Page 732 - Week 03 - Thursday, 22 March 1990
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QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Mr Speaker - Chronicle articles
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, my question is to you, and I refer you to your reply to Mr Berry's question of 22 February 1990 regarding the column "Speakers Corner" in the Canberra Chronicle. I would ask you, Mr Speaker, how does your reply relate to your conversation with me on the evening of 22 February when you stated that the Chronicle had edited out of your column of 20 February those parts which referred to private members' business, and given that the Chronicle has denied this allegation, can you tell the Assembly who is lying - you or the Chronicle?
MR SPEAKER: I would be only too pleased to handle that question, Ms Follett. In fact you are the one who is misled. I did not make those statements to you that the Chronicle had in fact edited out private members' business. I told you and Mr Berry on a number of occasions that the newspaper restricts the number of words allowed. I am allowed 400 to 500 words and on several occasions a number of paragraphs have been left out of the article. However, I have then put the extra words in the following articles.
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. I seek to have incorporated into the Hansard a file note made by my senior staff member in relation to this matter and dated 23 February.
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, I would submit that a file note made by a member of the staff of the Leader of the Opposition has nothing to do with the question at all. It is quite irrelevant.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Ms Follett, would you like to read it out?
MS FOLLETT: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The note to me reads as follows:
Following being questioned in the Assembly by Wayne Berry on 22 February about the politicisation of the column, the Speaker, Mr Prowse, phoned Rosemary Follett shortly after the Assembly rose for the day. The call was to complain about the nature of Mr Berry's question. The Speaker told Rosemary Follett that the Canberra Chronicle was in fact responsible for the final content of the column. He said that his version had been edited, implying that the Chronicle had edited out all mention of ALP Private Members' Business. Following this discussion I then visited the Clerk, Mr Mark McRae, at approximately 6 pm and asked him for a
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