Mrs BRAHAM - 1995-10-19
My question is directed to the Chief Minister as minister responsible for women's affairs. I noted the member for Barkly's personal explanation this morning, but yesterday the Leader of the Opposition stated in the House that he did not believe that, simply because he provided access to a committee room to a particular group or individual, he should be held responsible for any statement made by that individual or group. On 8 DDD radio, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said, in relation to the Women of the Barkly group and its acceptance of violence in traditional Aboriginal communities as the norm, that she could do nothing about it. I believe that she actually said: `I can't go in and say, "Oh no, that is politically incorrect. You mustn't say that"'. Will the Chief Minister assure Territorians that his government will continue to fight the myth that violence in Aboriginal communities is traditional and the norm?
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, indeed I will give that commitment. I see the member for Wanguri shaking his head in disapproval. He may shake his head in disapproval, but yesterday we witnessed the greatest political cowardice I have ever seen. What did they do? They sent poor old Brigid out to answer the questions. Where was the Deputy Leader of the Opposition? Nowhere to be seen. The Leader of the Opposition climbed to his feet during the course of yesterday's sitting and said: `Don't blame me, I'm not responsible for what goes on. I'm not responsible for what happens in a committee room'. Is the Leader of the Opposition aware that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition sent out a letter that commenced: `The Opposition Leader and I would like to invite you to hear a personal account of the Beijing Conference Women's Forum '95 by Brigid Walsh'? Despite that, he had the gall to stand in this Chamber and say it had nothing to do with him and he did not know what they would say. Mr Speaker, I table that letter.
As for the member for Barkly, I have never seen such political cowardice in my life. Right to the very end, she was not prepared, to use her word, to `disassociate' herself from her constituents. Which constituents would they be? Would they be the people of the Barkly or the people where she lives now?
Mrs Hickey I do not think ...
Mr STONE: This is what one of your constituents had to say, as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald. I refer to a Miss Valda Shannon, who attended the conference as a Barkly representative of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. She has worked with domestic violence victims. She said that, at Beijing, she and other Aboriginals were very upset that traditional domestic violence was presented as being acceptable to them: `We were upset', she said. `Aboriginal people were really hurt about that in Beijing'. Despite that, we were told, on The Afternoon Program, by the member for Barkly's electorate secretary: `We did not report it at the forum.' Thus, there are a few porky pies being told here also. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has a responsibility to disassociate herself from the report in a public forum. She should condemn this report, and stand up for Aboriginal women and for the view that violence in traditional ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: ... is not the norm. She should have some courage, find some backbone and stop sending her electorate secretary out to cop the flak.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, indeed I will give that commitment. I see the member for Wanguri shaking his head in disapproval. He may shake his head in disapproval, but yesterday we witnessed the greatest political cowardice I have ever seen. What did they do? They sent poor old Brigid out to answer the questions. Where was the Deputy Leader of the Opposition? Nowhere to be seen. The Leader of the Opposition climbed to his feet during the course of yesterday's sitting and said: `Don't blame me, I'm not responsible for what goes on. I'm not responsible for what happens in a committee room'. Is the Leader of the Opposition aware that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition sent out a letter that commenced: `The Opposition Leader and I would like to invite you to hear a personal account of the Beijing Conference Women's Forum '95 by Brigid Walsh'? Despite that, he had the gall to stand in this Chamber and say it had nothing to do with him and he did not know what they would say. Mr Speaker, I table that letter.
As for the member for Barkly, I have never seen such political cowardice in my life. Right to the very end, she was not prepared, to use her word, to `disassociate' herself from her constituents. Which constituents would they be? Would they be the people of the Barkly or the people where she lives now?
Mrs Hickey I do not think ...
Mr STONE: This is what one of your constituents had to say, as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald. I refer to a Miss Valda Shannon, who attended the conference as a Barkly representative of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. She has worked with domestic violence victims. She said that, at Beijing, she and other Aboriginals were very upset that traditional domestic violence was presented as being acceptable to them: `We were upset', she said. `Aboriginal people were really hurt about that in Beijing'. Despite that, we were told, on The Afternoon Program, by the member for Barkly's electorate secretary: `We did not report it at the forum.' Thus, there are a few porky pies being told here also. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has a responsibility to disassociate herself from the report in a public forum. She should condemn this report, and stand up for Aboriginal women and for the view that violence in traditional ...
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: ... is not the norm. She should have some courage, find some backbone and stop sending her electorate secretary out to cop the flak.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016