Page 4057 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 22 October 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MS MAHER (5.42): Can I have some clarification? Have I actually moved the amendment? As far as I understand, I sought leave to move, that was granted and then I moved it.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leave was granted. You now move your amendment and talk to it.
MS MAHER: I move:
Omit the word "censures" and substitute "admonishes"; and
Omit the words "misleading this Assembly in".
Basically, the reason for that amendment is that I accept Mr Connolly's apology.
MR DUBY (5.42): I started the whole ball rolling this afternoon; so it might be appropriate for me to finish it. There is one thing I would like to point out. During the debate Mr Moore suggested that this somehow was brought on by me in an effort to get out of a sticky situation in which I found myself. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The bottom line of the matter, I think, has been acknowledged by Minister Connolly this afternoon. It should be pointed out that the original motion was to censure Mr Connolly for statements that he had made in this Assembly about his evidence to the Estimates Committee, not statements that he had made to the Estimates Committee at all.
A lot of points have been made to and fro this afternoon about what Mr Connolly intended, what he actually said to the Estimates Committee, what he did say, and what he did not say. The point remains that the motion originally attempted to censure him for answers given in question time in this Assembly. If people go through the answers given in question time, they will see that Mr Connolly had adopted a very arrogant approach to legitimate questions from members of this Assembly requesting information.
Mr Collaery: And memos.
MR DUBY: In addition to that. I must admit, however, that I am prepared to accept that there may well have been some confusion on both sides of the fence about whether the answers given to this Assembly were misleading. I accept, accordingly, Mr Connolly's statement. I have written it down. This is what he has said: "The extent to which you" - meaning we members - "have been misled, I apologise, and I had no intention of misleading".
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .