Page 1243 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 23 August 1989
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I refer to another time, when I asked a question of Mr Whalan in relation to the Bruce Stadium. I asked that question on 6 July, and Mr Whalan, rather than providing an explanation to say that he had not correctly stated the facts to the house on that particular day, provided me with a personal letter in which he redressed the matter. At the time, it was decided that we would not make an issue of that particular matter. Mr Speaker, I think that it is totally inappropriate and it is in the nature of the way that Mr Whalan seeks to do business in this place that he did not, once again, have the decency to table the letter that related to an answer that he gave which was clearly incorrect, for the benefit of the rest of the members of this house and for the record.
Mr Speaker, in this particular issue, I now turn to the fact that the Deputy Chief Minister ought to have known that I raised that particular matter. He has had the opportunity between now and yesterday, when he spoke to the house, to check and find out the facts of the matter.
I have no doubt whatsoever about the validity of the statement that I read into the Hansard yesterday from Mr Read, the letter from the chairman of the Tuggeranong Community Council to me, in which he indicated quite clearly to me, as he did in a letter to the Canberra Times which was printed in the Canberra Times on the same day, that he was given the clear impression and clear understanding that a member of Mr Whalan's staff had been involved, indicating that the briefing was not available and that his staff was involved in setting up the briefing.
Mr Speaker, the Community Council sought to have this particular briefing given because they were about to appear before a Joint Parliamentary Committee to which the chairman of the Community Council had in the past spoken at some length and in some detail. I know other members of this house are aware that Mr Read gives good, solid, strong evidence and there is no doubting his veracity or his honesty. The implication that was made yesterday is quite outrageous.
They sought this briefing, Mr Speaker, so that they could appear before the committee as the representatives of the people of Tuggeranong, that particular area, as a recognised community organisation, to put forward the issues in relation to the development of the Isabella Plains flyover, or roundabout as it is now known. The result of that was that they went before that meeting without being made fully and properly aware that, in fact, the proposal that they had received from an officer of Mr Whalan's department referred to a flyover. They found when they got into the meeting that the proposal for a flyover had been changed and it was to be a roundabout.
That, Mr Speaker, was most unfortunate for that group because, clearly, if the full information that they sought
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