Page 1050 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 3 May 2022
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legitimate place. We have often discussed matters with the standards commissioner. I remember debate in this place about Mr Milligan. Do you remember that one, earlier this term? I recall that debate playing out in here.
Ms Lawder: Ms Lee and Ms Burch—
MR HANSON: Ms Lee and Ms Burch, yes. There have been a number of times that these matters have been debated in the Assembly. And, the Greens members and the Labor members, from my recollection, have supported those.
As Mr Davis said, his letter was a Greens party letter. He said that is was the Greens; it has the Greens logo on it. He said that it was paid for by the Greens. He also said that its purpose was to promote the federal candidates. The purpose of the letter was to go out there and promote the federal candiates. That is fine, and Mr Davis is entitled to do that. The advice in the letter from the Clerk that we received in April, warned us about mixing the streams between what we do as politicians—as advocates for the for the Greens cause and the Liberal cause—and as MLAs. If Mr Davis had not put his office address on it, this would not be an issue. The problem is that he is in a situation where he is putting a letter out promoting, as he said in his own words here, federal candidates. He is electioneering for federal candidates; he has admitted that. It was paid for by the Greens. It was authorised by the Greens. The problem is that he is using his Assembly office, essentially, as his campaign office. If you look at this letter, and where it eminates from and who you have to contact by phone or by email, you see that it is his Assembly office.
The reality is that if you received this correspondence—I do not know how many thousands he has distributed—and you were going to respond to this letter, you would wonder who sent this letter: “Who is he? Where is it coming from?” It is very clear in this letter—no matter whether it is paid for and on on—that he is promoting federal candidates, and that the constituent who gets it will see that the address that is printed on it is: ACT Legislative Assembly, Canberra, ACT, 2601. It then has his parliamentary email and his parliamentary phone number. I assume he put his address on there because he wants people to contact him. Why else would you put your address on there? Either to say this is where this letter is coming from—
Mr Davis: Yes—
MR HANSON: other than to say, this is where the letter is coming from. That is a breach. He just said, “Yes,” Madam Speaker. I just said where this letter is coming from, and he said, “Yes.” He has said in this place that the purpose of the letter is to campaign to promote the federal candidates. And he said, “Yes, this letter comes from the ACT Assembly.” But it is all—
Mr Davis: Point of order. Madam Speaker, Mr Hanson has taken an interjection from me, and verballed me out of context. I said the letter came from me, not from my Legislative Assembly office.
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, if somebody has a point of order, there is no commentary, so remain seated.
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