Mr BURKE - 1995-02-28
The member for MacDonnell has targeted defence personnel across the Top End as possible contributors to spates of nightclub violence. Do statistics support the claim by the member for MacDonnell?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I have had advice from both police and military sources which lead me to understand that military personnel are not overly-represented in any statistics relating to nightclub violence or any social disorder whatsoever in our community. In other words, the defence industry should not be singled out any more or any less than any other industry or any other part of our community in respect of social disruption in the community. It is no different from industries such as the offshore oil industry, the mining industry or the horticultural industry. There is nothing in the statistics to suggest that the military is contributing in any way to violence in the Northern Territory.
This morning, we heard the member for MacDonnell try to weasel his way out of what he had said. He was quite happy on Thursday to make a statement in this parliament. He was quite happy to go on television on Friday and defend it and make accusations about other members of this parliament. Obviously, he had a beating around the ears, probably by the Leader of the Opposition in an attempt to show leadership. The Leader of the Opposition did not do it very successfully because we did not hear the member for MacDonnell say that he was sorry. I have never heard him say sorry. Has anyone in this House ever heard him say sorry?
Mr Bell: You are always wrong.
Mr MANZIE: Mr Speaker, let us see how he started weaseling out of it. The statement in the NT News this morning was:
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The NT News on Saturday attributed a quote linking nightclub violence in Darwin to the military build-up to MacDonnell MLA, Neil Bell.
Mr Bell was quoted as saying, 'It cannot be mere coincidence that there has been a substantial influx in military personnel and a
dramatic increase in nightclub violence'. Mr Bell did not in fact say this.
That was the start of his weaseling. Let us have a look at what he did say because he has been pretty sanctimonious in here this morning. Let us recall what he said. In the debate, he said:
It does not explain, for example, why there was a sudden increase in violence from the early part of last year. ... One is forced to wonder whether the increased number of,
for example, military personnel in Darwin over the last year or so has contributed.
Mr Bell: Read the whole lot.
Mr MANZIE: That is what he said. Let us go on and see what else he said.
Mr Coulter: I think we have heard enough.
Mr MANZIE: He does not want to hear what else he said, Mr Speaker, but I intend to remind him, and the community can make up its own mind as to what he said this morning when trying to weasel out of this and what he actually said in the parliament. He went on:
I am not making any assertions in that regard, but I believe that those issues have to be addressed. ... I am saying simply that it is worthy of investigation.
We have to look at what happened in other communities where there has been an increased presence of defence forces personnel creating a combination
of effects on the community and a change in the social fabric of the community.
Mr Speaker, how cute can the member get? That is the old question of 'when did you stop beating your wife?' He raised the matter, set out comparisons and accusations relating to the military in other communities and then said: 'I did not really say that. I did not make any inferences'. The words are very plain, but it is typical of the member for MacDonnell. He has to find an excuse for anything that is occurring in our community. He never likes to examine the facts. He likes to blame people or organisations. In this instance ...
Mr BELL: Look ...
Mr MANZIE: No looking. What does he say about violence on Aboriginal communities? How many times in this parliament have we heard him blame the police? What about Aboriginal health? How many times have we heard him ...
Members interjecting.
Mr BELL: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The member for Sanderson cannot deliberately misrepresent my comments. He has no evidence for saying that I have done
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anything other than support the difficult work that police officers do in my electorate and in the Northern Territory generally.
Mr SPEAKER: I do not believe that there is a point of order. If the honourable member for MacDonnell believes that he has been misrepresented, he can make a personal explanation at the appropriate time. However, I ask the minister to be careful about introducing further assertions into his answer.
Mr MANZIE: Mr Speaker, I am simply pointing out the state of mind of the member for MacDonnell which is reflected in this particular set of circumstances. He likes to blame other people or organisations for a problem. He blames the government for the health problems on Aboriginal communities. He is never prepared to believe that the blame should be shared by Aboriginal people. That does not enter his consciousness. Where did he lay the blame for Labor losing the election? He blamed it on what he saw as a racially-based election campaign by the CLP. He cannot help himself. Whom does he blame for violence in nightclubs? He blames the military. All he has to do is stand up and say that he is sorry and that he did not mean to imply that. He cannot do it. I call on him to do it.
