Page 2469 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 7 August 1990
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because there are certainly matters in that area that need to be addressed as well.
MR CONNOLLY, by leave: I table the following paper:
Commercial tenancy - Australian Labor Party policy - Copy of Extract from Australian Capital Territory Branch's Platform, rules and regulations, dated 1989/90.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
BELCONNEN REMAND CENTRE
Ministerial Statement
MR COLLAERY (Attorney-General), by leave: Mr Acting Speaker, I wish to make a short statement of explanation in relation to a statement that I made in this house on 7 June 1990 about a matter of public importance relating to the management of the Belconnen Remand Centre. I make this statement to set the record right and to apologise to the house.
On 7 June 1990, the last day of the previous sittings, Mr Stevenson raised a matter of public importance relating to the management of the Belconnen Remand Centre. Members will recall that there was considerable debate surrounding the introduction of the matter of public importance. My view was that it was inappropriate to raise that matter. At the time a number of issues pertaining to the proposed matter of public importance were the subject of public service disciplinary processes which are the responsibility of the Head of the ACT Administration, not this Assembly.
In attempting to clarify for Mr Stevenson information surrounding the alleged issuing of defamation writs, I sought advice from an officer of my department, who happened to be present in the gallery. The officer concerned provided advice in my presence and that of Mr Stevenson, which, he informs me, he believed to be accurate at the time. This advice subsequently proved to be incorrect. At no stage, however, did I or my officers deliberately set out to provide wrong information with the object of misleading this Assembly. Indeed, I was genuinely attempting to assist Mr Stevenson by giving him direct access to my advisers.
Unfortunately, I had to leave to attend the social welfare Ministers conference in Brisbane shortly after the discussion took place between Mr Stevenson, an officer and me. Had I been present when Mr Stevenson informed the Assembly that the information provided to him was incorrect, I would have immediately sought to correct the error and apologise to the Assembly for inadvertently misleading it in relation to those matters. I now, therefore, Mr Acting Speaker, apologise to the house for
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