again I refer him to the earlier questions and his responses. He may have inadvertently misled this House in suggesting that the Leader of the Opposition both federally, and in this House, has possession of the document by Andrew Coward - ‘How it’s Done - Creating and Running a Clandestine Subsidy for the Country Liberal Party from Within a Government Department’. I told the Chief Minister that it is not in the possession of either leaders of the opposition in this House or in Canberra. I ask him if the Country Liberal Party has nothing to hide from this, and if Andrew Coward is making specious allegations, as he suggests, why doesn’t he table that document in this House, so that we can make up our own minds?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, before you start, Clerk, could I ask your advice? I believe there is a standing order about repetitive questions, I feel that this has already been answered in Question Time.
Honourable members because it is a slightly different question it can be asked, but I do warn the opposition that we don’t allow repetitive questions.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, my fax machine hasn’t stopped. It’s almost as though I have a direct line from Andrew Coward.
Mrs Hickey: What about this particular document.
Mr STONE: Well, when you say, ‘this particular document’, you seem to know a lot about it, and yet you claim you haven’t a copy of it.
Mrs Hickey: We haven’t.
Mr STONE: Now, I think you ‘protesteth’ a little bit too much. Now, I have called for the file from my office of all of the letters and the allegations that have been coming from Andrew Coward. As I have said before, this man never worked for me. Get it through your heads.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: I say this too, if the member for Wanguri would be quiet, he certainly never took instructions from me or any other minister. Understand that! He certainly never briefed other ministers ...
Mrs Hickey: Let’s just have a look at the allegations, and then we can make a judgment on it.
Mr STONE: When am I going to be given an opportunity so that Territorians can hear my answer, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: Members of the opposition, we are going through this every day. Now you ask a question, but you don’t give the minister a chance to answer! Let us have fewer interruptions please.
Mr STONE: As I have said, I have called for the file and I will have a look at it to see whether this is the document that you claim it to be - I take it that you are conceding that this is a document prepared by the accuser, Andrew Coward, himself?
Mrs Hickey: I said that.
Mr STONE: It is hardly a document prepared by government but can I just ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr STONE: Can you help yourself?
Ms Martin: I am trying to help you, Shane, I am trying to help you.
Mr STONE: If commentators have a genuine interest in this matter, can I refer them back to every budget debate in the last 4 years where the Leader of the Opposition, Mrs Hickey, or her predecessor, Mr Ede, have asked me questions about polling and how much was spent and what the polling was done on. On each and every occasion a fulsome and truthful answer has been given.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr STONE: Well the member for Fannie Bay can cough and splutter but the facts are that they are fulsome and honest answers. If the opposition believes that I have systematically mislead this House and Territorians over the last 4 years on the nature of polling that has been done and how much has been paid and to which companies, then I invite them to move a censure motion. I will answer the allegations, but it is time that they either put up or they shut up. I do not consider the ramblings of a man who never worked for me to have some sort of magical nomenclature.
I saw this man on his way the moment I became Chief Minister. Do not have any illusions about this. He never worked for me.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, before you start, Clerk, could I ask your advice? I believe there is a standing order about repetitive questions, I feel that this has already been answered in Question Time.
Honourable members because it is a slightly different question it can be asked, but I do warn the opposition that we don’t allow repetitive questions.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, my fax machine hasn’t stopped. It’s almost as though I have a direct line from Andrew Coward.
Mrs Hickey: What about this particular document.
Mr STONE: Well, when you say, ‘this particular document’, you seem to know a lot about it, and yet you claim you haven’t a copy of it.
Mrs Hickey: We haven’t.
Mr STONE: Now, I think you ‘protesteth’ a little bit too much. Now, I have called for the file from my office of all of the letters and the allegations that have been coming from Andrew Coward. As I have said before, this man never worked for me. Get it through your heads.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: I say this too, if the member for Wanguri would be quiet, he certainly never took instructions from me or any other minister. Understand that! He certainly never briefed other ministers ...
Mrs Hickey: Let’s just have a look at the allegations, and then we can make a judgment on it.
Mr STONE: When am I going to be given an opportunity so that Territorians can hear my answer, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: Members of the opposition, we are going through this every day. Now you ask a question, but you don’t give the minister a chance to answer! Let us have fewer interruptions please.
Mr STONE: As I have said, I have called for the file and I will have a look at it to see whether this is the document that you claim it to be - I take it that you are conceding that this is a document prepared by the accuser, Andrew Coward, himself?
Mrs Hickey: I said that.
Mr STONE: It is hardly a document prepared by government but can I just ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr STONE: Can you help yourself?
Ms Martin: I am trying to help you, Shane, I am trying to help you.
Mr STONE: If commentators have a genuine interest in this matter, can I refer them back to every budget debate in the last 4 years where the Leader of the Opposition, Mrs Hickey, or her predecessor, Mr Ede, have asked me questions about polling and how much was spent and what the polling was done on. On each and every occasion a fulsome and truthful answer has been given.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr STONE: Well the member for Fannie Bay can cough and splutter but the facts are that they are fulsome and honest answers. If the opposition believes that I have systematically mislead this House and Territorians over the last 4 years on the nature of polling that has been done and how much has been paid and to which companies, then I invite them to move a censure motion. I will answer the allegations, but it is time that they either put up or they shut up. I do not consider the ramblings of a man who never worked for me to have some sort of magical nomenclature.
I saw this man on his way the moment I became Chief Minister. Do not have any illusions about this. He never worked for me.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016