Mr MITCHELL - 1997-12-04
Is it true that the Labor Party’s union arm in the Territory wants all government trade delegations between the Territory and Indonesia to stop? What would the ramifications of this be for our Territory business community?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a confidential document that was leaked to us on this matter. It comes from what there is of a trade union movement in the Territory, given that most Territorians have had the brains to stay away from the union movement. This has to be one of the most extraordinary letters that I have ever received. It is signed for and behalf of Hugh Crawford, president of the Northern Territory Trades and Labor Council and, as I understand it, a leading Labor identity in the Northern Territory. The letter says:
Chief Minister, re Atrocities in East Timor.
The Labor Council, at its November meeting, discussed the continuing
human rights abuses being inflicted on the East Timorese people by
Indonesia’s Suharto government. The discussion was prompted by a
display of photographs in Darwin Mall on the recent anniversary of the
Santa Cruz massacre. The photos were shocking in their subject matter,
depicting East Timorese civilians who had been subjected to various
forms of torture and mutilated by Indonesian troops.
A resolution was supported unanimously by delegates to call for the
suspension of any future taxpayer-funded trade delegations between the
Northern Territory and Indonesia, subject to the outcome of a full and open
investigation of the circumstances of these latest atrocities.
Please indicate to the Labor Council office an appropriate time to meet
and discuss the council’s position.
Perhaps I should indicate when I will be meeting with the Trades and Labor Council to discuss this nonsense. Never!
I have monitored East Timor very closely. Unlike some members opposite, who purport to be experts, I have been there on numerous occasions. I have an enormous sympathy for the East Timorese in their current plight. I have conveyed that to my Indonesian counterparts, and I have done it fearlessly and without any difficulty. I am very proud of the contribution that the East Timorese community has made in the Territory. I understand what has occurred in East Timor. I have urged Indonesian authorities and government officials and ministers to consider why a process of normalisation cannot at least be tried in the province because it would make for a better environment for everybody concerned.
If the Trades and Labor Council believes for one moment that the way to go about this would be for us to suspend all trade delegations to Indonesia, then I am sorry. That is absolute nonsense.
Mr Bailey: Well, go and tell them that.
Mr STONE: Indonesia is one of our largest trading partners. If you want to continue to exercise some influence, you keep the doors open. You keep talking to people.
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Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri interjects because he says he supports this. He takes that view and he has been out there ...
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister is quite clearly lying about my saying that I support that letter. I have said nothing of the sort.
Madam SPEAKER: I ask the Chief Minister to withdraw the remark.
Mr STONE: I withdraw, Madam Speaker. However, I will say that the member for Wanguri is less than helpful when members of the government try at least to argue the case for normalisation. He is out there on his own because he has this skew-whiff idea in his mind that the solution is confrontation and continued ...
Mr Bailey: No, I have never ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: ... denigration of our trading partners.
Mr Bailey: I have spoken at East Timorese rallies where I have supported continued negotiation with Indonesia. Do not lie about my activities.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri, I take it that you have read my letter of the other day? Good. Well, take note of it.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Do not interrupt while I am speaking. You are on a warning.
Mr STONE: As I said at the outset, I have an enormous degree of sympathy for the East Timorese people. I have worked tirelessly to try to address some of their concerns. This government has been very pro-active in a number of programs, including the combined malaria/tuberculosis research program that we put in place through the Menzies School of Health Research. We have facilitated a number of scholarships at Territory schools to help with children being educated here and we have also assisted Lafaek in its cultural camp and in the teaching of the Timorese language. The more I meet with the representatives of their community, the less I believe that even they would suggest for one moment that the Northern Territory should turn its back on one of its largest trading partners. It would be nice to see the Labor Party stand up from time to time and endorse the position.
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a confidential document that was leaked to us on this matter. It comes from what there is of a trade union movement in the Territory, given that most Territorians have had the brains to stay away from the union movement. This has to be one of the most extraordinary letters that I have ever received. It is signed for and behalf of Hugh Crawford, president of the Northern Territory Trades and Labor Council and, as I understand it, a leading Labor identity in the Northern Territory. The letter says:
Chief Minister, re Atrocities in East Timor.
The Labor Council, at its November meeting, discussed the continuing
human rights abuses being inflicted on the East Timorese people by
Indonesia’s Suharto government. The discussion was prompted by a
display of photographs in Darwin Mall on the recent anniversary of the
Santa Cruz massacre. The photos were shocking in their subject matter,
depicting East Timorese civilians who had been subjected to various
forms of torture and mutilated by Indonesian troops.
A resolution was supported unanimously by delegates to call for the
suspension of any future taxpayer-funded trade delegations between the
Northern Territory and Indonesia, subject to the outcome of a full and open
investigation of the circumstances of these latest atrocities.
Please indicate to the Labor Council office an appropriate time to meet
and discuss the council’s position.
Perhaps I should indicate when I will be meeting with the Trades and Labor Council to discuss this nonsense. Never!
I have monitored East Timor very closely. Unlike some members opposite, who purport to be experts, I have been there on numerous occasions. I have an enormous sympathy for the East Timorese in their current plight. I have conveyed that to my Indonesian counterparts, and I have done it fearlessly and without any difficulty. I am very proud of the contribution that the East Timorese community has made in the Territory. I understand what has occurred in East Timor. I have urged Indonesian authorities and government officials and ministers to consider why a process of normalisation cannot at least be tried in the province because it would make for a better environment for everybody concerned.
If the Trades and Labor Council believes for one moment that the way to go about this would be for us to suspend all trade delegations to Indonesia, then I am sorry. That is absolute nonsense.
Mr Bailey: Well, go and tell them that.
Mr STONE: Indonesia is one of our largest trading partners. If you want to continue to exercise some influence, you keep the doors open. You keep talking to people.
Page 65
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri interjects because he says he supports this. He takes that view and he has been out there ...
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister is quite clearly lying about my saying that I support that letter. I have said nothing of the sort.
Madam SPEAKER: I ask the Chief Minister to withdraw the remark.
Mr STONE: I withdraw, Madam Speaker. However, I will say that the member for Wanguri is less than helpful when members of the government try at least to argue the case for normalisation. He is out there on his own because he has this skew-whiff idea in his mind that the solution is confrontation and continued ...
Mr Bailey: No, I have never ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: ... denigration of our trading partners.
Mr Bailey: I have spoken at East Timorese rallies where I have supported continued negotiation with Indonesia. Do not lie about my activities.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri, I take it that you have read my letter of the other day? Good. Well, take note of it.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Do not interrupt while I am speaking. You are on a warning.
Mr STONE: As I said at the outset, I have an enormous degree of sympathy for the East Timorese people. I have worked tirelessly to try to address some of their concerns. This government has been very pro-active in a number of programs, including the combined malaria/tuberculosis research program that we put in place through the Menzies School of Health Research. We have facilitated a number of scholarships at Territory schools to help with children being educated here and we have also assisted Lafaek in its cultural camp and in the teaching of the Timorese language. The more I meet with the representatives of their community, the less I believe that even they would suggest for one moment that the Northern Territory should turn its back on one of its largest trading partners. It would be nice to see the Labor Party stand up from time to time and endorse the position.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016