Mr MILLS - 2007-06-20
Yesterday, you were asked to indicate which of the two following statements was truthful regarding your 2004 Mutitjulu memo. The first was made in parliament on 11 October 2006:
However, on Monday night you told Tony Jones:
Chief Minister, for the second time: which statement is true? Was your 2004 Mutitjulu memo based on information passed on by Greg Andrews, or was his 2006 Lateline appearance the first reporting you received from him?
Madam SPEAKER: Before I call the Chief Minister, member for Blain, I wonder if you would mind rewording that question. You are implying that one may not be true or the other. It is not a good way to start Question Time. Perhaps if you reword the question.
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, this question was asked yesterday, and it was not answered. We seek …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain, it is a question that would have to be asked by way of a substantive motion. Could you reword it so that it conforms with standing orders?
Dr LIM: Speaking to your point, Madam Speaker, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition asked the Chief Minister to substantiate one or another statement.
Madam SPEAKER: That would be reasonable, but I believe that …
Dr LIM: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition did not say that the Chief Minister was lying or anything at all. He was asking which is the right one.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain, I am asking you if you could please word it slightly differently so that it is not about the truth or otherwise in the question.
Mr MILLS: All right. Chief Minister, yesterday you were asked to indicate which of the two following statements was correct regarding your 2004 Mutitjulu memo. The first was made in parliament on 11 October 2006:
While on Monday night you told Tony Jones:
Now, for the second time: which statement is correct? Was your 2004 Mutitjulu memo based on information passed on by Greg Andrews, or was his 2006 Lateline appearance the first reporting you received from him?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Deputy Opposition Leader for his question. It is interesting. When this report is released by an independent inquiry with 97 recommendations in it about the future of one of the most serious issues facing the Territory, the best the opposition can do in dealing with this – and we saw it through the censure yesterday – is hardly a mention of the report, hardly a mention of the seriousness of the issue we are facing, the sexual abuse of Aboriginal children. There is an obsession to be running an argument of 12 months ago about a program that was done by Lateline on Mutitjulu. The obsession with the opposition in running this is really quite bizarre.
The opposition cannot accept the facts of this matter. The fact that there is a memo seems to have blinded them to any issues about it. Can I just take people back over a number of years? I am sure the member for Macdonnell knows about this, and probably the former member for Macdonnell knows about this: Mutitjulu was a very troubled community. There is no secret about that. Mutitjulu has a history of being a troubled community. The incidence of the petrol sniffing at Mutitjulu was something that was documented. Some of the social dysfunctions concerning that were written about in newspapers that went to the other side of the world.
Mr MILLS: A point of order; Madam Speaker! I am sure the Chief Minister does know that this question is a point of clarification: which statement is correct? That is all.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain, as you would be aware, there is a fair bit of latitude, both in the asking and answering of questions. The Chief Minister is answering the question.
Mr Mills: You are happy with this?
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker. It has a context. All these things have a context and there is …
Mr Mills: What, dishonesty has a context?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: The attempt by the Opposition Leader …
Mr Mills interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Blain, I would ask you to withdraw.
Mr Mills: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, the attempt by the opposition to distort what happened at Mutitjulu and the actions taken by myself as Chief Minister are quite extraordinary.
I was concerned about Mutitjulu. I put in a project manager. I never met that project manager, but Greg Andrews was put in to Mutitjulu to advise government on how we could deal with the issues, to advise government about the important issues that were troubling Mutitjulu, that were causing headlines, that were causing real concern.
The first time I set eyes on him was when he was on the Mutitjulu program of Lateline, in the dark, pretending to be a youth worker. Not surprisingly, people were pretty taken aback. I was taken aback when I was told that was Greg Andrews. There was some very strong criticism of Lateline for using a mechanism like that which, professionally, as journalists, you would have to ask serious questions about, and they were asked serious questions about it. There is quite a history with the Mutitjulu program. As I pointed out to Tony Jones the other night, it was not the issue they were talking about, it was the way they did the program that had so many people questioning what they did and how they did it. It is an important story they told, but it was they way they told it.
The fact is that I did write a memo to the then Police minister saying that there had been allegations of things happening in Mutitjulu that included damage from petrol sniffing and other things that were outlined. Certainly, police followed it up. Despite 170 interviews that they did, they could not find a matter to prosecute. It is a very sad tale, the Mutitjulu tale. Mutitjulu is very proud of the fact that they have put petrol sniffing behind them, and I congratulate the community for taking those strong steps. The Mutitjulu issue is a side issue to this because we now have this very substantial report to deal with and that, Madam Speaker, is where my focus is.
- I say again, much of the information passed to me by someone I trusted, that is the project manager of Working Together, Greg Andrews, has been unsubstantiated.
