Page 414 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 4 March 2008
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MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The $60,000 will be spent on the event and a range of activities associated with the event. I am simply pointing out that the event management fee, the money, will spent by Australian Capital Tourism and the Chief Minister’s events unit in partnership with Balloon Aloft, who are taking a management fee of $10,000, which contrasts with the previous operator’s suggested management fee of $90,000.
I pose the very simple question to the Assembly: in providing a nine-day ballooning event that is value for money for taxpayers you have two options on the table—one that has been rejected by the previous operators and someone else who has come forward, a local group that the shadow minister does not appear to want to support. So he is prepared to throw his political weight behind a group of people from Sydney and Melbourne to run the Canberra event as opposed to supporting locals and he has the hide to use parliamentary privilege to attack a public servant within the Chief Minister’s Department for an alleged conflict of interest—a disgraceful display!
You have been peddling it to the media, Mr Smyth, and you continue to do so. It is typical of the sort of behaviour that we come to expect from you, and there are other people in this chamber, Mr Mulcahy, who are the test, along with Mr Stefaniak and Mrs Burke and pretty much everyone in the Liberal Party who has been on the receiving end of your personal integrity and your personal behaviour, Mr Smyth.
Mr Smyth: I raise a point of order. The minister has made a number of imputations that he should withdraw. But the minister must answer the question. If he cannot answer it, he should just sit down.
MR SPEAKER: Come to the subject matter of the question, minister, or wind up.
MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I indicated—
MR SPEAKER: There is another point of order. Resume your seat, please.
Mrs Dunne: Mr Smyth raised the matter that there were a large number of personal imputations in the minister’s intemperate outburst and that they should be withdrawn. I would ask you to have him withdraw those—
MR SPEAKER: Would you like to tell me what they were, Mr Smyth?
Mr Smyth: He accused me of smearing people and using this issue for my personal advancement. That is an imputation.
MR SPEAKER: Could you rise when you raise it?
Mr Smyth: He said that I have been smearing individuals and he said that I have done it just to assist my personal advancement. That is not true. He should withdraw it. It is an imputation upon my asking the question.
Mr Stanhope: Mr Stefaniak, speak to this point of order. Come on, Bill.
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