Mrs HICKEY - 1998-11-26
I seek leave to table a copy of the research report prepared by Brian Sweeney and Associates for the Territory government.
Leave granted.
Mrs HICKEY: Will the Chief Minister explain why the public servants who approved the expenditure for this research were not told that the research company chosen to do the polling was selected and briefed by the Country Liberal Party before the government officers became involved; were not told that the researcher only sought the views of white Territorians and swinging voters; and were not told that the Country Liberal Party report, which was 21 pages longer than the government’s report, would be paid for by taxpayers? Will the Chief Minister now admit he masterminded and put into place a plan to hide the truth from public servants which led them to approve $35 540 of expenditure for the Country Liberal Party’s research?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I must be an evil genius. She is asking me about things that I know nothing about. You are asking me about things that pre-date my time even as a member of the government, let alone as the Chief Minister. Your greatest source of authority is an absolute madman called Andrew Coward, who delighted in writing himself little notes, and building little conspiracies around the place, and in all of this, you produce nothing from me, even as party president, and you produce nothing from the Chief Minister of the day, Marshall Perron.
Now, if you have something that ties me, or Marshall Perron, or anyone in government, then no doubt we will hear about it. But do not give me stuff that is quoting Andrew Coward. Andrew Coward is a man I removed the day I became Chief Minister, and this is exactly the reason I removed him. I did not trust him. I did not like the games he played. I did not like the little conspiracies that he used to cook up, up on the fifth floor. He was a madman, and this is the evidence of it.
Leave granted.
Mrs HICKEY: Will the Chief Minister explain why the public servants who approved the expenditure for this research were not told that the research company chosen to do the polling was selected and briefed by the Country Liberal Party before the government officers became involved; were not told that the researcher only sought the views of white Territorians and swinging voters; and were not told that the Country Liberal Party report, which was 21 pages longer than the government’s report, would be paid for by taxpayers? Will the Chief Minister now admit he masterminded and put into place a plan to hide the truth from public servants which led them to approve $35 540 of expenditure for the Country Liberal Party’s research?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I must be an evil genius. She is asking me about things that I know nothing about. You are asking me about things that pre-date my time even as a member of the government, let alone as the Chief Minister. Your greatest source of authority is an absolute madman called Andrew Coward, who delighted in writing himself little notes, and building little conspiracies around the place, and in all of this, you produce nothing from me, even as party president, and you produce nothing from the Chief Minister of the day, Marshall Perron.
Now, if you have something that ties me, or Marshall Perron, or anyone in government, then no doubt we will hear about it. But do not give me stuff that is quoting Andrew Coward. Andrew Coward is a man I removed the day I became Chief Minister, and this is exactly the reason I removed him. I did not trust him. I did not like the games he played. I did not like the little conspiracies that he used to cook up, up on the fifth floor. He was a madman, and this is the evidence of it.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016