Mr STIRLING - 1999-02-25
In November 1997, the minister travelled to Sydney and purchased two X-rated gay pornographic videos, ‘Hot Firemen’ and ‘Highway Hunks’. Later, he claimed these were for his research into the male age of consent. Tomorrow he travels to Sydney again. This visit coincides with the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Can the minister tell the House what research materials he hopes to pick up this time?
A member: Been down to Maurice’s office lately?
ANSWER
Yeah, you wouldn’t be able to watch in Maurice’s office. Someone stole the fridge and the TV and all that sort of stuff.
Mr Speaker,I have long taken a stance against the sorts of issues that the member has referred to. The word ‘research’, I think, in relation to that was one that was applied by them.
A member: It was your excuse.
Mr REED: The difference between you and me is that I have the intestinal fortitude to stand up and espouse the views that I hold, and in doing so to hopefully protect the kids of this country from the sorts of behaviour we wouldn’t want to have ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: ... them confronted with.
But in relation to my travelling to Sydney tomorrow - I’ll be going to Katherine tomorrow. I’ll be spending the weekend in Katherine. That will be in my electorate. The member for Arnhem will be in the comfort of the northern suburbs, 500 kilometres away from his electorate. So, that’s where I’ll be over the weekend. Any fanciful suggestion that I’ll be elsewhere, other than in Katherine tomorrow, is just a figment of the imagination of the member for Nhulunbuy.
The gutter that he wants to crawl around in, along with his other 6 colleagues - keep in the gutter, that’s fine. Because as you’ve heard today - land release, industrial land release, residential land release, $3m for housing - but they are in the gutter. They are the possessors of the only person in this House who has been through the courts for stealing government property. They are the only ones who have a member who has priors proven by the legal system, and a leader who can’t represent the facts in any meaningful or factual way. It is the Labor Party that has to answer to Territorians.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: It’s them that have to talk to Territorians about their integrity. It was the Leader of the Opposition, at the commencement of these sittings, who said she was out of the Parliamentary Members’ Superannuation Scheme. That was her commitment on Tuesday of last week. She was out of the scheme. ‘Give me the form’, she said, ‘I’m going over to the NT Super office’.
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: If you are the one of purity and honesty, keep your commitment.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Burke: Maggie, have you signed up? Where’s your form?
Mr REED: Maggie, of course, the member for Barkly, the former Leader of the Opposition, if anything went wrong with her, she told Bridget. It was poor old Bridget who had to deal with it when anything went wrong with Maggie.
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: They’ve all got their own problems. But the worst one, the worst case, is a man who can’t even live in his electorate, can’t even live within 500 kilometers of his electorate, he has to live in the northern suburbs because he hasn’t got the energy or the commitment to get out and to talk to people in his electorate and to represent them effectively in this House. So, stay in the government scheme. I haven’t got a problem with it. It’s you who has to answer to Territorians.
The government will cater for Territorians, providing jobs, releasing land, enabling people to invest in the Territory and buy a house. You stay out of government, we’ll look after Territorians.
A member: Been down to Maurice’s office lately?
ANSWER
Yeah, you wouldn’t be able to watch in Maurice’s office. Someone stole the fridge and the TV and all that sort of stuff.
Mr Speaker,I have long taken a stance against the sorts of issues that the member has referred to. The word ‘research’, I think, in relation to that was one that was applied by them.
A member: It was your excuse.
Mr REED: The difference between you and me is that I have the intestinal fortitude to stand up and espouse the views that I hold, and in doing so to hopefully protect the kids of this country from the sorts of behaviour we wouldn’t want to have ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: ... them confronted with.
But in relation to my travelling to Sydney tomorrow - I’ll be going to Katherine tomorrow. I’ll be spending the weekend in Katherine. That will be in my electorate. The member for Arnhem will be in the comfort of the northern suburbs, 500 kilometres away from his electorate. So, that’s where I’ll be over the weekend. Any fanciful suggestion that I’ll be elsewhere, other than in Katherine tomorrow, is just a figment of the imagination of the member for Nhulunbuy.
The gutter that he wants to crawl around in, along with his other 6 colleagues - keep in the gutter, that’s fine. Because as you’ve heard today - land release, industrial land release, residential land release, $3m for housing - but they are in the gutter. They are the possessors of the only person in this House who has been through the courts for stealing government property. They are the only ones who have a member who has priors proven by the legal system, and a leader who can’t represent the facts in any meaningful or factual way. It is the Labor Party that has to answer to Territorians.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: It’s them that have to talk to Territorians about their integrity. It was the Leader of the Opposition, at the commencement of these sittings, who said she was out of the Parliamentary Members’ Superannuation Scheme. That was her commitment on Tuesday of last week. She was out of the scheme. ‘Give me the form’, she said, ‘I’m going over to the NT Super office’.
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: If you are the one of purity and honesty, keep your commitment.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Burke: Maggie, have you signed up? Where’s your form?
Mr REED: Maggie, of course, the member for Barkly, the former Leader of the Opposition, if anything went wrong with her, she told Bridget. It was poor old Bridget who had to deal with it when anything went wrong with Maggie.
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: They’ve all got their own problems. But the worst one, the worst case, is a man who can’t even live in his electorate, can’t even live within 500 kilometers of his electorate, he has to live in the northern suburbs because he hasn’t got the energy or the commitment to get out and to talk to people in his electorate and to represent them effectively in this House. So, stay in the government scheme. I haven’t got a problem with it. It’s you who has to answer to Territorians.
The government will cater for Territorians, providing jobs, releasing land, enabling people to invest in the Territory and buy a house. You stay out of government, we’ll look after Territorians.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016