Mr BAILEY - 1994-10-11
We appreciate the minister's comment in his previous answer that he will seek information to satisfy the Leader of the Opposition's Question. Could the minister attempt to answer now or to take up some of the following issues. Was any instruction issued to the Tourist Commission or its advertising agency by any member of the government or their advisers to include the Chief Minister's business in this advertising promotion? Will the minister undertake to table all documentation relating to the development and approval of this advertising copy? Can the minister assure the Assembly that he did not view the copy in concept form or at any other stage before it went to press?
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, if members opposite are trying to establish in this House that the Chief Minister is a crook and that he has influenced government policy for personal gain, their efforts will backfire on them.
Mr Ede interjecting.
Mr COULTER: Go out in the community and try to sell it.
Mr Ede: Just answer the Question.
Mr COULTER: They will not wear these kind of accusations.
Mr Ede: What was your involvement? Did you see the copy before it went?
Mr COULTER: I will tell you what happened. A series of photographs and accompanying copy was sent across to the Darwin Region Tourism Association from the Northern Territory Tourist Commission. The association then picked out items which represented Territory experiences that it put into this package. That is why it has Christo's on the Wharf. Isn't that a private organisation?
Mr Ede: It is not named.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr COULTER: Where can you get fish and chips at these tables on that corner of the Wharf? At Christo's. What about Yellow Waters? That is owned by the Gagadju Association. What about the casino? The Darwin Region Tourism Association either approved or selected from those photographs. They never went across my desk. I never wrote to the Tourist Commission asking it to put my mate's fishing venture in and feature it with full-page advertising.
Mr Ede: You never saw it? You did not know what was going on?
Mr COULTER: You are probably one of the lowest forms of life that I have ever sat across the table from. You are really bad.
Mr Ede: No, that is you. You are looking in the mirror.
Mr COULTER: There was absolutely no interference by the government in any form to attempt to promote the Chief Minister's project ...
Mr Ede: You had better demonstrate that.
Mr COULTER: We will demonstrate it. That is not a problem at all. You can keep trying to flog in the community that he is a crook, but people will not wear it.
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Mr Ede interjecting
Mr COULTER: People in the community know of his integrity compared to yours.
Mr Ede: You are looking after your mate.
Mr COULTER: If that is the accusation against me, go ahead and make it, but you had better have some foundation for making it, and you had better have the guts to stand out on the steps of this House and say precisely what you said just then.
Mr Ede: You had better table all the documents.
Mr COULTER: ... your president, Jamie Johnson, said of me yet he still has not repaid his bill for what he had to do.
Mr Ede: You had better table all the documents.
Mr Stirling: Just bring your documentation into the House.
Mr COULTER: If you want to stand outside there and say that I am looking after my mate, go right ahead and do that, but you do not have the guts to do that.
Mr Ede: We have the prima facie case.
Mr Stirling: Get the documents!
Mr Ede: We want the evidence.
Mr COULTER: You are dead-set low life.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Ede: If you have the evidence, you put it up!
Mr COULTER: Mr Speaker, I will leave it at that. They have no evidence at all.
Mr Stirling: Then what is that?
Mr Ede: It is there in black and white.
Mr COULTER: I will meet you on the steps at 11 am to hear you say that I have been looking after my mate.
Mr Ede: Here it is! You table the document!
Mr COULTER: I will see you at 11 am!
Page 209
Page 207
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, if members opposite are trying to establish in this House that the Chief Minister is a crook and that he has influenced government policy for personal gain, their efforts will backfire on them.
Mr Ede interjecting.
Mr COULTER: Go out in the community and try to sell it.
Mr Ede: Just answer the Question.
Mr COULTER: They will not wear these kind of accusations.
Mr Ede: What was your involvement? Did you see the copy before it went?
Mr COULTER: I will tell you what happened. A series of photographs and accompanying copy was sent across to the Darwin Region Tourism Association from the Northern Territory Tourist Commission. The association then picked out items which represented Territory experiences that it put into this package. That is why it has Christo's on the Wharf. Isn't that a private organisation?
Mr Ede: It is not named.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr COULTER: Where can you get fish and chips at these tables on that corner of the Wharf? At Christo's. What about Yellow Waters? That is owned by the Gagadju Association. What about the casino? The Darwin Region Tourism Association either approved or selected from those photographs. They never went across my desk. I never wrote to the Tourist Commission asking it to put my mate's fishing venture in and feature it with full-page advertising.
Mr Ede: You never saw it? You did not know what was going on?
Mr COULTER: You are probably one of the lowest forms of life that I have ever sat across the table from. You are really bad.
Mr Ede: No, that is you. You are looking in the mirror.
Mr COULTER: There was absolutely no interference by the government in any form to attempt to promote the Chief Minister's project ...
Mr Ede: You had better demonstrate that.
Mr COULTER: We will demonstrate it. That is not a problem at all. You can keep trying to flog in the community that he is a crook, but people will not wear it.
Page 208
Mr Ede interjecting
Mr COULTER: People in the community know of his integrity compared to yours.
Mr Ede: You are looking after your mate.
Mr COULTER: If that is the accusation against me, go ahead and make it, but you had better have some foundation for making it, and you had better have the guts to stand out on the steps of this House and say precisely what you said just then.
Mr Ede: You had better table all the documents.
Mr COULTER: ... your president, Jamie Johnson, said of me yet he still has not repaid his bill for what he had to do.
Mr Ede: You had better table all the documents.
Mr Stirling: Just bring your documentation into the House.
Mr COULTER: If you want to stand outside there and say that I am looking after my mate, go right ahead and do that, but you do not have the guts to do that.
Mr Ede: We have the prima facie case.
Mr Stirling: Get the documents!
Mr Ede: We want the evidence.
Mr COULTER: You are dead-set low life.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Ede: If you have the evidence, you put it up!
Mr COULTER: Mr Speaker, I will leave it at that. They have no evidence at all.
Mr Stirling: Then what is that?
Mr Ede: It is there in black and white.
Mr COULTER: I will meet you on the steps at 11 am to hear you say that I have been looking after my mate.
Mr Ede: Here it is! You table the document!
Mr COULTER: I will see you at 11 am!
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016