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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 9 Hansard (21 August) . . Page.. 2673 ..

Leader of the Opposition-media statement

MS MacDONALD: My question is to the Chief Minister, Mr Stanhope. Is the Chief Minister aware of the media statement issued yesterday by the opposition leader headed "Stanhope hypocrite"? What are the facts of the issue that is the subject of this release, and how do the facts match Mr Humphries' assertions?

MR STANHOPE: Mr Speaker, the issue that is the subject of Mr Humphries' media statement is the tragic death from cancer of a Yass woman, a mother of two young boys, in October last year. Before her death, the woman had launched legal action against the territory and two doctors in relation to her medical treatment. On 29 September 2001, Justice Crispin found in favour of the woman against the territory and one doctor, and awarded damages of $233,143.60. However, in delivering his judgment, the judge held over his reasons. Those are the essential facts of the issue.

In his media statement, Mr Humphries says, "As Leader of the Opposition before the election, Jon Stanhope wrote to me as Chief Minister saying that the ACT Government should make"-

MR SPEAKER: Order. Mr Stanhope, I am just trying to recall whether this matter is in the courts on appeal.

Mr Humphries: Actually it is.

Mr Quinlan: This does not go to the heart of the matter. This goes to what you said about-

MR STANHOPE: What are you doing with the press release?

Mr Humphries: That was because you made a statement on it yesterday in public, but it is a different rule in here because you cannot-

MR STANHOPE: What statement did I make on it yesterday in public?

Mr Humphries: You were on TV. Was that somebody else? Was there someone impersonating Jon Stanhope?

MR STANHOPE: What is this "Stanhope hypocrite" stuff about?

Mr Humphries: It is about-

Mr Quinlan: You are not going to the matters of the case.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, I take the point of order that you raise.

MR SPEAKER: No. I am not going to-

Mr Quinlan: This is not related to the appeal.

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