Mrs PADGHAM-PURICH - 1994-10-11
We know that the Chief Minister is the leader of the Country Liberal Party parliamentary wing and, as such, wields considerable power over preselection of CLP candidates for elections. Was a full examination of the curriculum vitae of all preselected male candidates carried out before the last election as to their views on domestic violence?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the honourable member, whilst rightly describing my position, wrongly assumes the extent of my power and influence in relation to preselection. If there is one area that the political party that I am proud to represent in this parliament guards jealously to itself - and I refer to the party machine as distinct from the parliamentary wing - it is preselection. It is the one real opportunity that the party has every 4 years in the Territory to bring its politicians into line, to sort out those who will be endorsed and those who will not be endorsed, those who have performed satisfactorily and those who have not performed satisfactorily. Therefore, the party has a very careful and detailed structure for preselection and I support that.
Mrs Padgham-Purich: And you are part of the party.
Mr PERRON: I do not usually discuss many of these party matters in this Assembly, but my own position is as a delegate to a forum which, at the end of the day, handles the recommendations of preselection branches. In that forum, I am one of about 60 delegates. My vote is equivalent to that of each one of the other 60 delegates.
As for what members and applicants for preselection have been asked and responded to in their preselection processes, I really could not say. Of course, I have a general understanding because Questions are put to me as well. I go through the preselection committee process on every occasion, as do all sitting members of the CLP. The committee Questions prospective candidates extensively. I do not recall Questions on domestic violence being directed to me personally. Perhaps that is because my views are reasonably well known publicly. Other members may have been asked those Questions. Thus, I am unable to answer comprehensively the Question the honourable member has asked of me as to whether, by and large, candidates were asked about their attitudes towards domestic violence. Certainly, that would be a very reasonable Question to put to a candidate, along with many others of similar ilk, when people are being asked to identify their attitudes as being suitable to represent the CLP in the Territory's parliament.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the honourable member, whilst rightly describing my position, wrongly assumes the extent of my power and influence in relation to preselection. If there is one area that the political party that I am proud to represent in this parliament guards jealously to itself - and I refer to the party machine as distinct from the parliamentary wing - it is preselection. It is the one real opportunity that the party has every 4 years in the Territory to bring its politicians into line, to sort out those who will be endorsed and those who will not be endorsed, those who have performed satisfactorily and those who have not performed satisfactorily. Therefore, the party has a very careful and detailed structure for preselection and I support that.
Mrs Padgham-Purich: And you are part of the party.
Mr PERRON: I do not usually discuss many of these party matters in this Assembly, but my own position is as a delegate to a forum which, at the end of the day, handles the recommendations of preselection branches. In that forum, I am one of about 60 delegates. My vote is equivalent to that of each one of the other 60 delegates.
As for what members and applicants for preselection have been asked and responded to in their preselection processes, I really could not say. Of course, I have a general understanding because Questions are put to me as well. I go through the preselection committee process on every occasion, as do all sitting members of the CLP. The committee Questions prospective candidates extensively. I do not recall Questions on domestic violence being directed to me personally. Perhaps that is because my views are reasonably well known publicly. Other members may have been asked those Questions. Thus, I am unable to answer comprehensively the Question the honourable member has asked of me as to whether, by and large, candidates were asked about their attitudes towards domestic violence. Certainly, that would be a very reasonable Question to put to a candidate, along with many others of similar ilk, when people are being asked to identify their attitudes as being suitable to represent the CLP in the Territory's parliament.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016