Mr ADAMSON - 1995-02-21
Can the Chief Minister confirm that, before the last Territory election, the Leader of the Opposition stated quite clearly to Territorians that the member for Arafura would never be a minister in an Ede government and yet, on 7 February this year, he announced that the member for Arafura had returned to the shadow ministry? Is the Chief Minister concerned about this and, in particular, its effect on the Territory's reputation and image?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this is indeed a matter of substance because we are talking about the credibility and standing of the Leader of the Opposition who holds himself out to Territorians as the leader of an alternative government. When considering him as the Leader of the Opposition, one has to do that on a day-to-day basis because we are never quite sure how long he will be there. However, he has been quoted as saying that the member for Arafura will never be a minister in his government. That is perhaps not an unfair statement because we know that the member for Stuart will not be given an opportunity by Territorians to form a government. However, I am sure that, when he said that, he meant that he would not even have him in his shadow ministry. Indeed, for a considerable period, he did not. The Leader of the Opposition has made some play in the past about the standards to which he requires his frontbenchers to adhere.
It appears that caucus is slipping a little in terms of ensuring that he maintains those standards. After the recent election, when the Labor rump was reduced to being run by a trio of members of the 100 Club, the promises, the principles and, in particular, the standards went out the window. We appreciate that the Leader of the Opposition did not have a great deal to work with. The member for MacDonnell took his bat and ball and went home. He decided that, as he was the longest-serving opposition member in the country, it was time for some long service leave.
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Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr PERRON: We appreciate that the Leader of the Opposition did not have much talent to work with and he was constrained by his statement that the member for Arafura would not be on his front bench. He found a job for the member for Arafura as the chairperson of a caucus committee on social justice and poverty. The Leader of the Opposition told us the new committee on social justice and poverty would have its terms of reference and additional membership announced at a later date. That was all announced on July last year. We are still waiting to know about the terms of reference and the additional members.
Mr Ede: You didn't get your drop? You must have dropped off the ALP mailing list.
Mr PERRON: That could be true.
The government thought that this committee might really do some stirring and we had better organise material in respect of the approaches that it might make to government seeking information and perhaps making criticisms. Not long before the sittings, I asked for the material to be supplied to me so that I would be prepared and I found that the file on the social justice committee of the ALP was a little light. It contains 3 press releases, one of which refers to the shameful speech that the member for Arafura made about the Northern Territory to a Labor Party conference in Tasmania. I am not sure that he particularly wanted that speech reported in the Territory.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr PERRON: It seems that the new chairman of the social justice and poverty committee has indeed worked very diligently to produce this file because obviously he has made amends to the Leader of the Opposition and now finds himself restored to the opposition front bench. The message to Territorians is that they cannot believe the Leader of the Opposition who waffled on about the principles that he would adhere to in relation to his shadow Cabinet. He would not have people who were unfit for his front bench. What did he do? He did a 180 turn. My assessment of what happened is that, when the door was opened a fraction for the member for MacDonnell to come in, the member for Arafura snuck in through the crack. They are all on the front bench now, irrespective of their standing or fitness to be there.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this is indeed a matter of substance because we are talking about the credibility and standing of the Leader of the Opposition who holds himself out to Territorians as the leader of an alternative government. When considering him as the Leader of the Opposition, one has to do that on a day-to-day basis because we are never quite sure how long he will be there. However, he has been quoted as saying that the member for Arafura will never be a minister in his government. That is perhaps not an unfair statement because we know that the member for Stuart will not be given an opportunity by Territorians to form a government. However, I am sure that, when he said that, he meant that he would not even have him in his shadow ministry. Indeed, for a considerable period, he did not. The Leader of the Opposition has made some play in the past about the standards to which he requires his frontbenchers to adhere.
It appears that caucus is slipping a little in terms of ensuring that he maintains those standards. After the recent election, when the Labor rump was reduced to being run by a trio of members of the 100 Club, the promises, the principles and, in particular, the standards went out the window. We appreciate that the Leader of the Opposition did not have a great deal to work with. The member for MacDonnell took his bat and ball and went home. He decided that, as he was the longest-serving opposition member in the country, it was time for some long service leave.
Page 413
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr PERRON: We appreciate that the Leader of the Opposition did not have much talent to work with and he was constrained by his statement that the member for Arafura would not be on his front bench. He found a job for the member for Arafura as the chairperson of a caucus committee on social justice and poverty. The Leader of the Opposition told us the new committee on social justice and poverty would have its terms of reference and additional membership announced at a later date. That was all announced on July last year. We are still waiting to know about the terms of reference and the additional members.
Mr Ede: You didn't get your drop? You must have dropped off the ALP mailing list.
Mr PERRON: That could be true.
The government thought that this committee might really do some stirring and we had better organise material in respect of the approaches that it might make to government seeking information and perhaps making criticisms. Not long before the sittings, I asked for the material to be supplied to me so that I would be prepared and I found that the file on the social justice committee of the ALP was a little light. It contains 3 press releases, one of which refers to the shameful speech that the member for Arafura made about the Northern Territory to a Labor Party conference in Tasmania. I am not sure that he particularly wanted that speech reported in the Territory.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr PERRON: It seems that the new chairman of the social justice and poverty committee has indeed worked very diligently to produce this file because obviously he has made amends to the Leader of the Opposition and now finds himself restored to the opposition front bench. The message to Territorians is that they cannot believe the Leader of the Opposition who waffled on about the principles that he would adhere to in relation to his shadow Cabinet. He would not have people who were unfit for his front bench. What did he do? He did a 180 turn. My assessment of what happened is that, when the door was opened a fraction for the member for MacDonnell to come in, the member for Arafura snuck in through the crack. They are all on the front bench now, irrespective of their standing or fitness to be there.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016