Page 661 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 April 1994
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Possibly I did not phrase my remarks well. I think it is quite clear that the fact that notice had been given to the ACT to get out of the superpool is totally relevant to whether it was safe for the Territory. Obviously, by this stage it was no longer safe for the Territory because of the termination of the contract, with the necessary six months' notice as spelt out in the contract.
Today Mr Berry himself has admitted that he concealed this information from the Assembly. Remember that 14 February was the date, by the Minister's own admission, that VicTAB's decision was final. I am sure that if you ask Mr Neck he will tell you that too. Mr Berry has given no credible defence as to why he kept this information out of the Assembly and the public arena until 15 March. The Minister also said earlier today:
The representatives of ACTTAB and VITAB clearly had an understanding on the basis of meetings and correspondence with VicTAB that VITAB could gain access to the Victorian pool.
I ask Mr Berry whether he can therefore show this Assembly any written authorisation from the Victorian TAB which gave VITAB access to the superpool through a link with ACTTAB. Surely this Minister, who after all made the final decision to link our TAB with a Vanuatu company, would not have proceeded with a multimillion dollar contract without written authorisation from the Victorian superpool. Minister, you seem to have agreed to your TAB signing an agreement without written approval from the Victorian TAB. Again, I think you have just taken rotten advice. Indeed, throughout this affair it seems that all along what Mr Berry and his officers did was to accept advice unquestioningly at almost every turn.
I emphasise again, Madam Speaker, that today's motion stands apart from the inquiry to be conducted by Professor Pearce. Today's motion is concerned about misleading of the Assembly by the Minister. We have shown throughout this debate that these examples of misleading occurred in some cases over a period of four or five months. They were systematic, deliberate and designed to create a false sense of security amongst members and, indeed, all Canberrans. Mr Berry wanted us to think that ACTTAB's link with VITAB was safe, when it was not, particularly after 31 January. He wanted us to think that ACTTAB beat most of the other TABs, when it did not. He wanted us to think that the bona fides of all the directors and shareholders of VITAB had been thoroughly vetted, when it had not. He wanted us to believe that VITAB had given him a letter guaranteeing against inducements, when it had not. He wanted us to believe that Mr Bartholomew played only a minor role in this deal, when it certainly appears that he did not.
Madam Speaker, I know that those members on the cross benches have thought long and hard about the arguments put forward today. I want to make one point in conclusion. If you mislead the Assembly deliberately and recklessly, it is a serious breach of your duty as a Minister. I ask you to think long and hard about the standards of accountability and accuracy this Assembly seeks to uphold in its infancy. I urge all members to support this motion.
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