Page 744 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 1 May 2007
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entertainment and hospitality across the board. It is not just for the purpose of developing contacts or seeking to be more successful in the pursuit of governmental initiatives; it is part of our building of capital and sense of community. For instance, the vast majority of the hospitality which I approve is for the support of community organisations and community functions.
We could argue. We have this debate today. On a regular basis I provide funding for hospitality for community events. That is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds. It has never been suggested otherwise to me by a single one of those community groups.
For the last five years I have provided a reception for Australia’s recipients of bravery awards. Every year I provide funding and alcohol to allow me to host the annual general meeting of the Australian Bravery Association. I think we use a credit card in order to purchase the alcohol for that particular function. Of course, the Liberal Party would prefer that I did not expend money to support a function of the Australian Bravery Association. Members of the Liberal Party would prefer to suggest in this place that the expenditure by my officials on their credit cards for the purchase of alcohol for the purpose of a function to support the Australian Bravery Association—Australians who have been awarded an honour for their bravery—is an inappropriate use of the credit card.
Mrs Dunne: I didn’t say that.
MR STANHOPE: That is what they are suggesting. They would prefer that the ACT government did not host receptions for a vast raft of community organisations. This is the conclusion that one has to draw from this determination to create a scandal around purchases—particularly of alcohol; that was the subject of the last question I received in relation to this.
Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. This is about the present question and it is about lunch, not about alcohol.
MR STANHOPE: “There is a scandal here inherently; let us cast suspicion over this particular expenditure; let us not worry about what the facts are today; let’s just cast the suspicion”—when the Auditor-General has actually found that there was nothing untoward in relation to these expenditures.
MR SPEAKER: Order! What is the point of order?
Mrs Dunne: My point of order is this: Mr Stanhope is answering Mr Pratt’s previous question about alcohol guidelines. I am asking him about credit card use by senior executives for lunch every week.
MR SPEAKER: Chief Minister, come to the subject matter of the question.
MR STANHOPE: I was going to the point that the response is so subjective that it is impossible to say which particular hospitality or expenditure produced a quantifiable or objective response. I think it is a question without an answer.
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