Mrs HICKEY - 1998-11-26
I seek leave to table a copy of a letter to the Territory government from the research company the government engaged.
Leave granted.
Mrs HICKEY: I would like the attendant to take a copy to the Chief Minister so that he can see this as I read the question.
The final pages of the documentation lists the topics the Country Liberals wanted researched. They include: how Territorians will decide their vote at the next Territory election; the views of Territorians on the credibility of the Country Liberal Party leader and his rivals; whether Territorians think the Country Liberal Party is old, tired, and poor at economic management and arrogant.
Does the Chief Minister agree that it is corrupt for the government to pay for research that is clearly done for the sole benefit of the Country Liberal Party?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I would be a little surprised if the Labor Party didn’t ask similar questions about themselves when it undertakes research.
But to return to the original document tabled in this House by the Leader of the Opposition, what she didn’t read out, and perhaps that was just very convenient on her part, was that there is a clear differentiation between research that is to be done by government as opposed to research that is to be done by the CLP organisation.
I will read this for the benefit of people listening to this broadcast, and these are the usual tricks that the Labor Party gets up to. It selectively quotes from documents. Mark Textor, having made the observation to undertake the task in quantifying it, says:
I would recommend that:
(1) the government commission such a survey on the perceptions of the NT government (not party), it’s policies, projects and performance;
(2) the CLP commission a second survey on its image, perceptions etc of the parliamentary wing and candidates, election results to date, and performance of the party.
In other words, the memorandum makes the clear distinction between the two, rather than wrapping it up into one.
Now you have handed me a letter addressed from Brian Sweeney and Associates to one Andrew Coward inviting him to meet in Sydney to discuss a range of questions. You can ask me all the questions that you want about what I’ve ever done as a minister and what I’ve ever done as Chief Minister, and I say to all of your grubby allegations, in terms of my time in this parliament and as Chief Minister, that they are untrue. They are totally false. It is time that you either put up, or you shut up, because you are not doing very well so far. All you are doing is blurring the lines. Let Territorians know that all this pre-dates my election to the Legislative Assembly.
Leave granted.
Mrs HICKEY: I would like the attendant to take a copy to the Chief Minister so that he can see this as I read the question.
The final pages of the documentation lists the topics the Country Liberals wanted researched. They include: how Territorians will decide their vote at the next Territory election; the views of Territorians on the credibility of the Country Liberal Party leader and his rivals; whether Territorians think the Country Liberal Party is old, tired, and poor at economic management and arrogant.
Does the Chief Minister agree that it is corrupt for the government to pay for research that is clearly done for the sole benefit of the Country Liberal Party?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I would be a little surprised if the Labor Party didn’t ask similar questions about themselves when it undertakes research.
But to return to the original document tabled in this House by the Leader of the Opposition, what she didn’t read out, and perhaps that was just very convenient on her part, was that there is a clear differentiation between research that is to be done by government as opposed to research that is to be done by the CLP organisation.
I will read this for the benefit of people listening to this broadcast, and these are the usual tricks that the Labor Party gets up to. It selectively quotes from documents. Mark Textor, having made the observation to undertake the task in quantifying it, says:
I would recommend that:
(1) the government commission such a survey on the perceptions of the NT government (not party), it’s policies, projects and performance;
(2) the CLP commission a second survey on its image, perceptions etc of the parliamentary wing and candidates, election results to date, and performance of the party.
In other words, the memorandum makes the clear distinction between the two, rather than wrapping it up into one.
Now you have handed me a letter addressed from Brian Sweeney and Associates to one Andrew Coward inviting him to meet in Sydney to discuss a range of questions. You can ask me all the questions that you want about what I’ve ever done as a minister and what I’ve ever done as Chief Minister, and I say to all of your grubby allegations, in terms of my time in this parliament and as Chief Minister, that they are untrue. They are totally false. It is time that you either put up, or you shut up, because you are not doing very well so far. All you are doing is blurring the lines. Let Territorians know that all this pre-dates my election to the Legislative Assembly.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016