However, on Monday night you told Tony Jones:
- But the first reporting I get from him is anonymously through your program …
Chief Minister, for the second time: which statement is true? Was your 2004 Mutitjulu memo based on information passed on by Greg Andrews, or was his 2006 Lateline appearance the first reporting you received from him?
Madam SPEAKER: Before I call the Chief Minister, member for Blain, I wonder if you would mind rewording that question. You are implying that one may not be true or the other. It is not a good way to start Question Time. Perhaps if you reword the question.
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, this question was asked yesterday, and it was not answered. We seek …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain, it is a question that would have to be asked by way of a substantive motion. Could you reword it so that it conforms with standing orders?
Dr LIM: Speaking to your point, Madam Speaker, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition asked the Chief Minister to substantiate one or another statement.
Madam SPEAKER: That would be reasonable, but I believe that …
Dr LIM: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition did not say that the Chief Minister was lying or anything at all. He was asking which is the right one.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain, I am asking you if you could please word it slightly differently so that it is not about the truth or otherwise in the question.
Mr MILLS: All right. Chief Minister, yesterday you were asked to indicate which of the two following statements was correct regarding your 2004 Mutitjulu memo. The first was made in parliament on 11 October 2006:
- I say again, much of the information passed to me by someone I trusted, that is the project manager of Working Together, Greg Andrews, has been unsubstantiated.
While on Monday night you told Tony Jones:
- But the first reporting I get from him is anonymously through your program …
Now, for the second time: which statement is correct? Was your 2004 Mutitjulu memo based on information passed on by Greg Andrews, or was his 2006 Lateline appearance the first reporting you received from him?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Deputy Opposition Leader for his question. It is interesting. When this report is released by an independent inquiry with 97 recommendations in it about the future of one of the most serious issues facing the Territory, the best the opposition can do in dealing with this – and we saw it through the censure yesterday – is hardly a mention of the report, hardly a mention of the seriousness of the issue we are facing, the sexual abuse of Aboriginal children. There is an obsession to be running an argument of 12 months ago about a program that was done by Lateline on Mutitjulu. The obsession with the opposition in running this is really quite bizarre.
The opposition cannot accept the facts of this matter. The fact that there is a memo seems to have blinded them to any issues about it. Can I just take people back over a number of years? I am sure the member for Macdonnell knows about this, and probably the former member for Macdonnell knows about this: Mutitjulu was a very troubled community. There is no secret about that. Mutitjulu has a history of being a troubled community. The incidence of the petrol sniffing at Mutitjulu was something that was documented. Some of the social dysfunctions concerning that were written about in newspapers that went to the other side of the world.
Mr MILLS: A point of order; Madam Speaker! I am sure the Chief Minister does know that this question is a point of clarification: which statement is correct? That is all.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain, as you would be aware, there is a fair bit of latitude, both in the asking and answering of questions. The Chief Minister is answering the question.
Mr Mills: You are happy with this?
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker. It has a context. All these things have a context and there is …
Mr Mills: What, dishonesty has a context?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: The attempt by the Opposition Leader …
Mr Mills interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Blain, I would ask you to withdraw.
Mr Mills: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, the attempt by the opposition to distort what happened at Mutitjulu and the actions taken by myself as Chief Minister are quite extraordinary.
I was concerned about Mutitjulu. I put in a project manager. I never met that project manager, but Greg Andrews was put in to Mutitjulu to advise government on how we could deal with the issues, to advise government about the important issues that were troubling Mutitjulu, that were causing headlines, that were causing real concern.
The first time I set eyes on him was when he was on the Mutitjulu program of Lateline, in the dark, pretending to be a youth worker. Not surprisingly, people were pretty taken aback. I was taken aback when I was told that was Greg Andrews. There was some very strong criticism of Lateline for using a mechanism like that which, professionally, as journalists, you would have to ask serious questions about, and they were asked serious questions about it. There is quite a history with the Mutitjulu program. As I pointed out to Tony Jones the other night, it was not the issue they were talking about, it was the way they did the program that had so many people questioning what they did and how they did it. It is an important story they told, but it was they way they told it.
The fact is that I did write a memo to the then Police minister saying that there had been allegations of things happening in Mutitjulu that included damage from petrol sniffing and other things that were outlined. Certainly, police followed it up. Despite 170 interviews that they did, they could not find a matter to prosecute. It is a very sad tale, the Mutitjulu tale. Mutitjulu is very proud of the fact that they have put petrol sniffing behind them, and I congratulate the community for taking those strong steps. The Mutitjulu issue is a side issue to this because we now have this very substantial report to deal with and that, Madam Speaker, is where my focus is.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016