Mrs HICKEY - 1998-11-26
I refer the Chief Minister to the previous question and I seek leave to table a copy of a memorandum to the now Chief Minister, Shane Stone, and other Country Liberal operatives, under the signature of Mark Textor.
Leave granted.
Mr Stone: We would like to see a copy of it, please.
Mrs HICKEY: I’ll ask the attendant to take a copy directly to the Chief Minister so that he may see it as I ask the question. The memo reads in part:
To win the Territory election a coordinated research program is absolutely essential.
The memo says that the Country Liberal Party needs a research plan to respond, exploit and manipulate public opinion. Will the Chief Minister, Shane Stone, tell the House how he put into action this plan ‘to win the Territory election’? Will the Chief Minister now confirm this plan involved the Chief Minister, Andrew Coward and Mark Textor, using taxpayers’ money to purchase voter opinion research for the Country Liberal Party?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a memo addressed to me when I was Party President, not Chief Minister, let alone even elected. It was years ago. I was not even elected. I can’t even find the bits that you read. This is a memo to the management committee of the then CLP from a research consultant that simply says if you are going to win the next election, you have to win the hearts and the minds of Territorians.
A member: And we did.
Mr STONE: And we did. I was elected that year, I am very proud to say.
Leave granted.
Mr Stone: We would like to see a copy of it, please.
Mrs HICKEY: I’ll ask the attendant to take a copy directly to the Chief Minister so that he may see it as I ask the question. The memo reads in part:
To win the Territory election a coordinated research program is absolutely essential.
The memo says that the Country Liberal Party needs a research plan to respond, exploit and manipulate public opinion. Will the Chief Minister, Shane Stone, tell the House how he put into action this plan ‘to win the Territory election’? Will the Chief Minister now confirm this plan involved the Chief Minister, Andrew Coward and Mark Textor, using taxpayers’ money to purchase voter opinion research for the Country Liberal Party?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a memo addressed to me when I was Party President, not Chief Minister, let alone even elected. It was years ago. I was not even elected. I can’t even find the bits that you read. This is a memo to the management committee of the then CLP from a research consultant that simply says if you are going to win the next election, you have to win the hearts and the minds of Territorians.
A member: And we did.
Mr STONE: And we did. I was elected that year, I am very proud to say.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016