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| Adam Giles faces calls to resign after calling Labor MP 'dyslexic' Adam Giles faces calls to resign after calling Labor MP 'dyslexic' | |
| (4 months later) | |
| The chief minister of the Northern Territory should resign over comments he made that a Labor parliamentarian was dyslexic, the NT Speaker has said. | The chief minister of the Northern Territory should resign over comments he made that a Labor parliamentarian was dyslexic, the NT Speaker has said. |
| The chief minister, Adam Giles, made the remarks in parliament on Thursday morning, on the final sitting day before the NT goes to the polls in August. | The chief minister, Adam Giles, made the remarks in parliament on Thursday morning, on the final sitting day before the NT goes to the polls in August. |
| Talking of a future Labor government, Giles said: “Let us hope the dyslexic member for Nightcliff is not the minister for education.” | Talking of a future Labor government, Giles said: “Let us hope the dyslexic member for Nightcliff is not the minister for education.” |
| He then defended his comments. | He then defended his comments. |
| “Every time she puts a statement out for around the table it has spelling errors in it,” he said. “I think that is a fair point.” | “Every time she puts a statement out for around the table it has spelling errors in it,” he said. “I think that is a fair point.” |
| Giles later apologised during question time, after repeated calls for his resignation. | Giles later apologised during question time, after repeated calls for his resignation. |
| Kezia Purick, the NT Speaker and former member of the governing Country Liberal Party, labelled his comments “appalling” and “the lowest of low”. | Kezia Purick, the NT Speaker and former member of the governing Country Liberal Party, labelled his comments “appalling” and “the lowest of low”. |
| “It is time that he resigned,” Purick wrote on Facebook. “Mr Giles I have a sister who has dyslexia so your comments are outrageous and on behalf of all people who have or love a person with dyslexia you should publicly apologise and, if not, resign.” | “It is time that he resigned,” Purick wrote on Facebook. “Mr Giles I have a sister who has dyslexia so your comments are outrageous and on behalf of all people who have or love a person with dyslexia you should publicly apologise and, if not, resign.” |
| Fyles said the comments were “highly offensive, disrespectful and hurtful to many Territorians”. | Fyles said the comments were “highly offensive, disrespectful and hurtful to many Territorians”. |
| She said they sent the wrong message to people who were proving every day that having a learning difficulty was not a barrier to success. | She said they sent the wrong message to people who were proving every day that having a learning difficulty was not a barrier to success. |
| “The chief minister needs to apologise or resign,” Fyles said. | “The chief minister needs to apologise or resign,” Fyles said. |
| She dismissed the suggestion that the NT parliament – which has seen no shortage of controversies and personal spats in this term – regularly manufactured outrage instead of debating policy. | She dismissed the suggestion that the NT parliament – which has seen no shortage of controversies and personal spats in this term – regularly manufactured outrage instead of debating policy. |
| Wednesday evening saw extended debate on whether to prioritise debate on long-running legislation to allow access to medical abortion drug RU486. There was no vote and the process will now have to restart with a new bill in the next government. | Wednesday evening saw extended debate on whether to prioritise debate on long-running legislation to allow access to medical abortion drug RU486. There was no vote and the process will now have to restart with a new bill in the next government. |
| The federal opposition leader, Bill Shorten, who was in Darwin campaigning for the upcoming federal election, said having dyslexia or any other condition did not define a person. | The federal opposition leader, Bill Shorten, who was in Darwin campaigning for the upcoming federal election, said having dyslexia or any other condition did not define a person. |
| “Our leaders in public life have an obligation not to single out individuals or groups of people or minorities and pillory them or make fun of them,” he said. | “Our leaders in public life have an obligation not to single out individuals or groups of people or minorities and pillory them or make fun of them,” he said. |
| “Adam Giles should get off the back of people, focus on what he’s not doing, rather than worrying about other people.” | “Adam Giles should get off the back of people, focus on what he’s not doing, rather than worrying about other people.” |