Page 2538 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 7 August 1991
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Mr Stevenson: I made no suggestion whatsoever, Mr Speaker. You obviously refer to the matter of Gerald Gold writing letters - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Stevenson! I have the floor at the moment; you have had your turn. The situation is that precedence was asked for on a matter of privilege. I gave you a ruling on precedence, which is the urgency of that issue. I also informed you that you were open to give notice of motion on that matter of privilege, as I advised you to do in the letter I sent to you.
Mr Stevenson: Yes, indeed.
MR SPEAKER: I think you should be more careful with your words. There was reflection on the Chair, and I object to that. I would like you to return the tabled papers, Mr Stevenson.
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services), by leave: I wish to make a statement with regard to a fairly serious allegation made anonymously against a member of the Australian Federal Police.
Mr Speaker, in his, in my view, highly irresponsible speech, which was nothing but a farrago of allegation and guilt by association - - -
Ms Follett: It was contemptuous.
MR CONNOLLY: As the Chief Minister said, it was contemptuous. Mr Stevenson ended his remarks by making an allegation against a member of the Australian Federal Police which, by his refusal to detail it or explain to whom he was referring specifically, puts all members of the Australian Federal Police under a smear.
I expect that Mr Stevenson would have the decency and guts to make his specific allegation; if not to this Assembly, then in accordance with the appropriate procedure under the Complaints (Australian Federal Police) Act to the Ombudsman or to Assistant Commissioner Bates. I am quite happy to ask Assistant Commissioner Bates, who is effectively the person in charge of the ACT region of the Australian Federal Police, to meet with Mr Stevenson, if Mr Stevenson is prepared to make a specific allegation. I am appalled at this gutter tactic of smear.
Mr Stevenson: Mr Speaker, on a point of order: I have already indicated that I would do that.
MR CONNOLLY: If I could just continue: It was pleasing to see that all members of this Assembly but Mr Stevenson expressed their revulsion at this smear of the police generally.
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