Page 4023 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 22 October 1991
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Today in question time, Mr Connolly again was asked specifically by Ms Maher, "Minister, have you had a chance to review the evidence that you gave in the Estimates Committee in relation to the staffing levels of the licensing functions covered by the children's day care services section? Do you now agree that you gave an assurance to the committee that there would be no staffing reductions in this area?". That is a simple question which requires a simple answer. What do we have today from this putative Minister? We have a tirade of abuse of Ms Maher for daring to ask the question which might have implied that he could possibly be wrong.
Ms Follett: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Connolly certainly did not indulge in abuse of Ms Maher, and I think that should be withdrawn.
MR SPEAKER: Order! I overrule that objection. I was in the chamber at the time.
MR DUBY: Indeed, it was a simple question which required a simple answer.
Mr Berry: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Duby has implied that Mr Connolly personally abused Ms Maher. He did not. He drew attention to some hurtful historical events and political realities which may have caused a couple of blisters; but there was no personal abuse, and I think there is no need to impute that sort of behaviour.
MR SPEAKER: I rule against you there, Mr Berry. I think it was unwarranted comment and, in my opinion, it was abusive.
MR DUBY: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I said, it was a very simple question: "Have you had a chance to review your evidence to the Estimates Committee? Do you now agree that maybe you made a mistake?". Of course, that is an impossibility for this Minister, or any of those Ministers opposite, to admit. Instead, as I said, we had a tirade of abuse; shoot the messenger and do not answer the question.
Indeed, again today Mr Connolly has indulged in insisting that the answer "No" to a question does not mean no when he says it. He means that he was saying no to somebody else in the room perhaps. But the answer "Yes" to a question does not mean "Yes, that is exactly what I said"; it means something else entirely.
Ms Follett: The question was about additional staff.
MR DUBY: Do not try to screw out of it now. The fact is that he has had ample opportunity to review his evidence, ample opportunity to admit the fact that he has made a mistake; but the simple fact is that the overgrown ego of this man has refused to allow him to admit that. All he had to do was say, "Yes, I perhaps made an error in my evidence".
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