Mr BURKE - 1994-06-28
Can the Chief Minister confirm whether there will be a citizenship ceremony as part of the Territory Day celebrations in Darwin on Friday? Throughout Australia, is it usual for lord mayors and mayors to preside at these ceremonies? Who will preside at the citizenship ceremony in Darwin?
ANSWER
Members will be aware of the recent publicity in regard to the federal Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, Senator Bolkus, withdrawing the delegation held by Darwin's popular Lord Mayor, George Brown, to conduct citizenship ceremonies. Over the last few years, citizenship ceremonies have been held in conjunction with the Territory Day flag-raising ceremonies. That has been very well received. As members appreciate, I myself attend these ceremonies. George Brown decided that he did not believe that the citizenship ceremony should be a political event and declined to allow Senator Bolkus's factional left-wing mate, Hon Warren Snowdon, to give Australia's new citizens a political lecture.
Mr Bell: So you blokes decided to play politics with it.
Members interjecting.
Mr Bell: What? You have never been involved in a citizenship ceremony?
Mr Coulter: You are not fair dinkum, are you?
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Chief Minister has been asked a question and will be allowed to answer it.
Mr PERRON: I have never sought to line up new citizens and give them a political lecture. It appears that those who take that very important step of adopting Australian citizenship on 1 July 1994 will be subject to the now mandatory political lecture from Mr Snowdon. I feel sorry for them because occasionally I have been at a function when he has spoken. All the ...
Mr BELL: A point of order, Mr Speaker! If the Chief Minister wants to reflect on the behaviour of a member of the House of Representatives, he is is required to do so by way of a substantive notion, not by a cheap shot in Question Time.
Mr SPEAKER: While it is a fairly minor offence, I believe that the Chief Minister should not reflect on the performance of the member for the Northern Territory.
Mr PERRON: Mr Speaker, I bow to your ruling. I will allow members and citizens of the Territory to form their own opinion of the member's speeches. This year, Darwin's citizenship ceremony will be conducted by a federal government bureaucrat, Mr Peter Watters, the Northern Territory Director of the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. I say nothing against Mr Watters. I do not believe that I know him personally but, no doubt, he goes about his work with due diligence. Given that the federal minister has asked him to conduct this ceremony, I am sure that he will do so with all the dignity that he can muster.
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I am advised that Mr Snowdon will address the gathering, as has become mandatory now for citizens in the Northern Territory. I feel sorry for them because many people in Darwin are quite incensed at the haste with which Senator Bolkus decided to withdraw his delegation. That smacks of being fairly ham-fisted from a government that claims kudos for being great negotiators and consulters. There was no discussion, only a couple of letters back and forth, and that was the end of that.
George Brown is very popular in Darwin. He is enormously well-received by people from all walks of life. My observation is that the citizenship ceremonies that he has conducted have been conducted very well and the new citizens of Australia appreciate the way in which he does it. It a great shame that that is not to be in the future. As long as we have a federal Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs of like mind to Senator Bolkus, it appears that new Australians who take that significant personal step in Darwin will be subjected to a tirade from a left-winger.
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ANSWER
Members will be aware of the recent publicity in regard to the federal Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, Senator Bolkus, withdrawing the delegation held by Darwin's popular Lord Mayor, George Brown, to conduct citizenship ceremonies. Over the last few years, citizenship ceremonies have been held in conjunction with the Territory Day flag-raising ceremonies. That has been very well received. As members appreciate, I myself attend these ceremonies. George Brown decided that he did not believe that the citizenship ceremony should be a political event and declined to allow Senator Bolkus's factional left-wing mate, Hon Warren Snowdon, to give Australia's new citizens a political lecture.
Mr Bell: So you blokes decided to play politics with it.
Members interjecting.
Mr Bell: What? You have never been involved in a citizenship ceremony?
Mr Coulter: You are not fair dinkum, are you?
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Chief Minister has been asked a question and will be allowed to answer it.
Mr PERRON: I have never sought to line up new citizens and give them a political lecture. It appears that those who take that very important step of adopting Australian citizenship on 1 July 1994 will be subject to the now mandatory political lecture from Mr Snowdon. I feel sorry for them because occasionally I have been at a function when he has spoken. All the ...
Mr BELL: A point of order, Mr Speaker! If the Chief Minister wants to reflect on the behaviour of a member of the House of Representatives, he is is required to do so by way of a substantive notion, not by a cheap shot in Question Time.
Mr SPEAKER: While it is a fairly minor offence, I believe that the Chief Minister should not reflect on the performance of the member for the Northern Territory.
Mr PERRON: Mr Speaker, I bow to your ruling. I will allow members and citizens of the Territory to form their own opinion of the member's speeches. This year, Darwin's citizenship ceremony will be conducted by a federal government bureaucrat, Mr Peter Watters, the Northern Territory Director of the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. I say nothing against Mr Watters. I do not believe that I know him personally but, no doubt, he goes about his work with due diligence. Given that the federal minister has asked him to conduct this ceremony, I am sure that he will do so with all the dignity that he can muster.
Page 7
I am advised that Mr Snowdon will address the gathering, as has become mandatory now for citizens in the Northern Territory. I feel sorry for them because many people in Darwin are quite incensed at the haste with which Senator Bolkus decided to withdraw his delegation. That smacks of being fairly ham-fisted from a government that claims kudos for being great negotiators and consulters. There was no discussion, only a couple of letters back and forth, and that was the end of that.
George Brown is very popular in Darwin. He is enormously well-received by people from all walks of life. My observation is that the citizenship ceremonies that he has conducted have been conducted very well and the new citizens of Australia appreciate the way in which he does it. It a great shame that that is not to be in the future. As long as we have a federal Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs of like mind to Senator Bolkus, it appears that new Australians who take that significant personal step in Darwin will be subjected to a tirade from a left-winger.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016