Mrs HICKEY - 1996-08-13
The Chief Minister has created a conflict of interest for himself. He has accepted from Telstra a compromising personal gift, valued at about $20 000. He will have a conflict of interest every time a matter of the Territory's communications comes before Cabinet. Does he intend to absent himself from all future discussions and decisions on communications and, in particular, does he intend to absent himself from all Cabinet decisions regarding the outsourcing of services currently offered by NCOM?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I welcome the question. May I preface my remarks by saying that I have an Optus phone and I will not be changing that arrangement. I ask the Leader of the Opposition for 2 things. The first is an apology, and that apology is due. If there is any shred of decency in the Leader of the Opposition ...
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr STONE: Obviously, the member for Arnhem does not think there is because he just chuckled.
However, if there is any decency in the Leader of the Opposition, she will concede that the allegation that she made - that I had an `all expenses paid', first-class trip to Atlanta - was in fact a lie. It was not true. Nonetheless, she was out there, with that other character, Bob Collins, making the allegation that this was an `all expenses paid' trip. It was never that at any stage of the game. That is the first point, and I want an apology. However, I will not hold my breath waiting for one because she is not very good at facing up to the blues she creates. We have seen that in the time that she has been Leader of the Opposition.
The second thing I want from the Leader of the Opposition is for her to apply at least the same standard to her own colleagues as she seeks to apply to me. I want her to agree that the very same rules that she would impose on people on this side will be applied on her own side. I would like to know, for example, whether she considers it to be in order that air fares be accepted to Melbourne, together with transfers. Does she accept that the receipt of air fares by her colleagues on that side of the House is in order for travel around Australia? Does it come as a surprise to her to hear that one of her colleagues has accepted air fares from Telstra? Was she not aware that, in fact, one of her own had done the same?
What about cash donations from social clubs? Does she think that is in order? Does she consider it appropriate that a member of this House accept donations of that kind? Is she prepared to apply the same standard to the shadow minister for sport, Steve Martin, as she seeks to apply to me? Is it not right for me, yet okay for him? Let me quote an interview from 12 August: `I was actually a guest of the 7 Network and, as such, was part of just an ordinary tour group, as if any other person had gone over, acquired a ticket to go to different events, and turned up'. You have one set of rules for me but a different set of rules for your own colleagues, both in this Chamber ...
Page 1459
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Chief Minister has been burbling on about people in other Houses for some time ...
Mr STONE: I am talking about people sitting opposite.
Mrs HICKEY: He is not addressing the question. The question is whether he accepts that he has a conflict of interest. He needs to address that.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order, but I would ask the Chief Minister to get through the answer as quickly as possible.
Mr STONE: Mr Speaker, given that I disclosed the fact that I had accepted business class air fares from Telstra, prior to my departure, and that I have declared it in my pecuniary interests return, I fail to understand how that can be interpreted as involving some sleight of hand. It is far from it. The reality was that these invitations were issued under the regime of the former Labor federal government. They were accepted by governments around Australia for a purpose. Does the Leader of the Opposition intend to apply the same rules to Premier Carr's government as she applies to mine? The hypocrisy is that she would come in here and say that it was wrong for me to accept the fare from Telstra when one of her own colleagues, sitting over there, did exactly the same. Admittedly, it was for a different purpose, but that member did exactly the same.
Let us get to the bottom of this. Does this present a problem? Wouldn't one think there would be some merit ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: ... in a minister or a Chief Minister or even a Northern Territory government official ...
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr STONE: That is about the quality of interjection we hear from you. Talking about the high jump, we are waiting for the high jump over on that side. We do not think it is very far off.
Mr Speaker, wouldn't you think there would be some merit in the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory having the opportunity to see for himself the likely commercial outcomes that might flow to the Northern Territory as a result of the Sydney Olympics? Don't you think it is a positive that it did not cost the Territory taxpayer a single dollar to facilitate an understanding of what the Territory could obtain from the Sydney Olympics?
Mr Bailey: You are tainted.
Mr STONE: At least I am not mad. You are insane. We have seen an example of that ...
Page 1460
Ms Martin: Hungry Jack's.
Mr STONE: I will pick up the interjection from the member for Fannie Bay. She thinks it is something of a joke that I should have met the head of Hungry Jack's. She thinks that is somehow trivial. Hungry Jack's not only runs a very successful outlet in the Northern Territory, but is on the verge of opening a second one. The opportunity to meet with its CEO, to give him assurances about development in the Northern Territory, was of value. Did you know that he also owns the KFC outlets? All of these businesses employ Territory youngsters. Don't you think that there was enough ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: You think that is a joke.
Ms Martin: You had to go to Atlanta to see him!
Mr STONE: That is where he was, and that is where the opportunity to meet him was presented. The problem here is that I am dealing with people who have small minds, who have no understanding of the value of people having an opportunity to meet, without any cost to the Territory taxpayer, to see what could flow to the Territory come the Sydney Olympics.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: As I said, if you want to throw those sorts of rocks at me, look over your shoulder and start applying the same standards there. I would have thought that, at the very least, in your caucus meeting, you would have asked your members whether they had anything to tell you before you went after me. You would have been rushed off your feet in that instance. Have a look at the pecuniary interests returns and you will see that.
