Page 4261 - Week 14 - Thursday, 24 October 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR BERRY: It is not the business of members of this Assembly to conduct a kangaroo court and deny members of the Ambulance Service natural justice. Natural justice means that people are able to put their cases and be heard. Mr Humphries is setting out to conduct a kangaroo court in relation to certain ambulance officers and ambulance managers. I am not going to be a part of that sort of business. It is entirely over the top and outside the field of his operations.
Mr Humphries asked a question in relation to briefings on the matter. Of course I received briefings on the Harris complaint, the extent of which I do not have with me. I am prepared to look at them, but I am not prepared to give an undertaking that I would release them.
Canberra Bowling Club
MR COLLAERY: My question, Mr Speaker, is to the Minister responsible for planning approvals, Mr Wood. In relation to the approved draft variation for the Forrest bowling club, on how many occasions did he meet with Canberra lobbyist Paul Whalan and on how many occasions did he meet with objectors?
MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, let us note the words "meet with". I noted that there were one or two phone calls to my office, as advised to me, over some weeks, from Mr Whalan, asking when the draft variation would be tabled. Those calls were not to me, but to my office. I was separate from that proposal in that period before it was tabled.
It is my position that I do not deal with proponents or objectors to draft variations. These matters are handled within the department, and as a matter of principle I would prefer not to be involved. I would not suggest that there may not be occasions when it might be appropriate to be involved, but as a general principle I would not wish to deal with these matters until they come to my desk.
As to a meeting, one day I met Mr Whalan - whether it was a meeting is another matter - in the area outside the lift on the fifth floor. It was certainly not a meeting that had been organised by me.
Mr Collaery: He ambushed you.
MR WOOD: You may use whatever term you wish.
Mr Kaine: I think he ambushed me on the same day, actually.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .