Rod Kemp (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for the Arts and Sport) Share this | Hansard source

The reason I mentioned the Northern Territory Labor government was not to score a political point, although that is obviously relevant. The reason I mentioned it is because it shows that people of goodwill can differ. That is the point I am making. Members of your party have a different view on this matter. You are quite right; the federal Labor Party is quite entitled to its view. I do not dispute that. I am very mindful of the relations that my own party sometimes has with our state reps. The point I am making is that people of goodwill will come down on different sides of this issue. It is not that one side is being callous, unresponsive and is not listening; it is just that everyone has weighed up the facts of the case. You do not feel that there been sufficient consultation. We do not agree with you on that. We think it is a time for action. This is not a view held solely by the Liberal-National Party government in Canberra; it is also a view held by a Labor government—in this case in the Territory.