Page 879 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 13 March 1991
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MR COLLAERY (Attorney-General) (3.52): Mr Speaker, I rise more in sorrow than anger. I do want to say at the beginning, of course, that Libby Daly remains a member of the Rally and a friend of mine and my family and other members of the Rally. I do wish to put into the record that that statutory declaration was written during a luncheon adjournment of this Assembly. It was taken by me in the presence of a reputable solicitor of this town, and it has never been suggested otherwise. You will recall, of course - - -
Mr Moore: It was signed by Miss Daly, of course.
MR COLLAERY: He concedes that Miss Daly signed it, Mr Speaker, and the record will show that the statutory declaration was procured during an adjournment following a motion moved by the then Government.
Mr Moore: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. I wonder under what circumstances Mr Collaery is speaking. Is he speaking to a point of order?
Mr Collaery: I am speaking to the motion.
MR SPEAKER: Well, you may well wonder, Mr Moore. He is speaking to a motion that has been put.
Mr Moore: On the contrary, Mr Speaker, I believe that we have a situation where I sought leave to respond to a motion.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Moore! The situation, for the benefit of you and others who have not paid attention, is that the Chief Minister moved a motion for you to present the paper. You addressed that motion and now other members are entitled to do so.
MR COLLAERY: I said, Mr Speaker, that I rise more in sorrow than anger. I want, firstly, to remind the house of the outcome of the ICAC inquiry into commission procedures in New South Wales and the rights of witnesses in that State. In that State the Council for Civil Liberties and other reputable persons, including Mr Costigan of queen's counsel, expressed great concern about a situation where people are named and are unable to respond on the day on which the allegation is made. I believe, given the experience in New South Wales and given the position of importance that Mr Moore holds for our community in this Assembly, that it was incumbent on him yesterday to have identified me, the person the subject of his allegation, and to have cleared my colleagues. He did not do that. He has left the slur and innuendo go against the Government. Shame on him for that.
Mr Speaker, moving to the substance of the matter, I am the first law officer of this Territory and upon me falls a very abiding and fundamental duty to observe the law; to observe not only the law, but the letter and the spirit
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