Page 1722 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 29 May 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Minister did the decent thing and resigned to uphold the standard of ministerial behaviour.
I find the arguments that have been put by members opposite concerning Senator Tate and Mr Keating very interesting. They seemed to be arguing, on the one hand, that both of those Ministers should have resigned but did not, so they have a different standard for Mr Duby. They also obviously have a double standard in relation to Mrs Nolan. Quite clearly, the feeling was that Mrs Nolan's resignation should be accepted. But again there is a difference which exists in their minds only in relation to Mr Duby.
I frankly do not understand the standards which you are setting, and I do not think the community does, nor do I think it accepts them. We have heard Mr Collaery spring to Mr Duby's aid in public with the farcical defence that Mr Duby does not administer the Motor Traffic (Alcohol and Drugs) Act. But Mr Duby is the Minister for transport. He is the Minister responsible for road safety. He is the Minister responsible for licensing drivers. The fact is that Mr Duby, facing these charges, should never have been given or accepted the job as Minister responsible for transport.
Quite apart from his attitude to road safety and to drink-driving, which has been exhibited by a second offence, there is the question of his sitting in judgment of other people. The case of the taxi driver, which has been given some prominence in the media, is a perfect example.
Mr Kaine: Ellnor knocked it back. Put the truth on the table if you are going to talk about that one. There is your double standard coming in all right.
MS FOLLETT: The Chief Minister argues that Mrs Grassby would have knocked that case back as well.
Mr Kaine: She did.
MS FOLLETT: Mrs Grassby had not been convicted of a criminal offence in relation to driving.
Mr Kaine: She rejected the same application that Mr Duby rejected. Where is your double standard now?
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, the facts of the matter are not terribly relevant because the crux of it is that, as was stated in the Canberra Times, it is quite impossible for people to accept the legitimacy of decisions connected in any way with drink-driving which are made by an administration headed by Mr Duby.
The Canberra Times has called Mr Duby a hypocrite for accepting and continuing with his ministerial portfolio and it has suggested that this hypocrisy far surpasses his hypocrisy in standing as a No Self Government candidate and then taking on a ministry. That was a very large hypocrisy
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .