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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (25 May) . . Page.. 1835 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

a motion to censure a minister, and it was me. In fact, it was more than a censure motion; it was a motion of no confidence in a minister based on the conduct of one of his staff. Isn't it funny how today, a year later on the same day of the year, we have another motion impugning the conduct of a minister for the behaviour, so-called, of their staff?

Mr Corbell: Are you superstitious?

MR HUMPHRIES: No, I am not superstitious. I am just suspicious, Mr Corbell. Mr Speaker, let us look at what the information before the Assembly is on this subject. We have some statements by Mr Gower, the President of the Gungahlin Community Council, to the urban services committee which suggest that the government has strongarmed the council to a particular point of view. The argument has been put-

Mr Corbell: "Pressured" was the word.

MR HUMPHRIES: Whatever you want to say.

Mr Corbell: I didn't say it. He did. That is the point.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I am trying to-

MR SPEAKER: Order, please! I will deal with somebody if this keeps going on.

Mr Corbell: I apologise.

MR HUMPHRIES: I heard Mr Corbell in silence when he made his opening speech, Mr Speaker. The evidence has been put before that committee. Clearly, the evidence by Mr Gower could be read to suggest that there had been some pressuring or strongarming, whatever you want to call it, of the Gungahlin Community Council by Mr Smyth or by someone in his office. I do not have any knowledge of the actual events but, looking at the evidence, I do not personally doubt that Mr Gower believed what he was saying when he gave that evidence to the standing committee. He clearly felt fairly strongly about it; he clearly gave that evidence in that way.

The government concedes that the issue needs to be explored. It needs to be examined properly. The question is: how should that occur? In what form should that occur? In a moment I will be moving an amendment to this motion to provide for this matter to be dealt with by the Standing Committee on Planning and Urban Services, the committee in which this incident was alleged to have occurred in the first place.

As well as having that evidence of Mr Gower, a further set of circumstances has been placed before this Assembly.

At 5.00 pm the debate was interrupted in accordance with standing order 34. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly having been put and negatived, the debate was resumed.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, the evidence now has been added to by other statements made by Mr Gower and by the Gungahlin Community Council subsequent to that hearing of the Planning and Urban Services Committee.

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