Page 3044 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 10 September 1991
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Further, Ms Follett claimed that I had started a rumour regarding her former share, it appears, in a racehorse. Mr Speaker, I would have thought that a person in her position would be pleased of the opportunity to rid herself of a false rumour. I can inform the house that some considerable time ago, as Attorney-General, I had occasion to discuss and seek advice on this matter from the Assistant Commissioner of Police and the chief solicitor of the Territory. Mr Speaker, I have handled the matter with complete propriety. It was appropriate, given the mention of the horse in today's paper, that Ms Follett indicate whether she is the owner and the source of the ownership. It was not a scandalous suggestion at any stage, Mr Speaker. It is clear and incumbent on members of this parliament to be above reproach or rumour.
MEMBERS' PECUNIARY INTERESTS
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (3.14): Mr Speaker, I seek leave to move that Mr Collaery be given sufficient time to explain his last remarks.
Leave granted.
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, I move:
That Mr Collaery be given sufficient time to explain the comment that he has just made, particularly about the involvement of the police and the Government Solicitor in this matter.
The facts, Mr Speaker, are that, as is contained in my statement of pecuniary interests, as is fully disclosed in that statement, I bought a share in that horse as part of a syndicate. I paid the full price, along with other shareholders. I am no longer a shareholder in that syndicate. If Mr Collaery had ever asked me that question at any stage while he was Attorney-General, I could have told him that. If Mr Collaery had sought to ascertain the facts from my statement of pecuniary interests, he could have done so at any stage. It is fully disclosed.
Of course, the fact of the matter is that Mr Collaery did not. He chose instead to go about his business of rumourmongering, of spreading falsehoods, and of trying to smear my character in that way behind my back. It did get back to me, Mr Collaery, because other people, amongst whom you had attempted to foster your rumours, were concerned. Of course it got back to me. I was also aware that around the same time your staff examined my statement of pecuniary interests. I do not know what they found or what they reported to you on that matter, but the full facts are disclosed there.
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