Mrs HICKEY - 1996-09-17
Territorians have heard the Chief Minister congratulate the member for Millner, saying that he acted appropriately by punching a young football coach in the face. The Chief Minister told them that any normal person would have reacted in the same way, and he gave Territorians his legal opinion that the member for Millner did nothing wrong. Does the Chief Minister stand by his statement that it is okay for anybody to use physical violence, anywhere, any time, provided that they believe that they have been provoked?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, yet again, we have an example of the Leader of the Opposition coming in when Question Time is being broadcast and telling porky pies.
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! It is quite clear that the term `porky pies' is a euphemism for lying. As you know, standing orders do not permit such an accusation except by way of substantive motion.
Mr SPEAKER: I ask the Chief Minister to withdraw the remark.
Mr STONE: I withdraw, Mr Speaker. But the fact is that the Leader of the Opposition couched her question in such a way that people listening to this broadcast would gain the impression that I said that this type of violence was okay at any time, in any circumstances.
Mrs Hickey: I heard you on the radio.
Mr STONE: Of course, that was never said.
Mrs Hickey: You said that he did nothing wrong.
Mr STONE: I will tell you what was said.
Mr Speaker, I will quote from the transcript and I will expose the Leader of the Opposition again for the way that she endeavours to mislead Territorians with these glib little questions that have no basis in truth at all.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: We almost had an interjection from the member for Wanguri.
Mr Bailey: He has his lines right.
Mr STONE: No 2 from the member for Wanguri.
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Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: No 3. People listening to this broadcast in their homes are probably interested ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: No 4 from the member for Wanguri.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Mr Speaker, this is the man who told Territorians, on radio, that he felt like Mulder of X-Files.
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Chief Minister is straying from the answer to the question by referring to extraneous matters.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Chief Minister is responding to an interjection.
Mr STONE: Mr Speaker, the member for Wanguri said on radio:
Well, I try very hard because I believe the PAC is very important. I am trying hard to work with them, but it
is very difficult when it is sort of like - I feel like, I think, Mulder on X-Files, knowing the truth is
out there and not actually being able to access it because of government operatives who continually ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: If you are Mulder, is that Scully over there next to you? Or is she Maxwell Smart's 99? You are mad, yet you were elected. That is how the democratic process has failed.
Coming back to the question and the wrongful allegations that were made, this is what was said on radio:
Look, I do not think any violence is colourful or acceptable necessarily, but each situation will be
judged on its merits. The reality is that, even by act of law, Phil Mitchell would have been found to have
acted appropriately. Now, we have one law for all the same people. That applies equally across the board so,
I mean, you have got to judge this particular incident based on its facts.
The Leader of the Opposition went on the radio after the event and actually endorsed my comments. This was on the very same day. She said: `Yes, look, I think you have got to judge each case, as Shane said, on its merits'.
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Mrs Hickey: Then you said that it was okay.
Mr STONE: This is you, backing me up, saying that every case should be assessed on its merits. You went on to say: `Well, Phil may have gone in there with the best of intentions'.
Then along comes Mulder of X-Files, and he is going to show you how to be the leader. He will show you how it is done. He is not very happy with your response on the radio. He gets in there - this is Mulder, the member for Wanguri - and he says: `He shouldn't have physically become involved in a public brawl or any sort of brawl'. He ups the ante on you. He leaves you high and dry, demonstrating that he would be the better leader. `Stand aside, Maggie. Let me show you how it is done'. Now you come in here and try to pretend that I endorse violence. I do not. However, I will tell you what I do endorse. I endorse the right ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I endorse the right of any citizen, whether they be a member of parliament, an ordinary worker or anybody else in the wider community, to defend themselves if they are hit. For you to come in here and change your tune, having gone on radio, and I will quote your words again - I gather this was not a Maggie Hickey impersonator: `Yes, look, I think you have got to judge each case, as Shane said, on its merits'. Thank you very much.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, yet again, we have an example of the Leader of the Opposition coming in when Question Time is being broadcast and telling porky pies.
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! It is quite clear that the term `porky pies' is a euphemism for lying. As you know, standing orders do not permit such an accusation except by way of substantive motion.
Mr SPEAKER: I ask the Chief Minister to withdraw the remark.
Mr STONE: I withdraw, Mr Speaker. But the fact is that the Leader of the Opposition couched her question in such a way that people listening to this broadcast would gain the impression that I said that this type of violence was okay at any time, in any circumstances.
Mrs Hickey: I heard you on the radio.
Mr STONE: Of course, that was never said.
Mrs Hickey: You said that he did nothing wrong.
Mr STONE: I will tell you what was said.
Mr Speaker, I will quote from the transcript and I will expose the Leader of the Opposition again for the way that she endeavours to mislead Territorians with these glib little questions that have no basis in truth at all.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: We almost had an interjection from the member for Wanguri.
Mr Bailey: He has his lines right.
Mr STONE: No 2 from the member for Wanguri.
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Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: No 3. People listening to this broadcast in their homes are probably interested ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: No 4 from the member for Wanguri.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Mr Speaker, this is the man who told Territorians, on radio, that he felt like Mulder of X-Files.
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Chief Minister is straying from the answer to the question by referring to extraneous matters.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Chief Minister is responding to an interjection.
Mr STONE: Mr Speaker, the member for Wanguri said on radio:
Well, I try very hard because I believe the PAC is very important. I am trying hard to work with them, but it
is very difficult when it is sort of like - I feel like, I think, Mulder on X-Files, knowing the truth is
out there and not actually being able to access it because of government operatives who continually ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: If you are Mulder, is that Scully over there next to you? Or is she Maxwell Smart's 99? You are mad, yet you were elected. That is how the democratic process has failed.
Coming back to the question and the wrongful allegations that were made, this is what was said on radio:
Look, I do not think any violence is colourful or acceptable necessarily, but each situation will be
judged on its merits. The reality is that, even by act of law, Phil Mitchell would have been found to have
acted appropriately. Now, we have one law for all the same people. That applies equally across the board so,
I mean, you have got to judge this particular incident based on its facts.
The Leader of the Opposition went on the radio after the event and actually endorsed my comments. This was on the very same day. She said: `Yes, look, I think you have got to judge each case, as Shane said, on its merits'.
Page 1580
Mrs Hickey: Then you said that it was okay.
Mr STONE: This is you, backing me up, saying that every case should be assessed on its merits. You went on to say: `Well, Phil may have gone in there with the best of intentions'.
Then along comes Mulder of X-Files, and he is going to show you how to be the leader. He will show you how it is done. He is not very happy with your response on the radio. He gets in there - this is Mulder, the member for Wanguri - and he says: `He shouldn't have physically become involved in a public brawl or any sort of brawl'. He ups the ante on you. He leaves you high and dry, demonstrating that he would be the better leader. `Stand aside, Maggie. Let me show you how it is done'. Now you come in here and try to pretend that I endorse violence. I do not. However, I will tell you what I do endorse. I endorse the right ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I endorse the right of any citizen, whether they be a member of parliament, an ordinary worker or anybody else in the wider community, to defend themselves if they are hit. For you to come in here and change your tune, having gone on radio, and I will quote your words again - I gather this was not a Maggie Hickey impersonator: `Yes, look, I think you have got to judge each case, as Shane said, on its merits'. Thank you very much.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016