Page 3045 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 10 September 1991
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It comes completely as news to me, Mr Speaker, that Mr Collaery, then Attorney-General, involved the police or the Government Solicitor in any way in this matter. I think it is appropriate, at this point, that he give us a full explanation of why he did that and what he did and why he did not tell me personally.
MR COLLAERY (3.16): Mr Speaker, I am very pleased to stand and speak to this because the Chief Minister has again used this label of slander and innuendo. Mr Speaker, as first law officer of the city, as Attorney-General, a story came to me via a credible source - - -
Ms Follett: You started it.
MR COLLAERY: I say explicitly in this house, Mr Speaker, that I did not start that story and I am in a position to say where it started. Mr Speaker, the matter was put to me. I was the Attorney-General of this Territory. I took advice, as is proper, from the Assistant Commissioner of Police and the chief solicitor, among others, as to what I should do with the matter. I then had Ms Follett's statement of pecuniary interests examined. I do not recall examining it myself, personally. I do not believe - - -
Mr Humphries: I raise a point of order. Mr Speaker, I am not clear what is happening here. Have we voted on Ms Follett's motion to allow Mr Collaery time, or are we still debating that motion?
MR SPEAKER: Actually, Ms Follett and Mr Collaery should be addressing whether we should pass the motion and not answering the question posed. I have taken from the way the debate has gone that it is agreed - - -
Mr Humphries: Let us just vote on the motion then. Let us see what we are all agreed on.
MR COLLAERY: Mr Speaker, I would like to speak as to whether the motion should be put. I will say a few more words and sit down, because I will not be responding further. As Attorney-General of this Territory, there is a very firm requirement on the first law officer when an allegation of that nature is received - - -
Ms Follett: What allegation?
MR COLLAERY: An allegation, Mr Speaker, shortly, that the Chief Minister, whilst Chief Minister of this Territory, formerly, had received, from a source in this Territory, the gift of a share in a racehorse. It is as simple as that. The name of the source of the gift was given to me, with other details. I do not believe that we need to dig that further because we will create some commercial problems, perhaps, in that regard.
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