Page 7 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 22 February 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR DE DOMENICO: Were you aware, as Minister responsible, that this is the same Mr Peter Bartholomew? Mr Minister, do you not now agree that signing contracts with people of this ilk is the same as giving a pyromaniac access to matches?
MR BERRY: As perfect as I may be in most respects, Madam Speaker, I do not keep tabs on everybody in Australia. Where Mr Bartholomew is from time to time is not something that I can control and - - -
Mrs Carnell: It was in the Hyatt.
Mr De Domenico: It was in the Hyatt, here.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
MR BERRY: I hear the rumblings of a campaign about some sort of connection between Mr whatever his name was, Mr Tripp - - -
Ms Follett: They know these people awfully well.
MR BERRY: Yes, they know them pretty well. Whether he might have some relationship - - -
Mr De Domenico: If you did the proper checks you would know them well too.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
Mr De Domenico: They are in the Costigan royal commission report in the library.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr De Domenico, order!
Mr De Domenico: But your public servants scurried around - - -
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr De Domenico, order!
MR BERRY: I say to you, as much as it might cause your little bowels to knot, that in early September 1993 ACTTAB requested Price Waterhouse to conduct a company check of VITAB, and I am advised that the results of this check were satisfactory.
Mrs Carnell: So it is okay?
MR BERRY: I will read it out again. Do you question Price Waterhouse now?
Mr De Domenico: No; we question you as Minister.
MR BERRY: No, they do not question Price Waterhouse. As far as Mr Bartholomew is concerned, I had never heard of him until I saw the Sydney Morning Herald article and I was not aware of his involvement in any meetings until today.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .