Page 740 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 1 May 2007
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
malfeasance, and yet here we are devoting a whole question time to a campaign of fear, loathing and scandal involving ACT public servants concerning something which does not exist. I would imagine that if one were to go to each of the expenditures, to each of the examples, and I think it is perhaps appropriate now that our senior executives be afforded the opportunity of responding, one would find that they paid a bill at a hotel with a credit card and it included expenditure which, on sober reflection back in their office, they realised should not have been on their credit card, should have been on their personal card. In how many of these cases that you have just mentioned were the moneys not repaid—even before the Auditor-General actually issued the report?
I do not think that it is necessarily remarkable that in those circumstances, particularly where hospitality is involved, alcohol is purchased—purchased perhaps for personal use or purchased perhaps for the purposes of official entertainment. As I say, this is an issue that affects all organisations, not just governments. It is perhaps careless at one point. It is certainly regrettable, it is unfortunate and ultimately, of course, it is unacceptable, but I think that we are expecting a little bit too much. I am sure that in the fullness of time we will be debating in this place the use of credit cards by the Australian Hotels Association. That is a debate to come. We will be interested in the explanations that are actually offered or proffered in relation to that debate.
Mrs Dunne: I take a point of order. Mr Speaker, I draw your attention to the fact that that is the second time today that the Chief Minister has mentioned the matter of the AHA, which is a live matter before a tribunal in Australia, and your rulings on previous occasions that matters before courts are sub judice and should not be mentioned by members in this place. Mr Speaker, as recently as 28 February you made rulings about matters that were before the courts and could not be referred to by members in this place.
MR SPEAKER: I heard the reference this morning in the context of a debate which was occurring. My memory of it was that some sort of comparison was attempted, but it was as an aside rather than as a point of reference to matters before a court or tribunal and I do not think that it drew any conclusions about the matters which are before a court or tribunal, Mrs Dunne. Yes, I have made those rulings and I will seek to ensure that the Assembly does not interfere in any way with the consideration of these matters, but I cannot see how the comments that were made here today would do that.
Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, the Chief Minister knows that the matters that he referred to are matters that are currently before an industrial relations tribunal and that they are therefore matters of sub judice.
MR STANHOPE: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: I have no idea what is before the industrial relations tribunal. I must say that I have been urging Mr Mulcahy to let us know. Perhaps if Mr Mulcahy were to table the documentation in the report, we would be in position to better debate this issue, but I have no idea what is before the commission other than the scuttlebutt that I hear around the place, but none of us has a clue what is before the industrial relations commission, not a clue, except Mr Mulcahy and Mr Stefaniak.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .