The remonstrance
Northern Territory. Parliament. Legislative Council
Historical Publications; E-Books; PublicationNT
1962
Presentation of grievances on behalf of the people of the Northern Territory to the Commonwealth of Australia stating that the political rights of the citizens of the Northern Territory are inferior to those of the rest of the nation. This document was created in late 1962.
English
Northern Territory -- Politics and government -- 1945-1965; Petition, Right Of -- Northern Territory
Legislative Council for the Northern Territory
Darwin
[11] pages ; 30 cm.
application/pdf
Attribution International 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)
Northern Territory Government
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/213543
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/715058
- 6 At a meeting of the Legislative Council held during the month of March 1961, the Council requested the Minister for Terri torie s "to introduce. !progressi vely amendments to the Northern Territory (Administration) Act designed to divest the Federal Government of the existing powe r to recommend withholding of assent to or the disallowance of Ordinances passed by this Council relating to internal affairs of the Territory, municipal government , trs,ffic .. motor "'78h1.('1e reg:i.stration, control of roads, provision ot community services, licensing, education, public health, stock routes, brands, fauna, building, housing, lottery and gaming, and prisons". No reply was received to this motion at the next meeting of the Legislative Council on the 5th June, 1961, but when it met again on the 2nd August, 1961, it was advised, "The Government has carefully considered this resolution but is not prepared to make any commitment in the terms of the Council's request. This is not a suitable occasion to enter upon any general discussion of the constitutional development of the Territory. Suffice it to say, that the relative dimensions of the contribution to the cost of the provision of community services in the Territory made on the one hand by the Commonwealth and on the other by the local electorate, as yet small in size, is a factor which cannot be ignored in conSidering the Council's resolution. After reviewing the various considerations involved, the Government thinks that to abrogate altogether the authority of the Governor-General to withhold assent from or to disallow, an Ordinance passed by the LegislatiVB Council for the Territory would not be proper, or consistent with the Governmentts responsibilities to the people and of Australia as a whole". The Council then unanimously carried a motion, "that in view of the fact that Ordinances passed by a substantial majority of this Council have been twice disallowed, and in view of the rejection of this Councilts motion of 24th March, 1961, requesting amendment of the Northern Territory (Administration) Act to abolish the power to disallow Ordinances relating to internal affairs in the Territory, this Council calls upon the Honorable the Minister for Territories to arrange a conference, preferably in the Territory, between representatives of the Commonwealth . Government and this Council in order to find a solution to the present impasse between the opinions and attitudes of the majority of this Council and those of the Commonwealth and its advisers", and thereupon adjourned until a date to be fixed after the holding of such a conference. On the 9th October, 1961, at the invitation of the Hon. the Minister for Territories, a delegation from the Legislative Council met the Minister and the Honorable the Attorney-General in Canberra and there presented a case for ~ (a) adoption of the traditional policy of the British Parliament in dealing with disallowance of Colonial legislation, particularly in referring back legislation with reasons why it was objectionable; (b) the creation of an Executive Council in the Northern Territory; (c) the empowering of the Legislative Council to debate its own estimates, which was supported by detailed examination of the finance received by the Commonwealth from the Northern Territory;