Page 2966 - Week 13 - Thursday, 23 November 1989
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news director of the channel in question to repeat my request. Again, there was no response. My telephone messages were not returned. Mr Speaker, I then felt obliged at that stage to seek legal counsel. I must say at this point that I do not subscribe to the belief that journalists should be the subject of legal free-for-alls. However, in this case I cannot allow my reputation and integrity to be impugned in this fashion.
Acting therefore, on the advice of my solicitor, Mr Peter Hohnen of Macphillamy, Cummins and Gibson, I advise the Assembly that on my instruction a letter has been sent to the station concerned. Because of the lack of positive response to this letter, I will be issuing a writ of defamation against WIN Television tomorrow morning. I hope that WIN Television will be aware that by my presenting this information to the Assembly in this fashion I am affording them yet another chance to avoid legal action.
Mr Speaker, I also claim to be misrepresented on another matter. On the second matter, on a number of occasions Mr Collaery has referred to a secret meeting between me and Mr Whalan on 8 May. I refer back in my diary to 8 May, and I would suggest that perhaps Dr Kinloch and Mr Jensen do the same. It says, "3 o'clock, Labor". I presume that what Mr Collaery is talking about is one of the negotiating meetings we had prior to the formation of this Government. The Labor Party, in particular, and I imagine others, will remember that at many of those meetings Mr Collaery arrived very, very late - often up to an hour late. I presume that what he is talking about as a supposed secret meeting was a prearranged, timed, diaried meeting at which everybody turned up. There was simply no such thing as a secret meeting or whatever he is referring to. I deny it categorically.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Assembly adjourned at 5.21 pm until Tuesday, 5 December 1989, at 2.30 pm
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