Mr BONSON - 2005-08-18
Earlier in Question Time, the Leader of the Opposition told the parliament that Senator Nigel Scullion attended the Senate earlier today and voted in favour of the motion moved by Senator Crossin relating to the Commonwealth’s plan to impose a nuclear waste dump on the Northern Territory ...
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Millner is incorrect. I did not say that Senator Scullion attended the Senate. I will read the question back to him if he likes. Madam Speaker, I will object again if the member for Millner ascribes to me words that I did not utter.
Madam SPEAKER: At this stage, there is no point of order. However, Leader of the Opposition …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! There is no point of order. However if, in fact, you feel that you have been misquoted, after the question and the answer has been given, then you are able to come and talk to me about making a personal explanation. Member for Millner, please start the question again.
Mr BONSON: Earlier in Question Time, the Leader of the Opposition told the parliament that Senator Nigel Scullion attended the Senate earlier today and voted in favour of a motion …
Ms Carney: Wrong! Liar!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BONSON: … moved by Senator Crossin relating to the Commonwealth’s plan to impose a nuclear waste dump on the Northern Territory. Can the minister advise what he knows about these assertions made by the Leader of the Opposition?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for raising this question, because it gives me an opportunity to put on the record my understanding of this from information that I have just received. The question, as I understood it and heard it from the Leader of the Opposition, was that Senator Scullion did support the position in the Senate. Why else would I have stood here and commended the actions of one Senator Scullion if not for the fact that I said this Assembly should be proud of both Senator Crossin and Senator Scullion for their support of Northern Territorians who put them there?
The Leader of the Opposition also asked me to withdraw comments I had made about Senator Scullion’s position in relation to this matter. It may be that we have to up the ante a bit more, rather than withdraw anything, and I am glad I did not. I have just received advice that the Leader of the Opposition said that Senator Scullion was in the Chamber. The fact is, he was not.
Ms Carney: It could not have passed without his support; you know that.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr STIRLING: The Leader of the Opposition indicated that Senator Scullion voted in favour. If he voted in favour, clearly, he had to be in the Senate Chamber to take part in the vote on the motion.
Ms Carney: Passed with his support.
Mr Henderson: No, you said ‘voted’.
Mr STIRLING: The fact is, he did not …
Ms Carney: No, I did not, member for Wanguri.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: … he was not even in the Senate! I find it absolutely appalling that the Leader of the Opposition would mislead this House in the fashion that she has …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Acting Chief Minister has made an allegation against me that I have misled the parliament. That is not the case and I ask him to withdraw. It is not the case.
Madam SPEAKER: Acting Chief Minister, resume your seat. This morning we had this very issue raised in the parliament. My position is that if you say that a member has misled - as opposed to deliberately misled, or blatantly misled - then I will allow that in a particular context. Otherwise, I will ask people to withdraw. Acting Chief Minister, I ask you to be a little more careful with the things you are going to say unless you are going to make a substantive motion …
Mr STIRLING: I will be careful, Madam Speaker. In relation to the Leader of the Opposition …
Ms Carney: Be honest. Stop telling fibs, let us say.
Mr STIRLING: In language that the Leader of the Opposition may understand, it would appear to me that, prima facie, there may be a case of the Leader of the Opposition misleading this Chamber. If that is not the case and she is able to defend that prima facie evidence that I put before her …
Ms Carney: It is not the case. Oh, the bush lawyer comes to town!
Mr STIRLING: … she should take the first given opportunity to personally correct the record. She knows, as well as I do, how serious an offence misleading this House is.
Ms Carney: Oh, settle down!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Ms Carney: Well, he is being pretty provocative, Madam Speaker - very provocative and wrong!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr STIRLING: I am giving her the opportunity to correct the record and it is an opportunity she ought take.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Millner is incorrect. I did not say that Senator Scullion attended the Senate. I will read the question back to him if he likes. Madam Speaker, I will object again if the member for Millner ascribes to me words that I did not utter.
Madam SPEAKER: At this stage, there is no point of order. However, Leader of the Opposition …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! There is no point of order. However if, in fact, you feel that you have been misquoted, after the question and the answer has been given, then you are able to come and talk to me about making a personal explanation. Member for Millner, please start the question again.
Mr BONSON: Earlier in Question Time, the Leader of the Opposition told the parliament that Senator Nigel Scullion attended the Senate earlier today and voted in favour of a motion …
Ms Carney: Wrong! Liar!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BONSON: … moved by Senator Crossin relating to the Commonwealth’s plan to impose a nuclear waste dump on the Northern Territory. Can the minister advise what he knows about these assertions made by the Leader of the Opposition?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for raising this question, because it gives me an opportunity to put on the record my understanding of this from information that I have just received. The question, as I understood it and heard it from the Leader of the Opposition, was that Senator Scullion did support the position in the Senate. Why else would I have stood here and commended the actions of one Senator Scullion if not for the fact that I said this Assembly should be proud of both Senator Crossin and Senator Scullion for their support of Northern Territorians who put them there?
The Leader of the Opposition also asked me to withdraw comments I had made about Senator Scullion’s position in relation to this matter. It may be that we have to up the ante a bit more, rather than withdraw anything, and I am glad I did not. I have just received advice that the Leader of the Opposition said that Senator Scullion was in the Chamber. The fact is, he was not.
Ms Carney: It could not have passed without his support; you know that.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr STIRLING: The Leader of the Opposition indicated that Senator Scullion voted in favour. If he voted in favour, clearly, he had to be in the Senate Chamber to take part in the vote on the motion.
Ms Carney: Passed with his support.
Mr Henderson: No, you said ‘voted’.
Mr STIRLING: The fact is, he did not …
Ms Carney: No, I did not, member for Wanguri.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: … he was not even in the Senate! I find it absolutely appalling that the Leader of the Opposition would mislead this House in the fashion that she has …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Acting Chief Minister has made an allegation against me that I have misled the parliament. That is not the case and I ask him to withdraw. It is not the case.
Madam SPEAKER: Acting Chief Minister, resume your seat. This morning we had this very issue raised in the parliament. My position is that if you say that a member has misled - as opposed to deliberately misled, or blatantly misled - then I will allow that in a particular context. Otherwise, I will ask people to withdraw. Acting Chief Minister, I ask you to be a little more careful with the things you are going to say unless you are going to make a substantive motion …
Mr STIRLING: I will be careful, Madam Speaker. In relation to the Leader of the Opposition …
Ms Carney: Be honest. Stop telling fibs, let us say.
Mr STIRLING: In language that the Leader of the Opposition may understand, it would appear to me that, prima facie, there may be a case of the Leader of the Opposition misleading this Chamber. If that is not the case and she is able to defend that prima facie evidence that I put before her …
Ms Carney: It is not the case. Oh, the bush lawyer comes to town!
Mr STIRLING: … she should take the first given opportunity to personally correct the record. She knows, as well as I do, how serious an offence misleading this House is.
Ms Carney: Oh, settle down!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Ms Carney: Well, he is being pretty provocative, Madam Speaker - very provocative and wrong!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr STIRLING: I am giving her the opportunity to correct the record and it is an opportunity she ought take.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016