Page 770 - Week 03 - Thursday, 22 March 1990
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MR KAINE: It talks about the reprehensible conduct of Ms Rosemary Follett and I am talking about the reprehensible conduct of Ms Rosemary Follett. She deliberately misrepresented the position in an attempt to destabilise the Public Service. That was the only intent behind what she had to say at the time.
Secondly, Ms Rosemary Follett talked about my giving $30m to the consortium connected with the VFT project at the expense of the aged, the disabled, the frail and the sick in this community. That is not true and you know it to be not true. That is not what I said. That is not what the report from which I was quoting said and I have referred you to it several times. That is scaremongering, reprehensible behaviour - putting the fear of God into people that the money that is currently available for the poor, disabled and frail in this community is going to be thrown away by this Government for some other purpose. You know that not to be true, but you have misrepresented it as being true. It is reprehensible behaviour and you will be condemned for it when this debate is over.
Third point: that the Kaine Government is spending tens of thousands of dollars on upgrading the House of Assembly, according to Ms Follett. You know that not to be true. You know that in no way was I involved in any such proposal, but it does not prevent your saying it to your pet newspaper, the Public Eye. It gets you a headline. It does not matter that you misrepresent. It does not matter that you distort the truth. You will say anything, any time, to get a headline and then deny that you said it.
Point four: Collaery will virtually bulldoze Northbourne Flats - that is the intent. You only have to read from the series of letters to know that that is a total distortion of the truth. Mrs Grassby said on 22 February, "I have discovered moves by the Liberal-Residents Rally coalition to sell Housing Trust flats along Northbourne Avenue". She discovered no such thing. That was a lie - since we are on about lies.
On 26 February, Mr Collaery wrote and said unequivocally, as has been referred to before, "I assure you that the Government has absolutely no intention of selling any government flats, including those along Northbourne Avenue". Despite that, on 2 March Ellnor Grassby wrote again and said - - -
Debate interrupted.
ADJOURNMENT
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Kaine. It being past 4.30 pm, I propose the question:
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