Mr BALDWIN - 1996-05-21
The Leader of the Opposition has given the impression that the government has ruled out a constitutional convention as the Territory moves towards statehood. What views has the Chief Minister conveyed to the Prime Minister of Australia on this issue?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, one would have thought that plain commonsense would have urged the Leader of the Opposition, knowing that I had had an opportunity to discuss the Territory's constitutional development, to seek my advice on what had been discussed or to obtain copies of any correspondence that might have been written to the Prime Minister. Instead, she pre-emptively starts to make a number of assertions that have no basis in fact. To demonstrate that, I refer to correspondence of 14 May, which was Tuesday of last week and before the member had asked her question. This is a letter I sent to the Prime Minister, and I am quoting only from part of it. It says ...
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Mr Bailey: This is freedom of information in the Northern Territory.
Mr STONE: If you had asked, you would have been given a copy. As I have said, this government is transparent, open, accountable and cooperative. If you want to see this correspondence, you will get it. That compares very favourably to what occurred with some correspondence that I saw that we gained under the freedom of information legislation from the Commonwealth. That was addressed to the person, and then the whole substance of the letter was removed and all that remained was, 'Regards, P J Keating'. Don't tell me that is freedom of information! I will give you a copy of the whole letter. I will not exclude any part of it, to show you how transparent and open my government is.
The letter says, in part:
The NT government firmly believes that all sections of the Territory community must be consulted about the
Territory's draft constitution for statehood. To that end, it is proposed during 1997-98 to hold extensive
discussions in the regional centres throughout the Territory, providing all Territorians the opportunity
to comment on the draft constitution.
The matter of a constitutional convention is under active consideration as a forum to elicit public
comment and support.
That letter was sent before the Leader of the Opposition got to her feet and started to assert that we had walked away from the concept of a constitutional convention, a proposal that was on the floor of the Chamber for active discussion and consideration. This demonstrates that this Leader of the Opposition is starting to shape up as being as lazy as her predecessor.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr STONE: I will pick up the interjection from the member for Fannie Bay. This is the same person who punched out the press release: 'Martin Puts Questions on Notice on Alice Springs Jail'. Shock, horror! They were never sent, were they? The member was happy to run around in the community, peddling her story to the media, only to discover that she had made a fundamental blue because the questions had never been sent. Meanwhile, ministers were scurrying around trying to find questions that did not exist.
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I am interested in hearing the response to the member for Victoria River's question because it runs counter to the argument the Chief Minister was running last week. I am very interested to hear how he intends to get out of it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am not too sure what the point of order is that you are calling, I am afraid.
Mr STONE: Mr Speaker, the point of order is that the Leader of the Opposition does not want me to refer to this bungled attempt by her colleague to send the questions that were to be used to run a media campaign, and then pretending they were sent.
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I have made it very clear ...
Ms Martin: You could not lie straight in bed, Shane.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: ... and that is where you will stay, based on your performance to date. The Leader of the Opposition is obviously not in control over there. That is clear.
I make the point that, had the Leader of the Opposition bothered to inquire about any correspondence or discussions with the Prime Minister - and that is not to be confused with bringing in some party hacks to sit around a table to enable her to try to politicise the process of statehood because that is a different matter altogether - had she bothered to seek copies of correspondence or a briefing from myself about my discussions with the Prime Minister, she would not have made the blue that she has made.
Even the matter of public importance that she intends to introduce for discussion later today refers to the 'Select Committee'. There has been no select committee since 1989. She has been deputy chairman of a sessional committee. She cannot even understand the difference between the 2. She should be embarrassed. She does not even know what she is deputy chairman of. I look forward to that MPI discussion.
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I request that the Chief Minister table the letter he has read from, under standing order 255.
Mr STONE: I am happy to do so.
Mr SPEAKER: The Chief Minister said earlier that he would table it.
Mr Bailey: Well, he did not do it.
