Page 3149 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 12 September 1990
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It seems that Mr Kaine and his gun-slinging Ministers are intent on bringing the white shoe brigade politics of the former Queensland National Party Government to the ACT.
The background to this matter is that, on 23 August 1990 and on the following day, Mr Connolly issued press releases alleging, among other things, that Mr Duby and Ms Maher stood to gain personally from a Cabinet decision relating to the ACT Housing Trust.
Mr Connolly made a further allegation that Mr Duby should have declared an interest prior to a Cabinet process. Mr Connolly made that allegation, despite a very clear statement by me earlier that day on a radio program, referred to by Mr Connolly, that a relevant disclosure had indeed been made by Mr Duby.
Despite the fact that civil process commenced yesterday in the ACT Supreme Court against Mr Connolly by Mr Duby, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation chose to report further remarks by Mr Connolly, based presumably on the press release I have just referred to, on this morning's radio news.
I do not propose to comment on the matter now at issue between Mr Duby and Mr Connolly. However, I am, along with my Cabinet colleagues, outraged at Mr Connolly's imputation that Cabinet would knowingly bring about a situation of personal gain for another member of Cabinet or, for that matter, a member of the Legislative Assembly. The allegations by Mr Connolly therefore strike at the heart of the Cabinet process and constitute a grave allegation against the Government. Bearing in mind the need to maintain the convention of Cabinet confidentiality, I do not propose to reveal details of Cabinet deliberations other than to say that the notion that any decision was in any way influenced by a question of advantage or disadvantage to any member of the Legislative Assembly is scandalous.
I draw the house's attention to the transcript of my remarks on ABC radio on 23 August 1990 where a number of issues considered by the Government were traversed. I will read my remarks into the Hansard. The question asked by the presenter was:
Was the issue of Ms Maher's loan raised in Cabinet by Mr Duby?
My response was:
I am not at liberty to talk about Cabinet issues but I do want to say this: that the issue of any conflict of interest and issues of like nature are properly traversed in Cabinet and in this respect were traversed.
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