Chief Ministers Reception welcoming Sir William and Lady Deane to the Northern Territory
4 May 1996
Reception hosted by Chief Minister Shane Stone and Mrs Josephine Stone welcoming Their Excellencies the Honourable Sir William Dean AC KBE and Lady Deane to the Northern Territory. The Speaker the Honourable Terry McCarthy MLA showing Sir William the Legislative Assembly Dispatch Boxes. The dispatch boxes in the Northern Territory Chamber are copies of those used in the House of Representatives in Canberra. They were presented by the Commonwealth Parliament in 1977 to acknowledge the commencement of the transfer of certain powers to the Northern Territory with Self-Government. The dispatch boxes of the Northern Territory are made of elm and silver. As Northern Territory’s Parliament House is quite modern and spacious, members are able to make their speeches from their desks in the Chamber. Therefore these dispatch boxes are simply traditional and symbolic links to early parliaments. However, they are used on special occasions. For instance, the Treasurer delivers the budget speech from the dispatch box on the government side and the Leader of the Opposition gives their budget reply from their dispatch box. As Chief Minister, Shane Stone regularly spoke from the Dispatch Box on important issues impacting the Northern Territory to help underscore the gravity.
- Document type: Photo
- Time period: Legislative Assembly NT
- People: Bill DEANE, Helen DEANE, Terry McCARTHY
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