Page 1883 - Week 09 - Thursday, 19 October 1989
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Ministers seem to believe that they can make any comment in response to a legitimate question and we in opposition are supposed to accept that as an answer to our questions. It is a travesty, Mr Speaker.
Cosmetics Manufacturer
MR COLLAERY: I hope my situation does not become a travesty, Mr Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister for Industry, Employment and Education, who will recall his response to a question asked on two days about the Revlon development when he said that he would table the files and the papers relating to it. He replied yesterday and tabled two crown leases which, of course, are obtainable by members of the public for a fee, and indicated that the deed of agreement would be available to members of the Assembly in his office. Does he intend to table the files as he indicated in his first response?
MR WHALAN: I have given an undertaking to the Assembly in response to an answer yesterday that on an in-confidence basis I would make available the arrangements between the Government and the Revlon corporation, and that undertaking stands. The arrangement was that it would be in confidence, and I am sure that any member who took the opportunity of that particular offer would observe the undertaking that such an arrangement was in confidence. We have here the opportunity of bringing into Canberra one of the world's leading manufacturers of cosmetics, relocating its Australian plant and locating in Canberra its national and international distribution centre for Australia, South-East Asia and the Pacific rim. It worries me that, rather than being supportive of these developments which create employment opportunities for a range of people in our community, we find continual harassment by the Residents Rally party in relation to economic development. I thought that there had been a change in the Resident Rally party in relation to economic development along the lines that they were now supporting developments of this sort. However, it seems that there has been some reversion to previous policies on the part of the Residents Rally party, and that is to be regretted. But notwithstanding that, the Government remains committed to its policies on economic development and I reiterate the undertakings given in relation to - - -
Mr Collaery: I rise on a point of order, Mr Speaker. It just needed a yes or no answer: yes, he will produce the files, or no, he will not, and we have not had an answer yet, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Collaery, I put it to you that, if a yes or no answer were given, you would object.
Mr Collaery: Well, let us start with a yes or no, Mr Speaker, and I will ask a supplementary question. In that
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .