Mr BAILEY - 1998-02-26
The member for Nightcliff said on radio today of the Chief Minister: 'I think he is trying to maintain a personal control over the whole event and have it come out in a model approved by Shane Stone'. He also said: 'The Chief Minister is frightened to trust the people with the Northern Territory's constitution'. Does the Chief Minister agree?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the people who now rise in defence of the member for Nightcliff are the very same ones who were trying to deprive him of his seat. They are a bunch of phoneys and frauds. The member for Nightcliff is a big boy who is quite capable of standing up for himself and putting forward a point of view. I am not even going to be in the Statehood Convention.
Mr Bailey: You are just pulling the strings.
Mr STONE: I will pick up the interjection. I am sure that all the organisations that are electing the 27 elected delegates would take grave exception to the allegation that they are being manipulated and controlled by little old me. I am flattered that members opposite seem to think that I have such power, when I will not even be on the floor of the Statehood Convention.
Page 6
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri continues to interject. Can he perhaps explain how I could possibly control the delegates from the land councils and ATSIC, for example, who will be in attendance? Can members opposite give a clear and coherent explanation as to how I would possibly control the 4 Territory community representatives of the 28 who offered themselves for election? This is absolutely absurd.
Mrs Hickey: You are not prepared to let the ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, I have spoken to you previously. You continually interject. Your colleague asked a question of the Chief Minister and, as soon as he begins to answer, off you go.
Mr STONE: That is because they do not want the people listening to the broadcast to hear the answers. There is a parallel with what is happening here, and I hope Territorians understand it. This is exactly what the Labor Party did in the federal parliament to try to derail the constitutional convention on the republic. In fact, it used its numbers right through to the Senate to try to cause a train wreck. I put the Labor Party on notice that it will not wreck the Statehood Convention. It may have tried to stop Territorians gaining self-government, but it will never stop Territorians gaining statehood.
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the people who now rise in defence of the member for Nightcliff are the very same ones who were trying to deprive him of his seat. They are a bunch of phoneys and frauds. The member for Nightcliff is a big boy who is quite capable of standing up for himself and putting forward a point of view. I am not even going to be in the Statehood Convention.
Mr Bailey: You are just pulling the strings.
Mr STONE: I will pick up the interjection. I am sure that all the organisations that are electing the 27 elected delegates would take grave exception to the allegation that they are being manipulated and controlled by little old me. I am flattered that members opposite seem to think that I have such power, when I will not even be on the floor of the Statehood Convention.
Page 6
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri continues to interject. Can he perhaps explain how I could possibly control the delegates from the land councils and ATSIC, for example, who will be in attendance? Can members opposite give a clear and coherent explanation as to how I would possibly control the 4 Territory community representatives of the 28 who offered themselves for election? This is absolutely absurd.
Mrs Hickey: You are not prepared to let the ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, I have spoken to you previously. You continually interject. Your colleague asked a question of the Chief Minister and, as soon as he begins to answer, off you go.
Mr STONE: That is because they do not want the people listening to the broadcast to hear the answers. There is a parallel with what is happening here, and I hope Territorians understand it. This is exactly what the Labor Party did in the federal parliament to try to derail the constitutional convention on the republic. In fact, it used its numbers right through to the Senate to try to cause a train wreck. I put the Labor Party on notice that it will not wreck the Statehood Convention. It may have tried to stop Territorians gaining self-government, but it will never stop Territorians gaining statehood.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016