Mr BAILEY - 1995-10-17
The former Chief Minister, Marshall Perron, denied any involvement with the election campaign tactic known as push-polling. As the Deputy Chief Minister at the time, the Minister for Tourism was involved in the daily campaign team meetings, together with the former Chief Minister, members of the Chief Minister's staff and party officials. Does he also deny any knowledge of a CLP role in push-polling or that any discussion of this tactic occurred at those meetings? Further, does he deny that money to pay Controlled Marketing, operating as Apex Polling, was funnelled through the advertising agency DDB Needham?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, last night, I attended the Junior Rangers Certificate presentation. Graeme Gow was there with a number of snakes, and he was describing to the children how snakes relate to people. He described people as falling into one of 2 groups: the pacifists, who try to work with one another rather than fighting one another, and the aggressors, who pick fights and do everything that they can to upset everybody. He described the king brown snake as a `psychopath of the snake industry'. That is what we have over there. I have no ministerial responsibility for what he is talking about ...
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! Standing order 109 states quite clearly that questions may be asked of ministers relating to public affairs. A federal inquiry into push-polling is a public affair. I am asking the minister to answer a question concerning what is obviously a public affair.
Mr SPEAKER: I understand that, while the minister disclaimed responsibility, he intended to answer the question.
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Members interjecting.
Mr BAILEY: No, he was not, Mr Speaker.
Members interjecting.
Mr Bailey: Then get up and answer the question. Under standing orders, you cannot get out of it as easily as that.
Mr SPEAKER: The Speaker has no power to direct a minister to answer a question, even though it may be legitimate. I do not have the power to instruct the minister at any stage to answer any question that he does not wish to answer. However, if the minister wishes to go any further, I am prepared to listen.
Mr COULTER: It has nothing to do with me being here as a minister.
Mr Ede: You were the one at the meeting.
Mr COULTER: How do you know that?
Mr Ede: Wouldn't you like to know.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, last night, I attended the Junior Rangers Certificate presentation. Graeme Gow was there with a number of snakes, and he was describing to the children how snakes relate to people. He described people as falling into one of 2 groups: the pacifists, who try to work with one another rather than fighting one another, and the aggressors, who pick fights and do everything that they can to upset everybody. He described the king brown snake as a `psychopath of the snake industry'. That is what we have over there. I have no ministerial responsibility for what he is talking about ...
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! Standing order 109 states quite clearly that questions may be asked of ministers relating to public affairs. A federal inquiry into push-polling is a public affair. I am asking the minister to answer a question concerning what is obviously a public affair.
Mr SPEAKER: I understand that, while the minister disclaimed responsibility, he intended to answer the question.
Page 885
Members interjecting.
Mr BAILEY: No, he was not, Mr Speaker.
Members interjecting.
Mr Bailey: Then get up and answer the question. Under standing orders, you cannot get out of it as easily as that.
Mr SPEAKER: The Speaker has no power to direct a minister to answer a question, even though it may be legitimate. I do not have the power to instruct the minister at any stage to answer any question that he does not wish to answer. However, if the minister wishes to go any further, I am prepared to listen.
Mr COULTER: It has nothing to do with me being here as a minister.
Mr Ede: You were the one at the meeting.
Mr COULTER: How do you know that?
Mr Ede: Wouldn't you like to know.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Page 886
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016