Mr BURKE - 2001-10-25
In relation to the Border Protection Act - an act which has been publicly stated as having the full support of both, not only our Prime Minister, but also the Opposition Leader Kim Beazley - will the Chief Minister disassociate herself and her government from the position adopted by the federal member for the Northern Territory, Warren Snowdon, who stated on ABC radio on 25 September that: ‘Labor has made the point that these matters …’ – that is, the Border Protection Act – ‘… can be revisited and we, Labor, will be revisiting them after the federal election’. Will the Chief Minister give a cast-iron guarantee that the Border Protection Act has her total support?
ANSWER
I thank the Opposition Leader for his question. Again, it goes to the heart of the Opposition Leader’s confidence that Labor will win the federal election. It is heartening to hear that he supports Australia’s move, state by state, and finally in the federal jurisdiction, to actually have Labor administrations in – the same kind of confidence that Territorians had to put a Labor administration into the Territory on 18 August.
It is very apparent that the Opposition Leader is only trying to create unnecessary political ructions by raising questions like this. We want to have appropriate measures in terms of border protections in this country, of course we do. Every Territorian does, every Australian does. It is only appropriate, when a Beazley government wins in Canberra on 10 November, that all legislation, all acts of the previous administration, will be looked at. It is the same way that we, as a new government in the Territory, are also reviewing the 26 years of the CLP’s legacy to Territorians.
In some instances, we are shocked by what we are finding. In other instances, there has been bipartisan support. Again, I welcome the Opposition Leader’s support for a Beazley government, and let us hope it is a convincing win on 10 November.
ANSWER
I thank the Opposition Leader for his question. Again, it goes to the heart of the Opposition Leader’s confidence that Labor will win the federal election. It is heartening to hear that he supports Australia’s move, state by state, and finally in the federal jurisdiction, to actually have Labor administrations in – the same kind of confidence that Territorians had to put a Labor administration into the Territory on 18 August.
It is very apparent that the Opposition Leader is only trying to create unnecessary political ructions by raising questions like this. We want to have appropriate measures in terms of border protections in this country, of course we do. Every Territorian does, every Australian does. It is only appropriate, when a Beazley government wins in Canberra on 10 November, that all legislation, all acts of the previous administration, will be looked at. It is the same way that we, as a new government in the Territory, are also reviewing the 26 years of the CLP’s legacy to Territorians.
In some instances, we are shocked by what we are finding. In other instances, there has been bipartisan support. Again, I welcome the Opposition Leader’s support for a Beazley government, and let us hope it is a convincing win on 10 November.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016