Page 756 - Week 03 - Thursday, 22 March 1990
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MR SPEAKER: I do not believe that is a valid point of order, Ms Follett. Please proceed, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I was quoting a newspaper headline, which would certainly not say, "Mrs Grassby". It would just say, "Grassby" or, "Humphries" or, "Kaine" or whatever.
Mr Kaine: They say it with respect when they refer to me.
MR HUMPHRIES: Of course, Chief Minister. It is clear that what has happened here is that this Opposition has anticipated bad news. Perhaps it even thought that there would be a censure motion on Mrs Grassby and decided to head off the Government at the pass. It has decided that offence is perhaps the best form of defence.
Mr Kaine: But only when you have got the strength.
MR HUMPHRIES: But only when you have got the strength - that is the point, Mr Speaker, and I will come to that in a moment. The fact is that these people have decided that they are going to pre-empt any criticism by accusing Mr Collaery of something that they see as being just as damaging or damning as what Mrs Grassby has done. But the fact is it is not. Nothing Mr Collaery has done, nothing Mr Collaery has been accused of having done in this place holds a candle to what Mrs Grassby has done in this community. I think Mrs Grassby's conduct has been absolutely disgraceful. She has pulled out a claim which is totally without foundation and totally unsubstantiated, held it up to the people of Canberra and said, "This is what is going to happen. I have no evidence of this; I cannot prove it. I have my sources, but I cannot reveal what they are. But I tell you these flats are going to be sold".
What is more, the claim was made directly to the residents of those flats by writing to them and saying, "This is what this Government is going to do to you". That is absolutely and utterly irresponsible; absolutely and utterly reprehensible. This former Minister for Housing ought to have had the decency at least to have put her suggestion to the Minister for Housing first and asked him whether there was any substance at all in the claims. Had she done so, she would have had, in very clear terms, the assurance she received on 26 February - after she had already written to residents of the flat unnecessarily alarming them as to what might happen. The Government has given an assurance that it has, and I quote, "absolutely no intention of selling any government flats, including those along Northbourne Avenue". That was a promise made to Mrs Grassby in writing on 26 February. I think it is disgraceful that she did not attempt to obtain that first.
Mr Berry referred to a campaign or a stream of innuendo and smears. I thought he was talking about Mrs Grassby. In
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