Page 1308 - Week 05 - Thursday, 26 April 1990
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Why have they not been pursued? Why has there been no further action? Why has the Government totally overlooked this matter? I find it extraordinary, Mr Speaker. In fact, the very first sentence of the committee's recommendations reads, and there is a particular reason why it does read this way:
The Committee during its investigation found no irregularities on the part of any party, including the developer and its proponent Mr Geoff Da Deppo in relation to any matters.
This was conveniently overlooked in its entirety by this Government. I think it is time that it was made public. This Government owes both Mr Da Deppo and my colleague Mr Whalan a full and public apology for its most improper allegations in relation to the genesis of this report.
We had a constant series of allegations about the lease on this project as well. It was not just an allegation of outright bribery; there were also constant allegations about improprieties in the lease arrangements. You have forgotten all about it now.
Mr Collaery: Refer to the sections in the Hansard.
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, I suspect the current Attorney-General knows full well how irresponsibly he behaved on that occasion and is now somewhat embarrassed by it. He owes Mr Whalan and Mr Da Deppo a full apology. You have skated over it. You are a disgrace.
A further matter which Mr Duby failed to address was the comment by Senator Richardson after the committee's report had been put out. I find that a strange matter indeed because it again has overlooked the committee's own consideration of events prior to self-government and the committee's own words in relation to that matter. They are:
In relation to the offer and sale of the site, the Committee is satisfied that the proponent of the project, Mr Da Deppo, has met the appropriate conditions which he has been asked to comply with by previous Ministers and administrations responsible for the Territory before self-government.
I am surprised that the current Government missed the opportunity to respond to Senator Richardson's subsequent calls for a full environmental impact statement and so on and to Senator Richardson's allegations that the project had changed after his initial consideration of it. Of course, what we found was that the project had not substantially changed and Senator Richardson was pursuing that course for reasons best known to himself, but the fact is that he is no longer pursuing it. He has now withdrawn
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