Page 889 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 13 March 1991
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MR MOORE (4.20): No doubt the Government will use its numbers appropriately to carry through this censure motion. I think, Mr Speaker, that if we went back to the original question and the response of the Chief Minister we would see a very different result from that we will see today. The response of the Chief Minister was, "If you have some allegations, bring them to me". I was quite prepared to do that, Mr Speaker, but before I had a chance to speak to the Chief Minister, before I had left this house and the debate - - -
Mr Duby: You are a liar. You are a liar.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Duby! Please withdraw that.
Mr Duby: I withdraw, Mr Speaker, but I do point out that Mr Moore left as soon as he had finished his question. He went immediately to the media to make those allegations. For him to suggest that he was ready to go to the Chief Minister is, frankly, an absolute load of claptrap.
MR MOORE: I reiterate that I was happy to take those allegations to the Chief Minister. I did not have that statutory declaration with me at the time. Mr Speaker, the statutory declaration that was given to me was given to me perhaps with the understanding that it could well be tabled. It was my decision, not that of the person who made the statutory declaration, to show that statutory declaration to Mr Connolly so that, should anybody ask him, he would be aware that there was such a statutory declaration; but it was my intention to protect the person who had provided that information.
That information did not have to be public, Mr Speaker. It was this Government and Mr Collaery that forced the situation by its motion. Accordingly, I responded to that motion. I still believe, Mr Speaker, that when somebody is given information of that nature it is most appropriate - indeed, there is a responsibility - to take some action. I believed then, as I do now, that there was a basis for asking the question of the Chief Minister. I still believe that that was an entirely appropriate way to go about it. It is not just the duty of a member, but also there is an obligation on a member when there is some doubt about the propriety of the Minister, to follow that through. It seems to me, Mr Speaker, that, if that brings this house into some kind of disrepute, then it is appropriate that that be the case.
That I made a decision to shred that evidence after showing it to Mr Connolly, who I am sure will verify that, may well have been a mistake. However, I was very much aware, Mr Speaker, of the situation and the publicity that followed Miss Libby Daly's case, which is why I drew attention to that. I am also very much aware of the effect that a statutory declaration of that nature could have on a
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