Page 3045 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR BARR: You are just embarrassed by your comment.
MR SPEAKER: Order! I have ruled on it.
Mrs Dunne: I am never going to be embarrassed by being verballed by Andrew Barr.
Ms MacDonald: Mr Speaker, can I draw your attention to the fact that the opposition continuously put up spurious points of order, which are continuously being knocked down, in order to run the time down when they do not like the answer to the question.
MR SPEAKER: If I sense that, I will deal with it. Mr Barr—to conclude on the subject matter of the question.
MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I have indicated, this government is getting on with the process of investing $350 million in public education to ensure that all schools in the ACT receive the upgrades they need to ensure quality teaching and learning environments. There is a marked contrast between the positions of the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party when it comes to investment in public education. As we have seen and as we will continue to see—we will remind Mrs Dunne of this statement from now until election day and beyond, whilst ever she remains in this place, particularly as education spokesperson—she opposes this investment and describes it as throwing good money after bad. What an indictment of the Liberal Party in this place. (Time expired.)
Department of Territory and Municipal Services—surveillance of employees
MR PRATT: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, the Department of Territory and Municipal Services acknowledged in a media release on 3 October—by the way, it was surprisingly put out within one hour of my letter to your minister raising questions about this matter—that it had conducted secret surveillance of some of its employees.
Chief Minister, why was it necessary for your government to conduct secret surveillance of these employees? What instructions did you give to officials, the minister, Mr Hargreaves, or ministerial staff in connection with this surveillance?
MR STANHOPE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank Mr Pratt for the question. Of course, it is appropriate, if not a little ironic, that Australia’s most infamous spy since the Second World War should ask questions about spying. In fact, Mr Pratt’s reputation as a spy—
Members interjecting—
MR STANHOPE: is a result of being caught.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Mulcahy: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .