Page 761 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 29 March 2006

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .


the case for months and Mr Pratt knew that because I had told him so in this chamber. With that, Mr Speaker, I regard—

Mr Stefaniak: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. I think that the minister is now straying. The question was about the Ombudsman.

MR SPEAKER: The question was also about CCTV.

Mr Seselja: No, it was not. There was nothing about CCTV in the question.

Mrs Dunne: There was no mention of CCTV.

MR HARGREAVES: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: I have dealt with that and I am happy to move on.

MR SPEAKER: I take your point. Come back to the Ombudsman as well.

MR HARGREAVES: Indeed, Mr Speaker. Mrs Dunne quotes the Canberra Times as though it is the gospel according to St Jack Waterford. I am sorry, Mr Speaker: I need to crosscheck anything I hear coming from those people.

Mr Seselja: Clear it up, then.

MR HARGREAVES: Mr Speaker, I can do just what the opposition wants. When I was talking about the procedures which had been cleared by the Ombudsman, I was talking about the procedures for the investigation of the activities of the two constables, the investigative procedures. We often hear coming across the chamber, “Oh, the police were investigating themselves!” I wanted to be absolutely sure that those procedures were transparent and were correct, and it was those procedures to which I was referring. The Ombudsman, from my reading of that illustrious journal, was talking about the procedures as to whether a pursuit is engaged in or not. They are two quite separate procedures and, yet again, the folks opposite have decided to cherry pick and act on semantics and pedantry to determine their position and on what basis they wish to criticise this government. They are only being shown up to be the fools that they are.

MRS DUNNE: I have a supplementary question. Minister, thank you for the clarification, but what steps have you, your office or the Australian Federal Police taken to ensure that the Ombudsman is satisfied with the report that was published? Have you sought to clarify with the Ombudsman what his concerns are about this report?

MR HARGREAVES: Without being able to tell you the exact wording, because I do not carry around the exact wording of all of the reports that are ever provided on activities of the ACT government and its instrumentalities, it is my understanding that the Ombudsman said in the context of the report that he was satisfied that there was nothing else for him to ask. I am happy to accept that.

Environment—climate strategy

DR FOSKEY: My question is to the Chief Minister and it concerns the proposed climate change strategy and its community engagement process. Minister, you released the


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .