Mrs HICKEY - 1998-02-26
Is it a fact that the member for Nightcliff, who has been the Country Liberal Party's constitutional statesman for 12 years, has today committed political suicide in order to expose you as a political thug? Hasn't the member for Nightcliff exposed the fact that you are trying to hijack the Territory's move to statehood for your own short-term political purposes?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I listened to what the member for Nightcliff had to say and I take that in part to be a response to the advertisements that have appeared for people who want to play a part in the constitutional convention to have their say.
Mr Bailey: You gave Slugg a position on it, and he knows nothing. He couldn't even spell 'constitutional convention'.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I pick up the interjection from the member for Wanguri. No one gave anyone anything. Positions are elected. I assume that the member for Wanguri and the member for Arnhem, being the ALP-nominated delegates to the Statehood Convention, were elected by their party room. In a similar vein, 2 of our number were elected.
The member for Nightcliff has indicated that he would like to establish a group that can have input and will lobby those delegates who will participate in the convention. That is entirely consistent with the marketing campaign that is currently being conducted to ensure that as many people as possible can have their say.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, it is ironic that today we will pass a resolution marking the 50th anniversary of the first meeting of the Legislative Council. It is almost as though history repeats itself because it was, in fact, the Labor side of politics in the Northern Territory that sought to sabotage self-government. In fact, it was Labor that went out and campaigned against self-government. Today, we see history repeating itself ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition.
Mr STONE: ... with the Labor Party railing against the Statehood Convention in an attempt to derail statehood. That is exactly where they are coming from because they cannot get it all their own way.
Mrs Hickey: You will not let the people have a say.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please resume your seat for a moment. Members of the opposition, you are showing very poor behaviour today in front of our visitors. You asked the question. Do you want to hear the answer or not? It is up to you.
Mr STONE: I remind Territorians that, of the entire Statehood Convention, 27 delegates are elected to ensure that the diversity of views are represented from across the Territory and 18 are appointed.
Page 1
Members opposite had their opportunity to debate the model in the last sittings of the Legislative Assembly.
Mr Bailey: Rubbish!
Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri says 'rubbish'. It was in a ministerial statement which was presented to be debated widely. Members will recall ...
Mr Bailey: There were no details of when it was to happen.
Mrs Hickey: We didn't even know when it was to happen.
Mr STONE: I will pick up the interjection: 'We didn't know when it was to happen'. That demonstrates that they did not even read the ministerial statement because it was there, chapter and verse. It was a classic case of Labor not being prepared, not being organised and not having an alternative to put on the table.
In Question Time earlier in the week, the member for Wanguri asked me whether or not the draft constitution as prepared by the sessional committee would be the base document for the Statehood Convention. I gave him an unequivocal yes. Quite clearly, the work of the sessional committee will form the basis of the deliberations of the Statehood Convention.
Mr Bailey: Except that the person who knows more about it than anyone else in the Territory has been excluded.
Mr STONE: It is very cute for the member for Wanguri to come in here championing the cause of a member on my side of the House ...
Mrs Hickey: Well, you are not doing it!
Mr STONE: ... when it is quite clear he is ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: ... indulging in political grandstanding.
Mr Bailey: No. He ...
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, I will not continue to talk over the top of the member for Wanguri.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri, you have been warned before and you are warned again. Stop your constant interjections.
Mr STONE: He has the most unfortunate habit of railing against anything on which he cannot get his own way. All we have are these constant interjections because Labor does not want the people listening to this broadcast to hear the answers that are being given. The electorate has delivered its judgment on Labor in the Territory, and it has done it election after election. It was the CLP that gave self-government to Territorians, and it will be the CLP that delivers statehood. It will be the CLP that delivers the ultimate ambition of Territorians to take their rightful place as the seventh state of this great nation of ours.
Page 2
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I listened to what the member for Nightcliff had to say and I take that in part to be a response to the advertisements that have appeared for people who want to play a part in the constitutional convention to have their say.
Mr Bailey: You gave Slugg a position on it, and he knows nothing. He couldn't even spell 'constitutional convention'.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I pick up the interjection from the member for Wanguri. No one gave anyone anything. Positions are elected. I assume that the member for Wanguri and the member for Arnhem, being the ALP-nominated delegates to the Statehood Convention, were elected by their party room. In a similar vein, 2 of our number were elected.
The member for Nightcliff has indicated that he would like to establish a group that can have input and will lobby those delegates who will participate in the convention. That is entirely consistent with the marketing campaign that is currently being conducted to ensure that as many people as possible can have their say.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, it is ironic that today we will pass a resolution marking the 50th anniversary of the first meeting of the Legislative Council. It is almost as though history repeats itself because it was, in fact, the Labor side of politics in the Northern Territory that sought to sabotage self-government. In fact, it was Labor that went out and campaigned against self-government. Today, we see history repeating itself ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition.
Mr STONE: ... with the Labor Party railing against the Statehood Convention in an attempt to derail statehood. That is exactly where they are coming from because they cannot get it all their own way.
Mrs Hickey: You will not let the people have a say.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please resume your seat for a moment. Members of the opposition, you are showing very poor behaviour today in front of our visitors. You asked the question. Do you want to hear the answer or not? It is up to you.
Mr STONE: I remind Territorians that, of the entire Statehood Convention, 27 delegates are elected to ensure that the diversity of views are represented from across the Territory and 18 are appointed.
Page 1
Members opposite had their opportunity to debate the model in the last sittings of the Legislative Assembly.
Mr Bailey: Rubbish!
Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri says 'rubbish'. It was in a ministerial statement which was presented to be debated widely. Members will recall ...
Mr Bailey: There were no details of when it was to happen.
Mrs Hickey: We didn't even know when it was to happen.
Mr STONE: I will pick up the interjection: 'We didn't know when it was to happen'. That demonstrates that they did not even read the ministerial statement because it was there, chapter and verse. It was a classic case of Labor not being prepared, not being organised and not having an alternative to put on the table.
In Question Time earlier in the week, the member for Wanguri asked me whether or not the draft constitution as prepared by the sessional committee would be the base document for the Statehood Convention. I gave him an unequivocal yes. Quite clearly, the work of the sessional committee will form the basis of the deliberations of the Statehood Convention.
Mr Bailey: Except that the person who knows more about it than anyone else in the Territory has been excluded.
Mr STONE: It is very cute for the member for Wanguri to come in here championing the cause of a member on my side of the House ...
Mrs Hickey: Well, you are not doing it!
Mr STONE: ... when it is quite clear he is ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: ... indulging in political grandstanding.
Mr Bailey: No. He ...
Mr STONE: Madam Speaker, I will not continue to talk over the top of the member for Wanguri.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri, you have been warned before and you are warned again. Stop your constant interjections.
Mr STONE: He has the most unfortunate habit of railing against anything on which he cannot get his own way. All we have are these constant interjections because Labor does not want the people listening to this broadcast to hear the answers that are being given. The electorate has delivered its judgment on Labor in the Territory, and it has done it election after election. It was the CLP that gave self-government to Territorians, and it will be the CLP that delivers statehood. It will be the CLP that delivers the ultimate ambition of Territorians to take their rightful place as the seventh state of this great nation of ours.
Page 2
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016