Page 1718 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 29 May 1990
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If I felt that Mr Duby had committed an offence that was, by any standard applicable anywhere else in Australia, of a kind that ought to compel him to resign, I would be the first one to say to my leader, the Chief Minister, that I believe he should ask Mr Duby to resign. I think Mr Duby may be the first one to go to the Chief Minister and suggest his own resignation in such a circumstance. Quite frankly, that ridiculously high standard simply has not been breached, and there is therefore no reason to ask Mr Duby to resign.
The other cases cited by the Opposition simply do not hold water. There is a strange inconsistency in what the Opposition members have been saying also about their proceedings with this matter. Firstly, Mr Berry got up and said that they refrained from commenting when Mr Duby's case first came to their attention because of Mrs Nolan's case. He said, "We did not want to interfere in that matter, we did not want to prejudice that matter, so we made no comment".
Mr Collaery: He wasn't even in the chamber.
MR HUMPHRIES: Indeed. But then Mr Connolly said that Ms Follett did make a comment. Which is it, Mr Speaker? Did the Opposition make a comment or did it not make a comment? Personally I think Mr Berry is right. I have not seen any statement by Ms Follett, and I rather doubt that any serious attempt was made to project any particular view about Mr Duby's conviction at the time it was brought forward. I think Mr Duby's matter was glossed over quite deliberately at the time because there was no view on the part of the Opposition that any serious matter had arisen and that the matter should be pursued.
It was only after Mrs Nolan's conviction and resignation - in the circumstances, quite rightly - from the Government's Executive Deputy ranks that the Opposition members suddenly realised that there was a point here that they had missed, six weeks before or whenever it was, so they suddenly decided, "We'd better do something about this. We have overlooked a bit of a goldmine here". They put their latest recruit onto that trail. I am afraid that the trail is quite cold and quite unproductive, and it will not advance the rectitude of this Assembly, the status of members of this Assembly or the position of democracy in the ACT to pursue it. Quite frankly, they are barking up the wrong tree. I do not believe that we should be raking over Mr Duby's reputation in this shameful way. I see no reason for it to occur.
Ms Follett: His reputation? You're kidding!
MR HUMPHRIES: Ms Follett laughs with gay abandon. She was quite happy to stand by Mr Duby when he sat on her side of the chamber. Now that he no longer does that, apparently she is content to denigrate him, slur his name and drag his
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