Mr GUNNER - 2009-02-12
Last night in this House, the member for Fong Lim, Mr Tollner, made remarks about the appointment of the Administrator, His Honour, Tom Pauling. What is the fact of the matter?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I was present last night, and I did see and witness firsthand the comments made by the member for Fong Lim. This is a very serious issue. We repeatedly have the opposition talking about the importance of parliament as an institution and about our system of government. However, what we witnessed here last night was a denigration of our system, and our Administrator in particular.
I will read what was said last night from the Hansard record. It was in relation to the Matter of Public Importance and the McArthur River Mine. The member for Fong Lim said:
Those were the words used by the …
Mr Giles interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Braitling is constantly mumbling at an audible level so we cannot hear the Leader of Government Business.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, if you can contain yourself, please. Standing Order 51. Thank you.
Dr BURNS: Thank you, Madam Speaker. At the time, you intervened and asked the member for Fong Lim to withdraw and apologise to this House, which he did.
Madam Speaker, I believe that it takes more than that. I believe that the member for Fong Lim should publicly apologise for the disgraceful assertion that the appointment of the Administrator, Mr Tom Pauling, was corrupt, because that is essentially what he was saying.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Member for Fong Lim, order!
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Nowhere in any speech did I suggest that the Administrator was corrupt. I ask that the minister withdraw that allegation.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, if you wish to, you may approach me to make a personal explanation.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Fong Lim has every right to be upset. Standing Order 62 states that:
The member for Fong Lim was quoted as saying one thing, and then reinterpreted as saying something entirely other than what he said by the Leader of Government Business. I believe that those words are offensive and unbecoming, and the minister should be asked to withdraw those offensive and unbecoming words.
Madam SPEAKER: I will seek some advice. In relation to the point of order, minister, I would like you to reword your …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Before we continue, please resume your seat. … reword, bearing in mind Standing Order 62, but also bearing in mind that the member for Fong Lim has already withdrawn the comments and apologised to the House. Minister, if you would reword, that would be fine, thank you.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister made a derogatory comment towards me. I would ask you to ask him to withdraw that comment, not just reword, and apologise.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, speaking to the point of order, I did not say that the member for Fong Lim said that the Administrator was corrupt. What I have said was that he was asserting that the appointment of the Administrator was corrupt.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker. He gave us an interpretation which is designed to satisfy the people in the Press Gallery. He gave an interpretation. He had no right to make that interpretation for this is an outrageous interpretation. This is a political stunt designed to do nothing more than obfuscate from the problems of that government.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat. Minister, I would like you to reword and to withdraw the specific comments you have made regarding the member for Fong Lim, as I have explained to you, bearing in mind that the member for Fong Lim has actually apologised to the House and withdrawn the comments. If you can, continue, but if you are unable to continue in that way, then I will ask you to resume your seat.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, I have acknowledged that the member for Fong Lim has withdrawn and apologised to this House.
Mr Tollner: You were asked to withdraw.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, can you please withdraw the comments?
Dr BURNS: I withdraw whatever comments relate to the member for Fong Lim, apologising to this House and withdrawing his comments to this House.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much. He has withdrawn the comments. Resume your seat, member for Port Darwin.
Dr BURNS: My point is beyond that, Madam Speaker. It relates to the need for the member for Fong Lim to publicly apologise, not just to this House, but to publicly apologise for his comments last night because they cut to our very system of democracy and government. They cast a shadow over the office of the Administrator. I am calling on the Leader of the Opposition …
Mr Tollner: Rubbish, absolute rubbish. Sit down.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Dr BURNS: … if he has any leadership in him, to compel the member for Fong Lim to apologise.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I was present last night, and I did see and witness firsthand the comments made by the member for Fong Lim. This is a very serious issue. We repeatedly have the opposition talking about the importance of parliament as an institution and about our system of government. However, what we witnessed here last night was a denigration of our system, and our Administrator in particular.
I will read what was said last night from the Hansard record. It was in relation to the Matter of Public Importance and the McArthur River Mine. The member for Fong Lim said:
- Another little aside about this was that the person who drafted the legislation at the time was the then Solicitor-General, Tom Pauling, who did a great job in drafting that legislation and having it available for the parliament. He was, I believe, justly rewarded and I support his appointment as the Administrator.
Those were the words used by the …
Mr Giles interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Braitling is constantly mumbling at an audible level so we cannot hear the Leader of Government Business.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, if you can contain yourself, please. Standing Order 51. Thank you.
Dr BURNS: Thank you, Madam Speaker. At the time, you intervened and asked the member for Fong Lim to withdraw and apologise to this House, which he did.
Madam Speaker, I believe that it takes more than that. I believe that the member for Fong Lim should publicly apologise for the disgraceful assertion that the appointment of the Administrator, Mr Tom Pauling, was corrupt, because that is essentially what he was saying.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Member for Fong Lim, order!
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Nowhere in any speech did I suggest that the Administrator was corrupt. I ask that the minister withdraw that allegation.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, if you wish to, you may approach me to make a personal explanation.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Fong Lim has every right to be upset. Standing Order 62 states that:
- No Member shall use offensive or unbecoming words against the Assembly or any Member of the Assembly …
The member for Fong Lim was quoted as saying one thing, and then reinterpreted as saying something entirely other than what he said by the Leader of Government Business. I believe that those words are offensive and unbecoming, and the minister should be asked to withdraw those offensive and unbecoming words.
Madam SPEAKER: I will seek some advice. In relation to the point of order, minister, I would like you to reword your …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Before we continue, please resume your seat. … reword, bearing in mind Standing Order 62, but also bearing in mind that the member for Fong Lim has already withdrawn the comments and apologised to the House. Minister, if you would reword, that would be fine, thank you.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister made a derogatory comment towards me. I would ask you to ask him to withdraw that comment, not just reword, and apologise.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, speaking to the point of order, I did not say that the member for Fong Lim said that the Administrator was corrupt. What I have said was that he was asserting that the appointment of the Administrator was corrupt.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker. He gave us an interpretation which is designed to satisfy the people in the Press Gallery. He gave an interpretation. He had no right to make that interpretation for this is an outrageous interpretation. This is a political stunt designed to do nothing more than obfuscate from the problems of that government.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat. Minister, I would like you to reword and to withdraw the specific comments you have made regarding the member for Fong Lim, as I have explained to you, bearing in mind that the member for Fong Lim has actually apologised to the House and withdrawn the comments. If you can, continue, but if you are unable to continue in that way, then I will ask you to resume your seat.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, I have acknowledged that the member for Fong Lim has withdrawn and apologised to this House.
Mr Tollner: You were asked to withdraw.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, can you please withdraw the comments?
Dr BURNS: I withdraw whatever comments relate to the member for Fong Lim, apologising to this House and withdrawing his comments to this House.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much. He has withdrawn the comments. Resume your seat, member for Port Darwin.
Dr BURNS: My point is beyond that, Madam Speaker. It relates to the need for the member for Fong Lim to publicly apologise, not just to this House, but to publicly apologise for his comments last night because they cut to our very system of democracy and government. They cast a shadow over the office of the Administrator. I am calling on the Leader of the Opposition …
Mr Tollner: Rubbish, absolute rubbish. Sit down.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Dr BURNS: … if he has any leadership in him, to compel the member for Fong Lim to apologise.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016