Ms MARTIN - 1998-10-07
The Prime Minister told the Chief Minister in writing what the statehood referendum was about. I seek leave to table a copy of the Prime Minister’s letter, which the Chief Minister was happy to circulate to anyone who asked for it before Saturday 3 October 1998.
Leave is granted.
Ms MARTIN: The key paragraph reads:
Clearly, the Commonwealth would not treat a ‘yes’ vote on that question as endorsement of the proposed Constitution.
As the Chief Minister now claims to be eating humble pie, will the Chief Minister table the correspondence which he sent which gave rise to the Prime Minister’s response?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thought that was a matter of public record in any event.
Ms Martin: The letter you sent.
Mr STONE: I am not sure I actually wrote that. I think it might have been correspondence between departmental heads, because the question had to be approved through the Executive Council. That is something I have also put firmly on the public record. So there is no secrecy about any of this. But isn’t it ironic that the member for Fannie Bay now gets to her feet and seeks to emphasise the fact that we were only ever voting about the indicative question of whether or not you wanted to be a state?
I am now really persuaded, Madam Speaker. I take it that Ms Agnese Rinaldi is the member’s electorate secretary?
Ms Martin: No.
Mr STONE: Not your electorate secretary? All right, well I will withdraw that.
Mr Bailey: This part of your talk back list again is it?
Mr STONE: No, no. I mean I am allowed to read the newspapers.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, a point of order! I asked the Chief Minister a specific question on the Prime Ministerial letter and I think if he is going to table that letter, that is terrific and he has finished the answer.
Mr Stone: No, no! I haven’t finished the answer, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Please answer the question, Chief Minister.
Mr STONE: Lead with your chin and that is exactly what happens. Here you are, holier than thou, getting to your feet and underscoring the fact that this really was just all about whether or not we wanted to be a state. Then I read the paper this morning and there is the letter. This is one of your ...
Ms Martin: interjecting.
Mr STONE: Come on. How hard did you work to persuade anybody as to what this was all about. You have no credibility at all. You really have none whatsoever.
Leave is granted.
Ms MARTIN: The key paragraph reads:
Clearly, the Commonwealth would not treat a ‘yes’ vote on that question as endorsement of the proposed Constitution.
As the Chief Minister now claims to be eating humble pie, will the Chief Minister table the correspondence which he sent which gave rise to the Prime Minister’s response?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thought that was a matter of public record in any event.
Ms Martin: The letter you sent.
Mr STONE: I am not sure I actually wrote that. I think it might have been correspondence between departmental heads, because the question had to be approved through the Executive Council. That is something I have also put firmly on the public record. So there is no secrecy about any of this. But isn’t it ironic that the member for Fannie Bay now gets to her feet and seeks to emphasise the fact that we were only ever voting about the indicative question of whether or not you wanted to be a state?
I am now really persuaded, Madam Speaker. I take it that Ms Agnese Rinaldi is the member’s electorate secretary?
Ms Martin: No.
Mr STONE: Not your electorate secretary? All right, well I will withdraw that.
Mr Bailey: This part of your talk back list again is it?
Mr STONE: No, no. I mean I am allowed to read the newspapers.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, a point of order! I asked the Chief Minister a specific question on the Prime Ministerial letter and I think if he is going to table that letter, that is terrific and he has finished the answer.
Mr Stone: No, no! I haven’t finished the answer, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Please answer the question, Chief Minister.
Mr STONE: Lead with your chin and that is exactly what happens. Here you are, holier than thou, getting to your feet and underscoring the fact that this really was just all about whether or not we wanted to be a state. Then I read the paper this morning and there is the letter. This is one of your ...
Ms Martin: interjecting.
Mr STONE: Come on. How hard did you work to persuade anybody as to what this was all about. You have no credibility at all. You really have none whatsoever.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016