Page 212 - Week 01 - Thursday, 15 February 1990
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the Law Society, and I will be tabling that letter as well. In reply, on 21 December 1989, the Law Society of the ACT acknowledged my withdrawal from practice and made some comments in relation to my unrestricted practising certificate, and noted the fact - as I had advised them - that I was making arrangements to have a full trust accounting done. This audit is being done now to my knowledge and in due course, as soon as all the many trust moneys can be transferred, all my affairs at that practice will be wound up.
That question follows an outrageous press release by Mr Whalan, shortly before Christmas, headed, "Collaery double-dipping". Were that member not an insolvent he would have received an immediate writ, but I do not believe in straw judgments at this stage, although I am watching the colour of his suit and the cut, too. As soon as he is here in better style, he has another five years to survive that scurrilous allegation which has been repeated here today by the former Chief Minister. I am not in receipt of any funds from that practice beyond outstanding matters, outstanding debts for work which accrued prior to my withdrawal from practice.
MR WHALAN: I claim to have been misrepresented, Mr Speaker. There was a press release and it drew attention to the fact that while Mr Collaery was drawing a salary as a member of this Legislative Assembly from May of last year - from the election date of last year through to 5 December - he was in fact engaged in private practice at that time. He openly acknowledged that. I believe that it is most improper that members of this Assembly should have additional business activities in addition to that which should be the sole purpose of their activities, and that is to represent the people of the ACT. The salary which is provided as a member of the Assembly should not be used as supplementary income to a private practice.
MR COLLAERY: I seek leave to make a short personal statement. I claim to have been misrepresented. I regret that this is necessary, but these matters are extremely important to my reputation. I doubt very much whether I secured any net income from that practice during the period that I was in this Assembly. Be that as it may, some of the most august figures in Labor history - I will not name them, you can guess them - have continued in practice as lawyers. In fact, Sir Isaac Isaacs, a former Governor-General continued in practice, and Dr Evatt. This, I trust, will be taken up by the media.
A young man with a young family has taken over my practice. Enough damage has been done already by virtue of other comments made by the member here opposite me in relation to that young man's attempt to get a living out of the practice - a practice which is largely dedicated, as the accountants can establish, to deserving cases, refugee work and the like. It has never been an absolutely profitable practice and that is well-known in the profession. I find
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