Page 801 - Week 05 - Thursday, 6 July 1989
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documents flowing in about maladministration of this Territory over a number of years. A very minor proportion of these issues might remotely relate to Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Whalan, and only relate to him because he has happened to be a consultant to government during various years. Certainly it is not suggested that they relate to him as the accused.
The reaction of the Government today has been that of the accused. Is that not, I submit, a thin-skinned response to normal, fearless debate? It is a surprise to the Labor Party, I submit, Mr Speaker, to find a cohesive group of four Residents Rally members willing to take the issue and willing to put the learning curve into effect with gusto but without causing real damage to the conventions and traditions of this Assembly.
Mr Speaker, I wish the Assembly well in the rest of the afternoon's proceedings. It is quite apparent to the Rally that the public does not wish to see this Assembly humbugged by filibustering speeches. A considerable amount of public funds has already been expended on this motion to date; the community has heard at length from the Rally; the issues have been debated; the Rally waits to hear a response.
The Rally could go through a whole massive pile of examples of the problems in Canberra; the issues raised in and about Canberra; the trials; the prosecutions; the unfinished investigations; the tragic events in the Territory; slayings; questions about whether the ICAC is likely to cross the border from, say, Queanbeyan in New South Wales to the ACT. They are all issues that could be debated here. I will take some pity on my colleagues.
Finally, I want to say this, Mr Speaker: We were told to "put up or shut up". It is my view that if you look at the Hansard you will find that the questions raised were reasonable; they were certainly needling. It has been suggested that there was innuendo in the question that Mr Whalan sought a donation. It was not spelt out whether the Rally was suggesting the donation was to go to party funds or to him; that was not spelt out. There is no justification for anyone, particularly the media, to jump to any conclusion that the Rally itself has a concluded view on that aspect. It was simply a question.
The very difficult position the Rally finds itself in is that if it starts presenting evidence it will turn this chamber into some sort of inquisitorial body. But I will, Mr Speaker, produce the statutory declaration that I promised earlier. I will read it out to the house. I say again, before I read it out, that it was the Government that wanted the statutory declaration produced. It is the Government that is forcing me to read this document now. The Government is accelerating the issue. I do not know whether that is a tactic or an error but, whatever it is, Mr Speaker, I submit it is regrettable that we have to go
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