Page 3386 - Week 09 - Thursday, 22 August 2019
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I got some media advice from Mr Ramsay yesterday. When you consider what a strong media performer Mr Ramsay is—how immensely comfortable he is in front of the microphone or the camera and that uncanny ability he has to connect with people via electronic media, to connect with the masses—it is no surprise that Mr Ramsay is dishing out media advice to me. In all seriousness, getting media advice from Mr Ramsay is like getting advice on how to cook the perfect steak from Ms Le Couteur.
Let us get to exactly what Mr Ramsay said yesterday in the chamber and get an understanding of the implication that he was making. His comments came after an ABC radio interview in which he point blank refused to answer the question of whether the government is in any way responsible for the building quality crisis in the ACT. As is Mr Ramsay’s way, he just refused to answer the question. The answer bore no relationship whatsoever to the actual question. “Mr Ramsay is it Tuesday?” “In response to the question, let me say that the political situation in Nicaragua has …” It had no relationship whatsoever to the question. He just refused. He was asked on a number of occasions and he refused to answer.
When I came to the microphone, I offered to answer the question on his behalf—which I thought was quite gracious, to be honest—and indicated that the government had to take some ownership of the crisis because of the many years of poor enforcement and regulations.
Mr Ramsay was, I am assuming, referring to that exchange in the chamber yesterday. Mr Ramsay said yesterday:
… Mr Parton wants to take responsibility for the problem.
He then linked the problem to a decision made sometime last century by the Carnell government. He went on to say:
… I assume it is the case that Mr Parton expects taxpayers to pick up the tab for the work of dodgy builders, because I would not like to think that Mr Parton is loose and careless with his words when we put him in front of the media.
Interestingly, in the chamber yesterday, my colleague Mrs Dunne immediately rose to her feet to defend me. She brought on a point of order saying that Mr Ramsay had in effect implied that I had a propensity to tell lies. The reality is that what Mr Ramsay alleged was the complete opposite. He alleged the complete opposite. He alleged that I had the propensity to actually answer questions and tell the truth. His message to Canberra yesterday, in his little slap down of me was: “Don’t vote for this man because if he’s in government, there is a high chance, there is a high likelihood, that he will actually answer questions and tell the truth.” That, Madam Assistant Speaker, would be disastrous in the eyes of Mr Ramsay.
If Mr Ramsay regards answering questions and telling the truth as being loose with my words, well, Madam Assistant Speaker, I am happy to take the hit on that one. I would urge those opposite to keep trawling through my social media to lock onto
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