Page 2649 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 2 July 2008
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because she thought she was trying to do the right thing—
tried to keep Bob McInnes’ name out of it …
Bob McInnes at that time worked for ACT Forestry. She kept his name out of it. She continued:
… as I thought he would be in strife for allowing us to move in, so I said we had “taken possession”. After speaking with Mr McInnes, who said that we could use his name, a SECOND letter was sent—
to Tom Uren—
(9 days later) stating “with regard to our previous letter there are a few points which need clarifying. Firstly since that letter was written we have confirmed that a friend of ours in Forestry was given verbal permission by Bob McInnes for us to move into the house—the house being on Forestry land.”
Mrs Farrell goes on:
Unfortunately I did not mention the keys. (The second point I clarified was that we were on Gov. Housing list) These TWO letters were acknowledged by Mr Uren in his letter (3 /11) where he says “I refer to your letters dated 29 Aug and 8 Sept”.
Mrs Farrell goes on to say:
I can give you copies of all of them. It is very convenient (to say the least!) that Barr would only refer to that first letter. It was contained in their court affidavits and our solicitor made their solicitors aware of the second letter and Mr Uren’s response to 2 letters. Not that they would have been unaware as the 2 would have been in the file, side by side.
This does go on and on. It is disappointing, because the Farrells have always tried to do the right thing. To have no way of defending themselves in this town, to have had their name besmirched in the Canberra Times in the way that they have, is, to me, unconscionable. They have got no way now of being able to turn around that situation.
I have also been given an email that was sent to Mr Barr on 30 May 2008 by Robyn Gowing, nee Vest, who is from one of the former families that lived there. I may not have time to read it all but she said:
Thank you—
Mr Barr—
for your email. You have told me nothing that I had not already known. No you will not sway my opinion because there has been no commonsense used in this matter what so ever. I have know the Farrells for quite some time and I believe them when they say they were aware that the time had come for them to move out and the area be developed, but there main concern was the preservation of the old house which I fully concur with. You—
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