Page 3435 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 19 September 1990
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Mr Jensen raised, I think most properly, the question of examination of personal relationships. We have had a few speakers talk on the differences in this regard between Australia and the United States. Indeed I do not think we would want to see any committee of this Assembly operating as a sort of morals police or as a Star Chamber. In Australia, personal relationships are not quite as important as they are in the United States in terms of political figures. Our own Prime Minister admitted to committing adultery, which would have been a suicidal thing for him to do if he was an American politician. The Australian population regarded that as a personal relationship and, most sensibly, nothing further was done about it, regardless of the morals or otherwise of the issue.
American politicians who have been accused of similar types of acts have had their political careers terminated because of the moral indignation and the system that operates in that country.
Mrs Nolan: John F. Kennedy did.
MR STEFANIAK: After his death, Robyn. And, although I certainly have always been an anti-communist, I could have no truck with the disgusting exhibition of what happened in the McCarthy era when many prominent Americans - many innocent Americans - were crucified for their beliefs in public hearings in, effectively, a Star Chamber type of situation. That is something I would certainly urge the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedures, when it looks at the question of ethics and an ethics committee, to consider very carefully, because I do not think we want to go down the American track at all in that respect.
I was interested in Mr Moore's reading of Dorian Gray, and I am very sorry I confused Dorian Gray with the ship the Marie Celeste.
Mr Collaery: There is not much difference.
MR STEFANIAK: There probably is not much difference. They were both around at the same time. Maybe Dorian Gray even travelled on the Marie Celeste before it got lost.
I would also hark back to another point the Chief Minister raised at the Canberra Press Club, and that was that, despite some of the aspersions cast by Mr Berry on certain members of this Assembly, I believe the 17 members of this Assembly are all hard working and fundamentally honest people trying to do their job in the best interests of the citizens of Canberra. I think most citizens, when they really look seriously at it, would consider that to be the case.
We have already in place a number of provisions which govern the conduct of members. The first was introduced most promptly by Ms Follett when she became Chief Minister,
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