Page 499 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 16 February 2005
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more misdirection. If you do not like the issue or you cannot answer the question, you play some sort of silly game. That is when we get the puerile arguments that we get so often from the Chief Minister. It is the typical arrogant response of someone who does not believe that he is being held accountable by anybody, that he is above that now.
We saw that recently when the Chief Minister strutted away from the bench when Mr Mulcahy asked whether he would keep his promise and table the documents that he said he had yesterday, which still have not been tabled today, Mr Speaker. So we had that arrogant strut away, that cocky strut with the folders under his arm, because he is not accountable.
The difference between this appeal and the appeal of last August is that the appeal in the court is now against an inquiry at which the Attorney-General has appeared as a witness. He claims that this government has provided all assistance, all documents, to the coronial process. He should go back and read the Canberra Times reports since the coronial inquest started.
On many occasions, Magistrate Doogan asked the government to provide additional legal counsel, individual counsel, for those appearing before the inquest because, she said, of the potential for conflict of interest when one solicitor might not be able to represent to the best of his or her ability the entire group to which the solicitor was assigned. She was right. This Attorney-General slowed down the process. If that is his definition of providing all assistance to the coronial process, he has got serious problems with his perception of the world.
The Chief Minister also said, “I understand the role to be to ensure the integrity of this process”. If you understand that, Chief Minister, and you have read page 2 of the Canberra Times today, you would understand that you have undermined the integrity of this process. If you are an honourable man and you believe in the law and you believe that the first law officer must rise above politics to carry out the position of Attorney-General, then you will stand aside.
We are not offering a judgment here. We are not saying innocent or guilty, good or bad, right or wrong. We are saying that the people of Canberra are now, more than two years since the fires and since this process commenced, concerned about your behaviour and the action you have taken. You chose to take that action because you told us, in answer to a question last year, that you had three choices, but you took the choice that said you would stand against the coroner.
I note the fancy footwork in the last couple of days. There was a bit of ducking and weaving and a bit of sidestepping and shuffling yesterday. We had an attempt to blame the opposition. Apparently we are against the coroner; it is all our fault that we are here today. People do not believe that, Chief Minister. They have seen you sign up to the appeal to undermine the coroner, an action unprecedented for this country.
The first law officer, whose role and function you say you understand, is meant to protect the court system as well as guarantee justice. Sometimes that justice is blind. But you have blinkers on, not a blindfold, and your blinkers are about protecting you and your government. If you do understand the role and if you want to ensure the integrity of the process, Mr Attorney-General, you will stand aside.
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