Ms MARTIN - 2001-07-04
The Country Liberal Party has long been members of the Liberal Coalition in Canberra. The military-style ambush on Senator Tambling smacks of personal retribution. To demonstrate your good faith, will you ensure all future CLP representatives, including the one who will replace Grant Tambling, are not members of the Coalition and will sit as independents? If not, are you simply having a bet each way, shafting Tambling personally for keeping CLP representatives in the federal Coalition with John Howard?
ANSWER
I will just correct the Leader of the Opposition, that is that the CLP is not a member of the Coalition. We cooperate with both the Liberal and National Parties equally and we disagree with them strongly from time to time. One thing that the Country Liberal Party stands close to is Territorians. The thing that the CLP holds firmly to itself is the independence of Territorians to make their own laws for the benefit of themselves and does not like intrusion on that independence.
Whilst we believe that the Howard government is the best government for Australia and should be the government that is elected to further govern Australia for the next federal election, we do not care whether it is a Howard government, any Coalition government or a Labor government. If they trod on the independence of Territorians to make their own rules, then we will stand up firmly for Territorians and we will ensure that our voice is heard. We have stood up before on these issues, and the voice has been heard. On this particular issue, it is a clear demonstration that in the case of the Country Liberal Party, it acts decisively and it acts independently. That is something that you lot on the other side could never claim.
ANSWER
I will just correct the Leader of the Opposition, that is that the CLP is not a member of the Coalition. We cooperate with both the Liberal and National Parties equally and we disagree with them strongly from time to time. One thing that the Country Liberal Party stands close to is Territorians. The thing that the CLP holds firmly to itself is the independence of Territorians to make their own laws for the benefit of themselves and does not like intrusion on that independence.
Whilst we believe that the Howard government is the best government for Australia and should be the government that is elected to further govern Australia for the next federal election, we do not care whether it is a Howard government, any Coalition government or a Labor government. If they trod on the independence of Territorians to make their own rules, then we will stand up firmly for Territorians and we will ensure that our voice is heard. We have stood up before on these issues, and the voice has been heard. On this particular issue, it is a clear demonstration that in the case of the Country Liberal Party, it acts decisively and it acts independently. That is something that you lot on the other side could never claim.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016