Mr BELL - 1996-11-19
The former Chief Minister, Marshall Perron, required the member for Port Darwin to step down from his Attorney- General's portfolio for the duration of legal action against the member for unprofessional conduct, a charge that was upheld by the Northern Territory Chief Justice. The member for Port Darwin's proven unprofessional conduct centred on the misuse of one individual's private and confidential information. The member for Port Darwin is now the Chief Minister and the Minister for Police for the Northern Territory of Australia. The Chief Minister is, therefore, the minister responsible for the very body, the Northern Territory Police Force, which is conducting the investigation into the Chief Minister's own department. This investigation centres on the misuse of Territorians' private and confidential information. The Chief Minister and members of his staff may be subject to investigation by the Northern Territory Police Force.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member should ask his question.
Mr BELL: Yet the Chief Minister refuses to stand down from his position as Minister for Police for the duration of this investigation. Why does he expect Territorians to accept from him a standard of ethics that is so much lower than that accepted by his predecessor, Marshall Perron?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, for a start, the former Chief Minister never did stand down the member for Port Darwin. The member for Port Darwin stood himself down. The member for MacDonnell has it wrong again. It is a little like the Leader of the Opposition running out and making claims about a briefing with the Commissioner of Police, and verballing the commissioner, only to be repudiated later on Channel 8 television news.
Mrs Hickey: Absolute rubbish!
Mr STONE: She interjects: `Absolute rubbish!' The fact is that she did verbal the Commissioner of Police and her fingers were seriously burnt. She has demonstrated that she is not a person who can be trusted because she runs straight out the door and ...
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Mr Stirling: You cannot be trusted.
Mrs Hickey: You are on thin ice when you talk about ...
Mr STONE: In response to the question from the member for MacDonnell, again I make the point ...
Mr Bailey: Unprofessional conduct - proven!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Well, so what? Let me pick up the interjection from the member for Wanguri. Proven, and letterboxed in my electorate in 2 successive elections by ALP campaign workers. And guess what - my majority increased!
Mr Bailey: So you are proud of it. You are proud of your unprofessional conduct.
Mr STONE: Territorians, particularly in my constituency, had the opportunity to pass their judgment and they passed it by increasing my majority. Do not sit there shaking your head in that sanctimonious, holier-than-thou manner when, in fact, you do not even understand the right of people to make an assessment in that way.
Coming back to the question from the member for MacDonnell, and for people listening to this broadcast, no allegations have been made against me in my capacity either as Chief Minister or as Minister for Police. Nor have allegations been made against my ministerial office. The allegations relate to a department, and they are nothing more than that - unsubstantiated allegations. I say to members opposite and to the Leader of the Opposition, get on with your censure motion. Come on, get to your feet and let us see if you have the courage of your convictions.
Mrs Hickey: We want to give you the opportunity to explain.
Mr STONE: Run your censure motion, if you have any backbone. Or are you still Old Jellyback? Get to your feet, run your censure motion, and roll the dice.
Mrs Hickey: We want you to explain yourself.
Mr STONE: In the event ...
Mr Stirling: You want it all over, don't you?
Mr STONE: ... that the Northern Territory police report ...
Mr Stirling: You want this finished and wrapped up, don't you?
Mr STONE: ... were to suggest something other than what you are claiming ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
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Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: ... you will look particularly and spectacularly stupid. Get up on your feet and run your censure motion. If you really believe in what you are saying, this is your big chance. You lead with the chin, even before the police inquiry is completed. Let us see if you have the courage of your convictions.
Mr Reed: The fire in your belly!
Mr STONE: Come on! Where is the fire in the belly? On your feet! Suspend standing orders and run your censure motion. Let us see what you are made of.
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Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member should ask his question.
Mr BELL: Yet the Chief Minister refuses to stand down from his position as Minister for Police for the duration of this investigation. Why does he expect Territorians to accept from him a standard of ethics that is so much lower than that accepted by his predecessor, Marshall Perron?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, for a start, the former Chief Minister never did stand down the member for Port Darwin. The member for Port Darwin stood himself down. The member for MacDonnell has it wrong again. It is a little like the Leader of the Opposition running out and making claims about a briefing with the Commissioner of Police, and verballing the commissioner, only to be repudiated later on Channel 8 television news.
Mrs Hickey: Absolute rubbish!
Mr STONE: She interjects: `Absolute rubbish!' The fact is that she did verbal the Commissioner of Police and her fingers were seriously burnt. She has demonstrated that she is not a person who can be trusted because she runs straight out the door and ...
Page 1768
Mr Stirling: You cannot be trusted.
Mrs Hickey: You are on thin ice when you talk about ...
Mr STONE: In response to the question from the member for MacDonnell, again I make the point ...
Mr Bailey: Unprofessional conduct - proven!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Well, so what? Let me pick up the interjection from the member for Wanguri. Proven, and letterboxed in my electorate in 2 successive elections by ALP campaign workers. And guess what - my majority increased!
Mr Bailey: So you are proud of it. You are proud of your unprofessional conduct.
Mr STONE: Territorians, particularly in my constituency, had the opportunity to pass their judgment and they passed it by increasing my majority. Do not sit there shaking your head in that sanctimonious, holier-than-thou manner when, in fact, you do not even understand the right of people to make an assessment in that way.
Coming back to the question from the member for MacDonnell, and for people listening to this broadcast, no allegations have been made against me in my capacity either as Chief Minister or as Minister for Police. Nor have allegations been made against my ministerial office. The allegations relate to a department, and they are nothing more than that - unsubstantiated allegations. I say to members opposite and to the Leader of the Opposition, get on with your censure motion. Come on, get to your feet and let us see if you have the courage of your convictions.
Mrs Hickey: We want to give you the opportunity to explain.
Mr STONE: Run your censure motion, if you have any backbone. Or are you still Old Jellyback? Get to your feet, run your censure motion, and roll the dice.
Mrs Hickey: We want you to explain yourself.
Mr STONE: In the event ...
Mr Stirling: You want it all over, don't you?
Mr STONE: ... that the Northern Territory police report ...
Mr Stirling: You want this finished and wrapped up, don't you?
Mr STONE: ... were to suggest something other than what you are claiming ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Page 1769
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: ... you will look particularly and spectacularly stupid. Get up on your feet and run your censure motion. If you really believe in what you are saying, this is your big chance. You lead with the chin, even before the police inquiry is completed. Let us see if you have the courage of your convictions.
Mr Reed: The fire in your belly!
Mr STONE: Come on! Where is the fire in the belly? On your feet! Suspend standing orders and run your censure motion. Let us see what you are made of.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016