Mr BAILEY - 1995-10-19
I direct my question to the Chief Minister as minister with responsibility for open government. On Tuesday last, the Minister for Tourism refused to answer a question relating to his involvement in the practice of push-polling during the 1994 election, despite his being Deputy Chief Minister at the time and a member of the Country Liberal Party campaign committee and despite this matter being an issue of public affairs. He refused to answer whether or not push-polling had been discussed at meetings of that committee and whether or not the Country Liberal Party payments to the push-polling operators were channelled through the advertising agency DDB Needham. Given the Chief Minister's claim on Tuesday night's 7.30 Report that he controls an open government ...
Mr Stone: Indeed I do.
Mr BAILEY ... will he tell the Minister for Tourism to give the Assembly a full answer to the question asked of him on Tuesday? Will he direct the minister to give evidence to the federal Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters which is investigating this matter?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the member for Wanguri starts with the premise that the then Deputy Chief Minister had some involvement with push-polling.
Mr Bailey: Let him deny it.
Mr STONE: Both the former Chief Minister and the President of the CLP are firmly on the record as saying that the CLP had no involvement with push-polling. How many times do members opposite want to hear that? The Chief Minister and the president of the party, both of whom ...
Mr Bailey: They have never said that.
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Mr STONE: They have said it.
Mr Ede: No, Nairn has not.
Mr STONE: Nairn was not the president of the party.
Mr Ede: He was the president at the time and he refused to answer the question. He will be called before the federal inquiry ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: The inquisition is coming to town! How many times do we have to get to our feet and tell you, both inside and outside of this Chamber, that the CLP had no involvement with push-polling? I can continue to repeat that like a cracked record. Whether or not members opposite accept it is a matter for them, but I ask them to stop wasting the time of the House on these issues.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: The facts are that members opposite lost the last Territory election, as they lost the previous several elections, and they are always looking for excuses as to why that happened instead of looking at themselves. They are the reason why the ALP does not win Territory elections.
Members interjecting.
Mr Coulter: Rubbish! Did push-polling reduce your majority to 88 votes? Did it work in Victoria River? No. You are incompetent, that is your problem.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Members opposite have been told by the former Chief Minister and the current president of the party that the CLP had no involvement with push-polling.
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Mr Stone: Indeed I do.
Mr BAILEY ... will he tell the Minister for Tourism to give the Assembly a full answer to the question asked of him on Tuesday? Will he direct the minister to give evidence to the federal Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters which is investigating this matter?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the member for Wanguri starts with the premise that the then Deputy Chief Minister had some involvement with push-polling.
Mr Bailey: Let him deny it.
Mr STONE: Both the former Chief Minister and the President of the CLP are firmly on the record as saying that the CLP had no involvement with push-polling. How many times do members opposite want to hear that? The Chief Minister and the president of the party, both of whom ...
Mr Bailey: They have never said that.
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Mr STONE: They have said it.
Mr Ede: No, Nairn has not.
Mr STONE: Nairn was not the president of the party.
Mr Ede: He was the president at the time and he refused to answer the question. He will be called before the federal inquiry ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: The inquisition is coming to town! How many times do we have to get to our feet and tell you, both inside and outside of this Chamber, that the CLP had no involvement with push-polling? I can continue to repeat that like a cracked record. Whether or not members opposite accept it is a matter for them, but I ask them to stop wasting the time of the House on these issues.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: The facts are that members opposite lost the last Territory election, as they lost the previous several elections, and they are always looking for excuses as to why that happened instead of looking at themselves. They are the reason why the ALP does not win Territory elections.
Members interjecting.
Mr Coulter: Rubbish! Did push-polling reduce your majority to 88 votes? Did it work in Victoria River? No. You are incompetent, that is your problem.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Members opposite have been told by the former Chief Minister and the current president of the party that the CLP had no involvement with push-polling.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016