Mrs HICKEY - 1996-11-27
My question follows on from the very interesting response to the first question. Earlier in this saga, the Chief Minister declared: `If the federal police do not give us a copy of this report, then they are covering up'. That was reported in the NT News of 8 November this year. He was requesting a copy of the federal police report. What are Territorians to make of his refusal to table the Northern Territory police report? What is the Chief Minister covering up?
ANSWER
I am covering up nothing, Mr Speaker, because I am subsequently told ...
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Mr Stirling: The federal police were covering up though! Who is covering up now?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I was told subsequently that the AFP report, as it was referred to, in fact is a file. I would settle for the federal Director of Public Prosecution's advice. I have asked for that, but I cannot obtain even that. I would accept ...
Mr Bailey: Table one that fulfils your requirements.
Mr STONE: I will pick up the interjection from the member for Wanguri. He reflects then on the partiality of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Mr Bailey: No, on you.
Mr STONE: That is the intent of his interjection when he tells me to come here and table the report that suits my needs.
Let me make this point very clear. I did call for the release of information from the Australian Federal Police and I also called for the release of the advice from the federal Director of Public Prosecutions. I have received neither, but I will tell you what I have done.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr STONE: I have come into this Chamber - if the member for Nhulunbuy will be quiet and listen - and I have tabled up-front the advice of the Northern Territory Director of Public Prosecutions. That certainly puts me ...
Mr Stirling: Not the police report.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: ... in front of where the federal authorities are at this point.
The member claims there is a report. I say again that I have not seen the report that is referred to in the advice. Get that through your heads. I would not be standing here ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: If the member for Wanguri will be quiet and listen, I would not be standing here and claiming not to have seen the report prepared by Assistant Commissioner Valentin if, in fact, I had seen it. The consequence of that would be that my career would be over. That is how serious it would be. I have not seen the report prepared by Assistant Commissioner Valentin ...
Mr Stirling: That should stop you getting electoral information ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
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Mr STONE: ... nor have I seen the police file. I make the point again that it would be a very dangerous practice for politicians to be able to access a police file. What the Leader of the Opposition wants to do is to revisit the whole file.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr STONE: I am becoming very tired of the member for Nhulunbuy, Mr Speaker.
Mr SPEAKER: As are we all.
Mrs Hickey: Did you not ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Syd Vicious and Johnny Rotten, between the 2 of you ...
A member interjecting.
Mr STONE: It would be a very dangerous practice if politicians were able to access police files. It suits the Leader of the Opposition ...
Mr Stirling: Why did you ask for the federal report if it is so dangerous?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I did not ask for the file, and that is a big difference.
Mr Bailey: We have not asked for the file.
Mr STONE: It is the big difference between ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Mr Speaker, I understand your frustration.
I make the point again that it would be an extremely dangerous practice if politicians, even Ministers of Police, even heads of government, were able to access a police file. I say to you again ...
Mr Bailey: We are not asking for the file.
Mr STONE: Yes, you are. You are asking for the police file because that is what went to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Why will members opposite not accept the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions? What could they put in front of me that would persuade me that they would be more skilled than an independent officer such as the Director of Public Prosecutions drawing his own conclusions, having had complete access to the police file?
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Even the Leader of the Opposition said, when she emerged from her briefing by the Commissioner of Police, that this would be a very thorough investigation. If she stands by that comment and if she accepts that the results of the very thorough investigation were then sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, a highly skilled Queen's Counsel and very experienced in criminal law, who had an overview of the entire police investigation and came to the conclusion there had been no wrongdoing in the Department of the Chief Minister or the Department of Health, why won't she accept those findings?
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ANSWER
I am covering up nothing, Mr Speaker, because I am subsequently told ...
Page 1831
Mr Stirling: The federal police were covering up though! Who is covering up now?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I was told subsequently that the AFP report, as it was referred to, in fact is a file. I would settle for the federal Director of Public Prosecution's advice. I have asked for that, but I cannot obtain even that. I would accept ...
Mr Bailey: Table one that fulfils your requirements.
Mr STONE: I will pick up the interjection from the member for Wanguri. He reflects then on the partiality of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Mr Bailey: No, on you.
Mr STONE: That is the intent of his interjection when he tells me to come here and table the report that suits my needs.
Let me make this point very clear. I did call for the release of information from the Australian Federal Police and I also called for the release of the advice from the federal Director of Public Prosecutions. I have received neither, but I will tell you what I have done.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr STONE: I have come into this Chamber - if the member for Nhulunbuy will be quiet and listen - and I have tabled up-front the advice of the Northern Territory Director of Public Prosecutions. That certainly puts me ...
Mr Stirling: Not the police report.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: ... in front of where the federal authorities are at this point.
The member claims there is a report. I say again that I have not seen the report that is referred to in the advice. Get that through your heads. I would not be standing here ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: If the member for Wanguri will be quiet and listen, I would not be standing here and claiming not to have seen the report prepared by Assistant Commissioner Valentin if, in fact, I had seen it. The consequence of that would be that my career would be over. That is how serious it would be. I have not seen the report prepared by Assistant Commissioner Valentin ...
Mr Stirling: That should stop you getting electoral information ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Page 1832
Mr STONE: ... nor have I seen the police file. I make the point again that it would be a very dangerous practice for politicians to be able to access a police file. What the Leader of the Opposition wants to do is to revisit the whole file.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr STONE: I am becoming very tired of the member for Nhulunbuy, Mr Speaker.
Mr SPEAKER: As are we all.
Mrs Hickey: Did you not ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Syd Vicious and Johnny Rotten, between the 2 of you ...
A member interjecting.
Mr STONE: It would be a very dangerous practice if politicians were able to access police files. It suits the Leader of the Opposition ...
Mr Stirling: Why did you ask for the federal report if it is so dangerous?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I did not ask for the file, and that is a big difference.
Mr Bailey: We have not asked for the file.
Mr STONE: It is the big difference between ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Mr Speaker, I understand your frustration.
I make the point again that it would be an extremely dangerous practice if politicians, even Ministers of Police, even heads of government, were able to access a police file. I say to you again ...
Mr Bailey: We are not asking for the file.
Mr STONE: Yes, you are. You are asking for the police file because that is what went to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Why will members opposite not accept the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions? What could they put in front of me that would persuade me that they would be more skilled than an independent officer such as the Director of Public Prosecutions drawing his own conclusions, having had complete access to the police file?
Page 1833
Even the Leader of the Opposition said, when she emerged from her briefing by the Commissioner of Police, that this would be a very thorough investigation. If she stands by that comment and if she accepts that the results of the very thorough investigation were then sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, a highly skilled Queen's Counsel and very experienced in criminal law, who had an overview of the entire police investigation and came to the conclusion there had been no wrongdoing in the Department of the Chief Minister or the Department of Health, why won't she accept those findings?
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016