Mr SPEAKER: He did indicate earlier that he would table it at the end of his answer.
Mr STONE: I said that you could have copies of it.
Page 1397
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, one would have thought that plain commonsense would have urged the Leader of the Opposition, knowing that I had had an opportunity to discuss the Territory's constitutional development, to seek my advice on what had been discussed or to obtain copies of any correspondence that might have been written to the Prime Minister. Instead, she pre-emptively starts to make a number of assertions that have no basis in fact. To demonstrate that, I refer to correspondence of 14 May, which was Tuesday of last week and before the member had asked her question. This is a letter I sent to the Prime Minister, and I am quoting only from part of it. It says ...
Page 1395
Mr Bailey: This is freedom of information in the Northern Territory.
Mr STONE: If you had asked, you would have been given a copy. As I have said, this government is transparent, open, accountable and cooperative. If you want to see this correspondence, you will get it. That compares very favourably to what occurred with some correspondence that I saw that we gained under the freedom of information legislation from the Commonwealth. That was addressed to the person, and then the whole substance of the letter was removed and all that remained was, 'Regards, P J Keating'. Don't tell me that is freedom of information! I will give you a copy of the whole letter. I will not exclude any part of it, to show you how transparent and open my government is.
The letter says, in part:
The NT government firmly believes that all sections of the Territory community must be consulted about the
Territory's draft constitution for statehood. To that end, it is proposed during 1997-98 to hold extensive
discussions in the regional centres throughout the Territory, providing all Territorians the opportunity
to comment on the draft constitution.
The matter of a constitutional convention is under active consideration as a forum to elicit public
comment and support.
That letter was sent before the Leader of the Opposition got to her feet and started to assert that we had walked away from the concept of a constitutional convention, a proposal that was on the floor of the Chamber for active discussion and consideration. This demonstrates that this Leader of the Opposition is starting to shape up as being as lazy as her predecessor.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr STONE: I will pick up the interjection from the member for Fannie Bay. This is the same person who punched out the press release: 'Martin Puts Questions on Notice on Alice Springs Jail'. Shock, horror! They were never sent, were they? The member was happy to run around in the community, peddling her story to the media, only to discover that she had made a fundamental blue because the questions had never been sent. Meanwhile, ministers were scurrying around trying to find questions that did not exist.
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I am interested in hearing the response to the member for Victoria River's question because it runs counter to the argument the Chief Minister was running last week. I am very interested to hear how he intends to get out of it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am not too sure what the point of order is that you are calling, I am afraid.
Mr STONE: Mr Speaker, the point of order is that the Leader of the Opposition does not want me to refer to this bungled attempt by her colleague to send the questions that were to be used to run a media campaign, and then pretending they were sent.
Page 1396
I have made it very clear ...
Ms Martin: You could not lie straight in bed, Shane.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: ... and that is where you will stay, based on your performance to date. The Leader of the Opposition is obviously not in control over there. That is clear.
I make the point that, had the Leader of the Opposition bothered to inquire about any correspondence or discussions with the Prime Minister - and that is not to be confused with bringing in some party hacks to sit around a table to enable her to try to politicise the process of statehood because that is a different matter altogether - had she bothered to seek copies of correspondence or a briefing from myself about my discussions with the Prime Minister, she would not have made the blue that she has made.
Even the matter of public importance that she intends to introduce for discussion later today refers to the 'Select Committee'. There has been no select committee since 1989. She has been deputy chairman of a sessional committee. She cannot even understand the difference between the 2. She should be embarrassed. She does not even know what she is deputy chairman of. I look forward to that MPI discussion.
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I request that the Chief Minister table the letter he has read from, under standing order 255.
Mr STONE: I am happy to do so.
Mr SPEAKER: The Chief Minister said earlier that he would table it.
Mr Bailey: Well, he did not do it.
Mr SPEAKER: He did indicate earlier that he would table it at the end of his answer.
Mr STONE: I said that you could have copies of it.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016