Page 2642 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 13 August 1991
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Mr Jensen: Paul did not have it when he signed the agreement.
MR BERRY: Cut it out. Of course we have to get a lease from the Federal Government; that is not the issue. The issue is that the former sports Minister failed to deliver the goods, and when he was given the bullet and Labor took over office we were left with another mess to clean up - just as we have had a mess to clean up in health, education and a whole host of other areas. For these people to start squealing about the mess they left behind is over the top, in my view. We will fix it, but we will fix it properly.
MR COLLAERY: Mr Speaker, I want to ask a supplementary question, but first I want to restate my question. When was the money paid back, to the Minister's knowledge? That was part of my first question. He has not answered that yet, Mr Speaker.
MR BERRY: The money has been taken back since we passed the deadline. The exact date I do not have in my mind now, but I will find out and I will pass it on.
MR COLLAERY: I ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker.
Mr Berry: No, you can have only one.
MR COLLAERY: I have not asked my supplementary question yet.
MR SPEAKER: We have a supplementary question from Mr Collaery. That was part of his first question.
MR COLLAERY: Can the Minister assure the house and the Canberra people that he took advice from appropriate quarters, including the Government Law Office or the ACT Government Solicitor, as to whether the Commonwealth had any right to restrain, detain, injunct or otherwise maintain that million dollars in the trust account of the Australian Institute of Sport prior to the supposed deadline? I remind Mr Berry that he should consult his correspondence, and he will find that when the money was lodged there was no deadline in the correspondence from Mr Ferguson from the AIS.
MR SPEAKER: Order! You are debating the issue.
MR BERRY: I think, Mr Speaker, that Mr Collaery asked for a legal opinion. The issue of the negotiations has been outlined as I answered his question in the first place. I think Mr Collaery has to accept the responsibility for leaving this mess for the Labor Government.
Mr Collaery: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. This witness - this member - - -
Members interjected.
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