Page 33 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 1991
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MR COLLAERY: Mr Wood says "Rubbish"; but it is a hollow sort of call, for once. He does not have that tone to his voice, Mr Speaker; he is lacking conviction. The fact is that Mr Berry tried to stop the Chief Minister making the statement on the Gulf war. These people opposite offer an alternative government. They purport to offer an alternative government for the people of Australia and the people of this Territory. Yet, Mr Speaker - - -
Mr Berry: I raise a point of order. Mr Collaery just said that I tried to stop the Chief Minister from speaking. Mr Collaery is misleading this Assembly if he persists with that view. It was the Labor Opposition which gave leave for the Chief Minister to speak. Your guidance, Mr Speaker, was sought on that particular matter in terms of the standing orders. It is untrue for Mr Collaery to allege that I tried to stop the Chief Minister from speaking, and he should withdraw that allegation.
MR COLLAERY: You are not going to rule on that, are you, Mr Speaker? He is taking up my time. That is the sole tactic.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Collaery! The situation is that again I think it is an interpretation problem. I believe that Mr Collaery's comment was made in a general context. Therefore, Mr Berry, I do not request Mr Collaery to withdraw his comment because of the statement and the manner in which it was made. Please proceed, Mr Collaery.
MR COLLAERY: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Berry said that it was not in the province of the Chief Minister to make a statement by leave which did not concern the business of this Assembly. I interpret that, at the very least, as an unwillingness to hear the Chief Minister's statement on the issue.
Mr Berry: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. He is debating the issue and he again raised the allegation that I was trying to prevent the Chief Minister from speaking. What I did, sir, was ask for your guidance on the issue, and you gave it.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Berry, for your observation. I do not believe that that is a valid point of order. Please proceed, Mr Collaery.
MR COLLAERY: Mr Speaker, the sad thing was to witness the consternation of those opposite who offer an alternative government to the people of the Territory. That is the principal issue that I would like to address. The real issue is that weakness in the face of oppression leads to no good. Mr Berry is an experienced, former unionist, and he clearly acknowledged the necessity to be resolute when negotiations have reached a certain stage. Yet here, when his own Federal Prime Minister is resolute on an issue, he denies him. He denies his own Federal Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, the credit for being resolute. Mr Speaker, that is
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