Mr EDE: A point of order, Mr Speaker! As has been confirmed earlier, the minister is deliberately lying to the House. He cannot ignore all the statements that have been made in this Chamber and persist with this assertion which he knows is a total fabrication.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. There is an interpretation placed on what the member said and it is being debated in Question Time this morning. If the member believes he has been misrepresented, he can make a personal explanation.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I have had advice from both police and military sources which lead me to understand that military personnel are not overly-represented in any statistics relating to nightclub violence or any social disorder whatsoever in our community. In other words, the defence industry should not be singled out any more or any less than any other industry or any other part of our community in respect of social disruption in the community. It is no different from industries such as the offshore oil industry, the mining industry or the horticultural industry. There is nothing in the statistics to suggest that the military is contributing in any way to violence in the Northern Territory.
This morning, we heard the member for MacDonnell try to weasel his way out of what he had said. He was quite happy on Thursday to make a statement in this parliament. He was quite happy to go on television on Friday and defend it and make accusations about other members of this parliament. Obviously, he had a beating around the ears, probably by the Leader of the Opposition in an attempt to show leadership. The Leader of the Opposition did not do it very successfully because we did not hear the member for MacDonnell say that he was sorry. I have never heard him say sorry. Has anyone in this House ever heard him say sorry?
Mr Bell: You are always wrong.
Mr MANZIE: Mr Speaker, let us see how he started weaseling out of it. The statement in the NT News this morning was:
Page 450
The NT News on Saturday attributed a quote linking nightclub violence in Darwin to the military build-up to MacDonnell MLA, Neil Bell.
Mr Bell was quoted as saying, 'It cannot be mere coincidence that there has been a substantial influx in military personnel and a
dramatic increase in nightclub violence'. Mr Bell did not in fact say this.
That was the start of his weaseling. Let us have a look at what he did say because he has been pretty sanctimonious in here this morning. Let us recall what he said. In the debate, he said:
It does not explain, for example, why there was a sudden increase in violence from the early part of last year. ... One is forced to wonder whether the increased number of,
for example, military personnel in Darwin over the last year or so has contributed.
Mr Bell: Read the whole lot.
Mr MANZIE: That is what he said. Let us go on and see what else he said.
Mr Coulter: I think we have heard enough.
Mr MANZIE: He does not want to hear what else he said, Mr Speaker, but I intend to remind him, and the community can make up its own mind as to what he said this morning when trying to weasel out of this and what he actually said in the parliament. He went on:
I am not making any assertions in that regard, but I believe that those issues have to be addressed. ... I am saying simply that it is worthy of investigation.
We have to look at what happened in other communities where there has been an increased presence of defence forces personnel creating a combination
of effects on the community and a change in the social fabric of the community.
Mr Speaker, how cute can the member get? That is the old question of 'when did you stop beating your wife?' He raised the matter, set out comparisons and accusations relating to the military in other communities and then said: 'I did not really say that. I did not make any inferences'. The words are very plain, but it is typical of the member for MacDonnell. He has to find an excuse for anything that is occurring in our community. He never likes to examine the facts. He likes to blame people or organisations. In this instance ...
Mr BELL: Look ...
Mr MANZIE: No looking. What does he say about violence on Aboriginal communities? How many times in this parliament have we heard him blame the police? What about Aboriginal health? How many times have we heard him ...
Members interjecting.
Mr BELL: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The member for Sanderson cannot deliberately misrepresent my comments. He has no evidence for saying that I have done
Page 451
anything other than support the difficult work that police officers do in my electorate and in the Northern Territory generally.
Mr SPEAKER: I do not believe that there is a point of order. If the honourable member for MacDonnell believes that he has been misrepresented, he can make a personal explanation at the appropriate time. However, I ask the minister to be careful about introducing further assertions into his answer.
Mr MANZIE: Mr Speaker, I am simply pointing out the state of mind of the member for MacDonnell which is reflected in this particular set of circumstances. He likes to blame other people or organisations for a problem. He blames the government for the health problems on Aboriginal communities. He is never prepared to believe that the blame should be shared by Aboriginal people. That does not enter his consciousness. Where did he lay the blame for Labor losing the election? He blamed it on what he saw as a racially-based election campaign by the CLP. He cannot help himself. Whom does he blame for violence in nightclubs? He blames the military. All he has to do is stand up and say that he is sorry and that he did not mean to imply that. He cannot do it. I call on him to do it.
Mr EDE: A point of order, Mr Speaker! As has been confirmed earlier, the minister is deliberately lying to the House. He cannot ignore all the statements that have been made in this Chamber and persist with this assertion which he knows is a total fabrication.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. There is an interpretation placed on what the member said and it is being debated in Question Time this morning. If the member believes he has been misrepresented, he can make a personal explanation.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016