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MRS CARNELL: I am very happy to give those leases to the committee that is looking at that issue.

Ms Follett: No; table them.

MRS CARNELL: I am also very happy to table them here if that is what - - -

Ms Follett: When?

MRS CARNELL: I will seek advice on that from my department and do it as soon as is practicable. There is nothing to hide. They were under your Government; I assume that you would have known what they were.

Mr Connolly: I rise on a point of order, Mr Speaker. I approached the Clerk at the table to examine the document that had just been tabled, the cause of some toing-and-froing, which I expected to be the press release, which is what we wanted to see. In fact, Mr Humphries has tabled his ministerial brief, the brief prepared by his advisers for question time.

Mr Humphries: No, I do not think so.

Mr Connolly: It is headed “Subject: Mr Berry's statement”. We do not want to see that; all we want is the press release. I wonder whether Mr Humphries has inadvertently tabled the wrong document. No; in fact it says, “Press release follows”. I did not look at it in any depth because I do not want to be reading your ministerial brief. All the Opposition asked for was the press release. We are mindful of the convention, and we want to see the press release; we do not want to see your ministerial brief, which you have tabled. I wonder whether this can be rectified.

Mr Humphries: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: I understand very clearly that the document I have tabled is what purported to be a press release by Southside Weather Watch. It was issued to the media in that form. I am sorry if Mr Connolly does not like the form of it, but that is what Southside Weather Watch issued. It was not a brief from my department to me and that is the form in which it came.

Ms Follett: All right; so there has been no breach of the convention.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, there has been a breach of the convention; that is my view.

MR SPEAKER: Order! A point of order was taken on the tabling of that document. Mr Humphries has answered that. We are not going now to stray into other debate on this matter, unless you want to ask a formal question about it.


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