Stephen Hatton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen Hatton
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| 3rd Chief Minister of the Northern Territory | |
| In office 15 May 1986 – 13 July 1988 |
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| Deputy | Barry Coulter (1986–1987, 1987–1988) Ray Hanrahan (1987) |
| Preceded by | Ian Tuxworth |
| Succeeded by | Marshall Perron |
| Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for Nightcliff |
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| In office 3 December 1983 – 17 August 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Dawn Lawrie |
| Succeeded by | Jane Aagaard |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Stephen Paul Hatton
28 January 1948 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Country Liberal Party |
| Alma mater | University of New South Wales |
| Cabinet | Hatton Ministry |
Stephen Paul Hatton (born 28 January 1948) is an Australian politician. He was the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia from 1986 to 1988. A Chief Minister is like the leader of the government for a territory or state.
From 1983 until he retired in 2001, he was an MLA for the area called Nightcliff. An MLA stands for Member of the Legislative Assembly. This means he was elected by the people of Nightcliff to represent them in the Northern Territory's parliament. He first became a minister in December 1984. This was in the government led by Ian Tuxworth.
| Years | Term | Electoral division | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983–1987 | 4th | Nightcliff | Country Liberal Party | |
| 1987–1990 | 5th | Nightcliff | Country Liberal Party | |
| 1990–1994 | 6th | Nightcliff | Country Liberal Party | |
| 1994–1997 | 7th | Nightcliff | Country Liberal Party | |
| 1997–2001 | 8th | Nightcliff | Country Liberal Party | |
Role in Statehood
Stephen Hatton played an important part in the referendum for statehood for the Northern Territory in 1998. A referendum is when people vote on a specific question or law. In this case, it was about whether the Northern Territory should become a state, like Queensland or New South Wales.
The Statehood Debate
For many years, Stephen Hatton worked on a special committee. This committee was made up of members from different political parties. They worked together to suggest a new set of rules, called a constitution, for the Northern Territory. They also suggested that a group of elected people, called a Constitutional Assembly, should look at these rules more closely.
However, the Chief Minister at the time, Shane Stone, suggested a different constitution. He put it forward to a Constitutional Assembly that was not elected by the public. Stephen Hatton strongly disagreed with this approach to statehood.
Referendum Outcome
The referendum did not pass, meaning the Northern Territory did not become a state at that time. Stephen Hatton was quoted saying, "One of the campaign slogans at the time was: 'we want statehood, not Stonehood'". This showed his strong feelings about how the statehood process was handled.
