Ms MARTIN - 2000-05-18
On ABC Radio this morning the Chief Minister told an absolute lie about me. His second outright lie in 2 days …
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I believe that the Leader of the Opposition ought not make that comment in the context of Question Time. If she wishes to do that she should be moving a substantive motion, and as she’s not doing so I ask her to withdraw.
Ms MARTIN: I withdraw. Falsehood, untruth, desperate political ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Even by inference.
Ms MARTIN: It was the Chief Minister’s second outright mistruth, untruth, distortion in 2 days. Yesterday it was about Labor and self-government. This particular untruth claimed I voted ‘no’ in the statehood referendum. I voted ‘yes’ in the statehood referendum and I have stated that publicly.
Will the Chief Minister now take the opportunity in this Chamber to publicly withdraw the completely fabricated allegation that I voted ‘no’ to statehood, and apologise to me and my family?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I firstly say that the Leader of the Opposition uses the word ‘lie’ freely to build a case for what I imagine will be a censure motion that will come at some time during Question Time. I just wish us to understand what tactic she’s using.
With regards to the way she voted on statehood, one can only refer to what I have here, called press clippings, Clare Martin on life in Darwin dated 1 April 2000, and I’ll quote in full:
Clare Martin - Ms Martin, NT Leader of the Opposition talked about her life in Darwin since she came in 1983 for 6 months. Most of us knew her as an ABC journalist and broadcaster. She helped set up the first local current affairs program on radio before going to Canberra where she met her lawyer/ barrister husband and in time returned to Darwin. Their 2 children could not understand why their parents voted against statehood and thought it very peculiar. She tried to explain how they do want statehood, in time and in the right way.
That is the quote from a press clipping and I assume that quote to be true.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I believe that the Leader of the Opposition ought not make that comment in the context of Question Time. If she wishes to do that she should be moving a substantive motion, and as she’s not doing so I ask her to withdraw.
Ms MARTIN: I withdraw. Falsehood, untruth, desperate political ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Even by inference.
Ms MARTIN: It was the Chief Minister’s second outright mistruth, untruth, distortion in 2 days. Yesterday it was about Labor and self-government. This particular untruth claimed I voted ‘no’ in the statehood referendum. I voted ‘yes’ in the statehood referendum and I have stated that publicly.
Will the Chief Minister now take the opportunity in this Chamber to publicly withdraw the completely fabricated allegation that I voted ‘no’ to statehood, and apologise to me and my family?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I firstly say that the Leader of the Opposition uses the word ‘lie’ freely to build a case for what I imagine will be a censure motion that will come at some time during Question Time. I just wish us to understand what tactic she’s using.
With regards to the way she voted on statehood, one can only refer to what I have here, called press clippings, Clare Martin on life in Darwin dated 1 April 2000, and I’ll quote in full:
Clare Martin - Ms Martin, NT Leader of the Opposition talked about her life in Darwin since she came in 1983 for 6 months. Most of us knew her as an ABC journalist and broadcaster. She helped set up the first local current affairs program on radio before going to Canberra where she met her lawyer/ barrister husband and in time returned to Darwin. Their 2 children could not understand why their parents voted against statehood and thought it very peculiar. She tried to explain how they do want statehood, in time and in the right way.
That is the quote from a press clipping and I assume that quote to be true.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016