Page 2472 - Week 08 - Thursday, 30 August 2007

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MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, have you spoken before on this?

MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (5.34): Yes, I have, Mr Speaker, but I still have at least 10 minutes up my sleeve.

MR SPEAKER: Oh, well.

MRS DUNNE: They will be provoking, Mr Speaker, and when they provoke we will occasionally retaliate. I want to put on the record a chronology that has been prepared by Mr Pratt’s office in relation to correspondence between Mr Pratt’s office and others in relation to the Tharwa bridge. On 27 November 2006, Mr Pratt sent a letter to Mr Hargreaves formally requesting a briefing in relation to the Tharwa bridge. On 28 November, Mr Pratt sent a letter to Dr Brendan Nelson and copied it to Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston and Lieutenant General Peter Leahy in relation to defence support with the Tharwa bridge. On 12 January 2007, Dr Brendan Nelson sent a reply, which was tabled in this place this afternoon and read extensively from.

On 14 February, Mr Hargreaves sent Mr Pratt an email asking him to confirm or reject rumours that Mr Pratt had spoken to Brendan Nelson re the low-level crossing at Tharwa. Mr Hargreaves also mentioned that a structure built across the river at that place would require approval and referral to the heritage council. So it seems that at least Mr Hargreaves was thinking about it. On 14 February, the same day, Mr Pratt sent Mr Hargreaves an email confirming that he had sought advice from Dr Nelson. Mr Pratt also sent a letter to Mr Hargreaves on that day reiterating the confirmation and recommending that, as communication with the commonwealth had been made, it was time for the government to act formally to submit to the commonwealth an application on behalf of the Tharwa community—which is what Dr Nelson suggested in his letter, which has been tabled here today.

On 15 February, Mr Hargreaves put out a media release saying disparaging things about Mr Pratt and that Mr Pratt had been invited to discuss the replacement of the Tharwa bridge. He said:

Mr Pratt was invited yesterday to discuss the replacement of the Tharwa Bridge with me and is yet to confirm his availability for that meeting.

This is a meeting that was first asked for in November, and this is 15 February that Mr Hargreaves makes an offer of a meeting on one day and then the day afterwards slags off the opposition member for not replying immediately.

On 20 February, Mr Hargreaves acknowledged receipt of the email and suggested that his personal assistant would be in contact to set up a time for himself and Mr Pratt to discuss the matter. On 20 February, Mr Pratt’s office had contact with Mr Hargreaves’ office via email suggesting that a meeting take place. Then there was silence until 9 March, when Mr Hargreaves put out a media release claiming that Mr Pratt’s statements since September in relation to the bridge at Tharwa had been “deceitful and misleading”. I seek leave to table for the information of members the Tharwa bridge chronology of events as compiled by Mr Pratt’s office.


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