Page 4673 - Week 16 - Tuesday, 27 November 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Mr Connolly has tabled a letter from a senior public servant to a doctor, who is not to my knowledge a public servant, as Mr Connolly suggested. The letter written by this senior public servant to that doctor is not written on departmental letterhead. This is a private letter from that senior public servant, written privately to that doctor. As such, Mr Speaker, it cannot sustain any argument that the Government uses the issuing of threats of defamation as a tool to silence critics. I do not intend to - - -
Mr Kaine: He should withdraw it and he should apologise.
MR HUMPHRIES: Frankly, Mr Speaker, the allegation that this proved any such allegation is untrue; it is a lie, and I think that Mr Connolly should withdraw it. If Mr Connolly can produce other evidence to show that either I or my department - - -
Mr Berry: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: he used the word "lie". That is really a personal reflection and I think he ought to withdraw that.
MR SPEAKER: I must agree with you, Mr Berry. Mr Humphries, I would ask you to withdraw that.
Mr Duby: Oh, Mr Speaker!
MR SPEAKER: Mr Duby, if we want to move these sorts of motions they have to be substantive. We just cannot make a statement. Please withdraw it, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I think I am substantiating that this is untrue and is therefore a lie.
MR SPEAKER: It has to be raised as a formal motion.
MR HUMPHRIES: However, so as not to confuse the debate, I will withdraw the term "lie". The fact is that the statement is untrue. Mr Connolly has made a statement which is unparliamentary in its implication and one which he would clearly have to withdraw were he unable to produce any evidence.
Mr Speaker, the evidence he has produced is not evidence of that. The so-called evidence that Mr Connolly has produced is a private letter which was written in a private capacity by a senior public servant to a doctor who is not a public servant, as alleged by Mr Connolly. Therefore, that does not constitute any proof of what Mr Connolly has to say. Mr Connolly has been unable to substantiate his claims, and I again ask him to withdraw the imputation he made concerning me.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Humphries. I will take this issue and have a close look at it outside the sitting and get back to the house on the issue.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .