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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 4 Hansard (28 March) . . Page.. 1077 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

who use buses. There was a person in the gallery when Mr Rugendyke said that. She is working consistently for migrant women in Canberra. She has also done a lot of work for the multicultural festival. She does not have a car. I can tell you, Mr Speaker, that she was not too impressed to hear Mr Rugendyke call her one of the lowest common denominator class.

Mr Smyth also said that somehow I am motivated by a desire to pull down successful people. Mr Rugendyke also suggested that, and I asked him to withdraw it. Mr Humphries also made a great deal of bringing people's names into disrepute. What concerns me about that argument is that it is once again about the person. I am sorry if people in public positions believe they are brought into disrepute. I regret that. But there is a fundamental point here that has to be acknowledged. These people are on boards of public corporations which are responsible for spending public money. This is not about the person.

This has come up in this place before. I can remember once I challenged the gambling commission, and Mr Rugendyke was outraged. He said, in this place, "Tony Curtis is my friend. Ms Tucker is being unkind, and she just wants to get my friend." I made the point then that I was interested in issues of gambling and I was talking about the gambling commission. When we had the debate on Mrs Carnell, I remember it came up as a very big issue. Our work is not about the person. Our work is about accountability of government. Our work is about scrutinising how government spends public money. Our work is about taking responsibility for ensuring that governance is carried out in an accountable way. Mr Service is on a board of a public corporation. We expect, therefore, the highest standards.

This place may be of the view that there may well be some questions about how process is operated. I am still waiting for Mr Smyth to table the document-I have not seen it-that shows that CTEC communicated to him in writing, as the legislation requires, that one person did stand down because he declared a conflict of interest. Where is that document? It was not in the Clerk's office. The legislation requires it. I have asked that it be tabled. I know that Mr Stainlay from CTEC is here, so I am sure he could get that document for this place. This place has requested that the minister table that. If it is not here, I am very interested to know why.

MR SPEAKER: Ms Tucker, whoever may be in the gallery is of no importance to the chamber.

MS TUCKER: I take your point. I apologise if that is not appropriate. Mr Kaine thinks it is important. Whatever, we know that the minister has support here. We know that his support is listening to the arguments, and we know that the minister has been asked by several members to make sure that that written briefing is given to us tonight. It has not been, which makes me wonder whether it exists. So there is another question there.

Mr Osborne said that he thinks it would be appropriate for the airport to be the centre for Tourism because it can be the hub of tourism. Mr James Service, before Ted Quinlan's committee, responded to my question on that. He said that it is the second biggest gateway to the city, and therefore there is a justification for having tourism there.

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