The opposition is absolutely unprepared. It is in disarray. This morning's performance was a joke. It has cut into 20 minutes of Question Time. You did not know what the member for Wanguri was going to do and, when it came to seconding the motion, 2 members opposite jumped to their feet. That shows how disorganised they are. When I asked the Leader of the Opposition if she knew what the member for Wanguri was going to do, she shook her head. They are out of control.
Page 1461
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I welcome the question. May I preface my remarks by saying that I have an Optus phone and I will not be changing that arrangement. I ask the Leader of the Opposition for 2 things. The first is an apology, and that apology is due. If there is any shred of decency in the Leader of the Opposition ...
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr STONE: Obviously, the member for Arnhem does not think there is because he just chuckled.
However, if there is any decency in the Leader of the Opposition, she will concede that the allegation that she made - that I had an `all expenses paid', first-class trip to Atlanta - was in fact a lie. It was not true. Nonetheless, she was out there, with that other character, Bob Collins, making the allegation that this was an `all expenses paid' trip. It was never that at any stage of the game. That is the first point, and I want an apology. However, I will not hold my breath waiting for one because she is not very good at facing up to the blues she creates. We have seen that in the time that she has been Leader of the Opposition.
The second thing I want from the Leader of the Opposition is for her to apply at least the same standard to her own colleagues as she seeks to apply to me. I want her to agree that the very same rules that she would impose on people on this side will be applied on her own side. I would like to know, for example, whether she considers it to be in order that air fares be accepted to Melbourne, together with transfers. Does she accept that the receipt of air fares by her colleagues on that side of the House is in order for travel around Australia? Does it come as a surprise to her to hear that one of her colleagues has accepted air fares from Telstra? Was she not aware that, in fact, one of her own had done the same?
What about cash donations from social clubs? Does she think that is in order? Does she consider it appropriate that a member of this House accept donations of that kind? Is she prepared to apply the same standard to the shadow minister for sport, Steve Martin, as she seeks to apply to me? Is it not right for me, yet okay for him? Let me quote an interview from 12 August: `I was actually a guest of the 7 Network and, as such, was part of just an ordinary tour group, as if any other person had gone over, acquired a ticket to go to different events, and turned up'. You have one set of rules for me but a different set of rules for your own colleagues, both in this Chamber ...
Page 1459
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The Chief Minister has been burbling on about people in other Houses for some time ...
Mr STONE: I am talking about people sitting opposite.
Mrs HICKEY: He is not addressing the question. The question is whether he accepts that he has a conflict of interest. He needs to address that.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order, but I would ask the Chief Minister to get through the answer as quickly as possible.
Mr STONE: Mr Speaker, given that I disclosed the fact that I had accepted business class air fares from Telstra, prior to my departure, and that I have declared it in my pecuniary interests return, I fail to understand how that can be interpreted as involving some sleight of hand. It is far from it. The reality was that these invitations were issued under the regime of the former Labor federal government. They were accepted by governments around Australia for a purpose. Does the Leader of the Opposition intend to apply the same rules to Premier Carr's government as she applies to mine? The hypocrisy is that she would come in here and say that it was wrong for me to accept the fare from Telstra when one of her own colleagues, sitting over there, did exactly the same. Admittedly, it was for a different purpose, but that member did exactly the same.
Let us get to the bottom of this. Does this present a problem? Wouldn't one think there would be some merit ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: ... in a minister or a Chief Minister or even a Northern Territory government official ...
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr STONE: That is about the quality of interjection we hear from you. Talking about the high jump, we are waiting for the high jump over on that side. We do not think it is very far off.
Mr Speaker, wouldn't you think there would be some merit in the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory having the opportunity to see for himself the likely commercial outcomes that might flow to the Northern Territory as a result of the Sydney Olympics? Don't you think it is a positive that it did not cost the Territory taxpayer a single dollar to facilitate an understanding of what the Territory could obtain from the Sydney Olympics?
Mr Bailey: You are tainted.
Mr STONE: At least I am not mad. You are insane. We have seen an example of that ...
Page 1460
Ms Martin: Hungry Jack's.
Mr STONE: I will pick up the interjection from the member for Fannie Bay. She thinks it is something of a joke that I should have met the head of Hungry Jack's. She thinks that is somehow trivial. Hungry Jack's not only runs a very successful outlet in the Northern Territory, but is on the verge of opening a second one. The opportunity to meet with its CEO, to give him assurances about development in the Northern Territory, was of value. Did you know that he also owns the KFC outlets? All of these businesses employ Territory youngsters. Don't you think that there was enough ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: You think that is a joke.
Ms Martin: You had to go to Atlanta to see him!
Mr STONE: That is where he was, and that is where the opportunity to meet him was presented. The problem here is that I am dealing with people who have small minds, who have no understanding of the value of people having an opportunity to meet, without any cost to the Territory taxpayer, to see what could flow to the Territory come the Sydney Olympics.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: As I said, if you want to throw those sorts of rocks at me, look over your shoulder and start applying the same standards there. I would have thought that, at the very least, in your caucus meeting, you would have asked your members whether they had anything to tell you before you went after me. You would have been rushed off your feet in that instance. Have a look at the pecuniary interests returns and you will see that.
The opposition is absolutely unprepared. It is in disarray. This morning's performance was a joke. It has cut into 20 minutes of Question Time. You did not know what the member for Wanguri was going to do and, when it came to seconding the motion, 2 members opposite jumped to their feet. That shows how disorganised they are. When I asked the Leader of the Opposition if she knew what the member for Wanguri was going to do, she shook her head. They are out of control.
Page 1461
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016