Page 2556 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 7 August 1991
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Organised Crime and X-Rated Video Industry Allegations
MR STEVENSON (4.33): I wish to make clear a matter that I believe has been misrepresented. When I gave information about a certain police officer I did not say that it was a member of the Australian Federal Police Force. I wish to advise that the appropriate letter of information has been drawn and is in transit to the appropriate internal investigations department of the State police force from which the officer mentioned today is on attachment. I advise that the officer is not an Australian Federal Police officer and at no time did I say in the Assembly that he was.
Mr Connolly: But when I said that you should take it up with Bates, you said, "I am doing it". You did not retract at the time.
MR STEVENSON: That is not a concern; I am perfectly happy to do that as well. As he is on attachment in this area, that needs to be done as well. The reason, I might mention, that I did not name the person at this time was that it looks like he was part of a deliberate misinformation program to, let us say, lay the trail cold. I only just found out about that in the last couple of days in dealing with media and members, some of whom were well aware of what I said. I could not imagine how anyone could possibly suggest that the evidence that I presented in this parliament was anything other than totally valid, as there have been, as I mentioned, two police investigations conducted and a third already ongoing.
However, I started to realise that people had been told that there was no substance in it. In investigating that, I found out that there was a police officer who was spreading that information. It may be that he did not know that what he was doing was spreading a false trail. I do not believe that to be the case; but, on that million to one chance, that was the reason I did not name the person.
Organised Crime and X-Rated Video Industry Allegations
MR MOORE (4.35): Mr Speaker, I think it is important to say at this time that when members argue conspiracy theory with lack of logic and without validating their arguments they are highly unlikely to convince any other member of this parliament or member of the public that what they are on about is in fact a sensible and rational course of action. I think Dennis Stevenson's actions today reinforce that significantly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Assembly adjourned at 4.36 pm
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