Ms MARTIN - 1999-06-03
I refer the Chief Minister to his statement outlining his vision for the Territory’s future. Why doesn’t Territory statehood rate a mention as a foundation for the Territory’s future in this enormously glossy brochure?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the reason it doesn’t rate a mention in any CLP platform for the future is because the answer is self-evident. It would be a waste of space putting it in there, because it’s been the Northern Territory government’s – the CLP – policy – interminably; that is, to push vigorously for statehood. With regards to my position on the issue of statehood, I can say that if you refer back to ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr BURKE: The extent of the Leader of the Opposition’s contribution is to keep waving around the information sheet. Why don’t you read the speech? You might get the context of what the whole platform ...
Ms Martin: You did not mention statehood.
Mr Stirling: You didn’t talk about it.
Ms Martin: I’m asking you about statehood.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: The question with regards to statehood is this. If you go back to the first statement I made as Chief Minister, I said: ‘But we have one last step to take, that is statehood. But this time we must listen, we must confer, we must educate, we must make it understandable, we must give every Territorian a chance to be involved. That’s the way this Chief Minister will progress to statehood’.
One might again ask why they ask the question because if I gave some manifesto on how statehood would be progressed in the Northern Territory, the first thing the Leader of the Opposition would do would run out there and say that Burke is trying to take control of the process. Burke is ignoring Territorians. I do have respect for the process of this parliament and that item, the parliamentary committee’s report on statehood, is listed for debate in this parliament …
Mr Bailey: When?
Mr BURKE: And when it comes - well the only reason it’s not up for debate this sitting - the member for Wanguri says ‘when’ as if somehow the Chief Minister is holding this debate back.
Mr Bailey: What do you think is?
Mr BURKE: The only reason it is not up for debate in this …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr BURKE: … sittings is that there is a process to be gone through. Not only the eventual process …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr BURKE: It will come up probably next sittings because when this government debates the parliamentary committee’s report, it will be debated in a considered way and the position of this government will be well and truly placed on the table at that stage.
But if the member for Wanguri, and I might add other members of the parliamentary committee, believe that because they have laid a report on the table that that itself is the only sign post on statehood to the future, my suggestion is to think again. First of all, let’s just figure out how this parliament sees statehood being progressed. And let’s also be very sure that as we do progress at this time, that we carry Territorians with us. In terms of the general issue of statehood …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Would the Chief Minister resume his seat. The member for Wanguri is once again going over the top with interjections. As I’ve said many times before, short, sharp interjection is acceptable, but the continual interjection which we’re hearing, which is making it very difficult to hear the answer to the question, is just not acceptable, and he is on a warning.
Mr BURKE: In terms of the general issue of statehood, Territorians have an appointment with statehood. It’s an appointment that’s been pursued for 100 years. It is certainly something that I, as Chief Minister and this government, will continue to vigorously seek to achieve. If I fail as Chief Minister in achieving statehood during my tenure others will come behind me and they will achieve it. But this government will always pursue at the top of our agenda the issue of statehood. It is self evident. That’s why its not in Foundations For Our Future.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the reason it doesn’t rate a mention in any CLP platform for the future is because the answer is self-evident. It would be a waste of space putting it in there, because it’s been the Northern Territory government’s – the CLP – policy – interminably; that is, to push vigorously for statehood. With regards to my position on the issue of statehood, I can say that if you refer back to ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr BURKE: The extent of the Leader of the Opposition’s contribution is to keep waving around the information sheet. Why don’t you read the speech? You might get the context of what the whole platform ...
Ms Martin: You did not mention statehood.
Mr Stirling: You didn’t talk about it.
Ms Martin: I’m asking you about statehood.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: The question with regards to statehood is this. If you go back to the first statement I made as Chief Minister, I said: ‘But we have one last step to take, that is statehood. But this time we must listen, we must confer, we must educate, we must make it understandable, we must give every Territorian a chance to be involved. That’s the way this Chief Minister will progress to statehood’.
One might again ask why they ask the question because if I gave some manifesto on how statehood would be progressed in the Northern Territory, the first thing the Leader of the Opposition would do would run out there and say that Burke is trying to take control of the process. Burke is ignoring Territorians. I do have respect for the process of this parliament and that item, the parliamentary committee’s report on statehood, is listed for debate in this parliament …
Mr Bailey: When?
Mr BURKE: And when it comes - well the only reason it’s not up for debate this sitting - the member for Wanguri says ‘when’ as if somehow the Chief Minister is holding this debate back.
Mr Bailey: What do you think is?
Mr BURKE: The only reason it is not up for debate in this …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr BURKE: … sittings is that there is a process to be gone through. Not only the eventual process …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr BURKE: It will come up probably next sittings because when this government debates the parliamentary committee’s report, it will be debated in a considered way and the position of this government will be well and truly placed on the table at that stage.
But if the member for Wanguri, and I might add other members of the parliamentary committee, believe that because they have laid a report on the table that that itself is the only sign post on statehood to the future, my suggestion is to think again. First of all, let’s just figure out how this parliament sees statehood being progressed. And let’s also be very sure that as we do progress at this time, that we carry Territorians with us. In terms of the general issue of statehood …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Would the Chief Minister resume his seat. The member for Wanguri is once again going over the top with interjections. As I’ve said many times before, short, sharp interjection is acceptable, but the continual interjection which we’re hearing, which is making it very difficult to hear the answer to the question, is just not acceptable, and he is on a warning.
Mr BURKE: In terms of the general issue of statehood, Territorians have an appointment with statehood. It’s an appointment that’s been pursued for 100 years. It is certainly something that I, as Chief Minister and this government, will continue to vigorously seek to achieve. If I fail as Chief Minister in achieving statehood during my tenure others will come behind me and they will achieve it. But this government will always pursue at the top of our agenda the issue of statehood. It is self evident. That’s why its not in Foundations For Our Future.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016