Page 5903 - Week 18 - Wednesday, 11 December 1991
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on those matters, I hope that she will understand, because it is a commercial matter and it may not be in the commission's best interests to have the full detail of those sorts of commercial arrangements, particularly when it is presumably trying to get out of leases, revealed in public. I will get Mrs Nolan all the information that it is possible to get and give it to her as quickly as I can.
Sports Facilities Coordinator
MR COLLAERY: My question is directed to the rapidly departing Mr Berry, the Minister for Sport. I ask him whether, in view of his comments in relation to the secondment of Mr Peter Conway to his office - seconded through "relevant experience in sport and recreation" - he will assure this house that that senior appointment or secondment was based on a consideration of relevant criteria, other potential candidates and an open appointment.
MR BERRY: I thank Mr Collaery, but not very much, for his question. I get a little disappointed over this issue because this officer's name has been mentioned three or four times in this house in the last couple of days, and it seems to me as though it is more a personality issue than anything else. When this question was first raised I told the member that it was a matter for the public service. It is not an appointment to my office; it is an appointment to a position within the service, and it is entirely a public service matter, not one in which Ministers were involved.
MR COLLAERY: I have a supplementary question: In view of Mr Berry's response, would he care to comment upon an article in the Canberra Times on Saturday referring to Mr Conway's singing the praises of the Chief Minister at a sports function, and would the Minister concede that Mr Peter Conway is a long-term, active member of the Australian Labor Party?
MR BERRY: I think the question is out of order. If he wants to find out whether the person is a member of the Labor Party or not, I think he should ask him or the secretary of the party, not the Minister for Sport.
Mr Collaery: You are using government funds to campaign, are you not?
MR BERRY: As was said a moment ago, Mr Conway is one of many thousands of ACT Government Service members who sing the praises of Rosemary Follett; there is no question about that. The chorus is long and loud. I do not know why Mr Collaery is so upset about that, except, as I have said before, that he is getting involved in personal sniping matches with people who cannot defend themselves in this place. It is a ridiculous proposition to have Government Service members' names raised in this place. Mr Collaery
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