Page 1084 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MADAM SPEAKER: I am sorry; you can have leave to speak again and not close the debate. Is leave granted for Mr Hanson to speak again?
Leave granted.
MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (3.23): I will speak briefly, Madam Speaker. I just want to make the point before Mr Rattenbury is to speak—and it is a very important motion—that the story has now changed three times. What happened is that Mr Corbell came into this place with detailed knowledge about what happened within the committee. I quote:
… the opposition members of this committee have supported each and every one of the paragraphs proposed by Mr Gentleman in his draft chair’s report but have then chosen not to support the committee report as a whole …
His first explanation was that was from a review of the minutes. When he was called to account on that by Mr Smyth his story changed for the first time. His story changed to the fact that they were available online. That was his first story. When that was disproved, his story then changed again. His story changed to, “I got this information from Mr Gentleman’s tabling speech.” But Mr Coe, in his speech, has just proven that that was not true, that Mr Gentleman did not go to those points in his tabling speech.
And then the story has changed again. The Chief Minister has had to stand up in this place and concoct a new story, and that is: this was all discussed at the party room. So we have a situation where this minister has detailed knowledge—firstly, from a review of the minutes; secondly, online; thirdly, from Mr Gentleman’s tabling speech and, fourthly, from party room discussions.
It is evident that the story is changing, and the reason the story is changing is that we are being misled. I do not know whether we were misled the first time when Mr Corbell said he reviewed the minutes. We were certainly misled when he said they were online. We were certainly misled when he said that Mr Gentleman had detailed them in his initial speech. We do not know whether this was something that was discussed in detail in their party room. You cannot have four stories that are all true. One of them is true, perhaps; the other three are lies. Madam Speaker, there is no further proof required.
Mr Gentleman: A point of order, Madam Speaker. Again, Mr Hanson referred to the word “lies”.
MR HANSON: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: On the general topic, the use of the word “lie” or “liar” in any context in this place is unparliamentary, and I will require it to be withdrawn. I would encourage members not to go there because it will save us all a whole lot of time in having to withdraw.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (3.26): Madam Speaker, any of these kinds of motions—and I have seen a few in my time in this place—are full of hyperbole,
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video