Mr BAILEY - 1998-02-25
Can he inform the House about the reaction of legal professionals to the Attorney-General's self-appointment as a Queen's Counsel? What impact will his private member's bill have on the Attorney-General?
Mr Stone: You have to be joking!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I assure the member for Wanguri that I certainly can answer his question in relation to this self-appointment to Queen's Counsel by the Chief Minister. The Attorney-General should be in no doubt that he has made himself the laughing-stock of the legal profession nationally by this self-appointment. The recent edition of the national legal journal Justinian is further evidence of this fact.
Madam Speaker, I seek leave to table a copy of this article.
Leave granted.
Mr STIRLING: Justinian had this to say about the Attorney-General's self-appointment:
The news from Darwin is that one of the most dazzling ornaments to the legal profession and constitutional
reform, Shane Stone, has appointed himself a Queen's Counsel. This is just the latest development in
Stone's brilliant legal career.
Readers of Justinian and members of this House are aware that the Attorney-General's 'brilliant legal career' before becoming a Queen's Counsel included a finding of unprofessional conduct being upheld by the Supreme Court and 2 unsuccessful years as a barrister in Melbourne. My bill will strip the Attorney-General's title of Queen's Counsel from him. If passed, the bill will mean that, now and when the Attorney-General leaves politics, he will not enjoy the privileges associated with being a Queen's Counsel.
As a Queen's Counsel, the Attorney-General now has the right of seniority among barristers. He has the right to move to the front of the queue. When his self-appointed title is stripped from him, like all other legal practitioners, the Attorney-General will have to wait his turn. He will not be able to promote himself as a Queen's Counsel.
My bill will allow him to be compensated on just terms for being stripped of his self-appointed title. The Attorney-General will be able to go to court to seek a compensation order for what the title was worth. There is no precedent for this type of application.
The bill will apply to all members of this parliament. It will stop for all time members of this parliament giving themselves the title of Queen's Counsel.
Mr PALMER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The honourable member is taking an interminable time to answer.
Madam SPEAKER: I hope the minister takes note of his own point of order when he is next answering a question.
Mr STIRLING: Let me assure the member for Karama that there is not too
Page 14
much ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Allow the member for Nhulunbuy to continue.
Mr STIRLING: I do want to make the point that the bill is entirely in keeping with the Attorney-General's previous statement to this House that he does not believe in the office of Queen's Counsel. The Attorney-General has made himself the laughing-stock of the legal profession. It is incumbent on this House to put an end to this nonsense and make it clear that Territorians rise and fall on merit and not on where they stand in the Country Liberal Party hierarchy.
Mr COULTER (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper. I see opposition members looking at the clock. I put them on notice that, in future, if they have run out of questions to ask the government, I shall adopt the tactic of closing Question Time.
Mr Stirling: We have not run out of questions at all!
Mr Bailey: Haven't you read standing order 110 - 'questions to other members who have carriage of legislation'?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr COULTER: That is fine. I can determine how long Question Time will run. If you have no more questions for us, then we will close Question Time.
Mr Ah Kit: You big sook, Barry.
Mr Bailey: We are a sensitive little petal, aren't we, Shane? What a wuss! We run by the rules and you take your bat and ball and go home.
Mr COULTER: The rule is that the Leader of Government Business can determine how long Question Time will run.
Mr Bailey: My heart bleeds for you, Barry.
Mr COULTER: If you have no questions for us ...
Mr Bailey: I have no questions for you if you go home.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri, you have gone too far. I direct the member for Wanguri to withdraw from the Chamber for 1 hour according to standing orders.
Mr Stone: Look for that village.
Mr Bailey: You are a joke.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Page 15
Mr Stone: You have to be joking!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I assure the member for Wanguri that I certainly can answer his question in relation to this self-appointment to Queen's Counsel by the Chief Minister. The Attorney-General should be in no doubt that he has made himself the laughing-stock of the legal profession nationally by this self-appointment. The recent edition of the national legal journal Justinian is further evidence of this fact.
Madam Speaker, I seek leave to table a copy of this article.
Leave granted.
Mr STIRLING: Justinian had this to say about the Attorney-General's self-appointment:
The news from Darwin is that one of the most dazzling ornaments to the legal profession and constitutional
reform, Shane Stone, has appointed himself a Queen's Counsel. This is just the latest development in
Stone's brilliant legal career.
Readers of Justinian and members of this House are aware that the Attorney-General's 'brilliant legal career' before becoming a Queen's Counsel included a finding of unprofessional conduct being upheld by the Supreme Court and 2 unsuccessful years as a barrister in Melbourne. My bill will strip the Attorney-General's title of Queen's Counsel from him. If passed, the bill will mean that, now and when the Attorney-General leaves politics, he will not enjoy the privileges associated with being a Queen's Counsel.
As a Queen's Counsel, the Attorney-General now has the right of seniority among barristers. He has the right to move to the front of the queue. When his self-appointed title is stripped from him, like all other legal practitioners, the Attorney-General will have to wait his turn. He will not be able to promote himself as a Queen's Counsel.
My bill will allow him to be compensated on just terms for being stripped of his self-appointed title. The Attorney-General will be able to go to court to seek a compensation order for what the title was worth. There is no precedent for this type of application.
The bill will apply to all members of this parliament. It will stop for all time members of this parliament giving themselves the title of Queen's Counsel.
Mr PALMER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The honourable member is taking an interminable time to answer.
Madam SPEAKER: I hope the minister takes note of his own point of order when he is next answering a question.
Mr STIRLING: Let me assure the member for Karama that there is not too
Page 14
much ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Allow the member for Nhulunbuy to continue.
Mr STIRLING: I do want to make the point that the bill is entirely in keeping with the Attorney-General's previous statement to this House that he does not believe in the office of Queen's Counsel. The Attorney-General has made himself the laughing-stock of the legal profession. It is incumbent on this House to put an end to this nonsense and make it clear that Territorians rise and fall on merit and not on where they stand in the Country Liberal Party hierarchy.
Mr COULTER (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper. I see opposition members looking at the clock. I put them on notice that, in future, if they have run out of questions to ask the government, I shall adopt the tactic of closing Question Time.
Mr Stirling: We have not run out of questions at all!
Mr Bailey: Haven't you read standing order 110 - 'questions to other members who have carriage of legislation'?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr COULTER: That is fine. I can determine how long Question Time will run. If you have no more questions for us, then we will close Question Time.
Mr Ah Kit: You big sook, Barry.
Mr Bailey: We are a sensitive little petal, aren't we, Shane? What a wuss! We run by the rules and you take your bat and ball and go home.
Mr COULTER: The rule is that the Leader of Government Business can determine how long Question Time will run.
Mr Bailey: My heart bleeds for you, Barry.
Mr COULTER: If you have no questions for us ...
Mr Bailey: I have no questions for you if you go home.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri, you have gone too far. I direct the member for Wanguri to withdraw from the Chamber for 1 hour according to standing orders.
Mr Stone: Look for that village.
Mr Bailey: You are a joke.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Page 15
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016