Page 1731 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 18 August 1992
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than happy to deal with by way of briefing. But he has not accepted my invitation for a briefing from me or my officers; nor has he accepted repeated invitations from my officers. So I do not know what he is upset about.
Even if the first letter got lost in the mail, another was sent to him. As I say, it was dispatched through the ordinary system in April. I know that other opposition members received a letter in similar, terms because I know that other opposition members - quite sensibly, in my view - availed themselves of the opportunity to have briefings with either me or my officials and have gone on tours of various areas of my responsibility. Mr Cornwell did not see fit to take up any of those offers.
MR CORNWELL: I ask a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. I have a copy of that letter before me. It is dated 23 April. It states nothing about sitting down and having discussions with you, Mr Connolly, in relation to SAAP or anything else.
Mr Kaine: Table it.
MR CORNWELL: I seek leave to table this letter.
Leave granted.
MR CORNWELL: I think it should be made quite clear for Hansard that Mr Connolly's letter referred to extending an offer to me for Mr Connolly's officers to brief me on housing related issues in the ACT. He went on, at one stage:
In addition I would be happy for the Trust to arrange a tour for yourself and other members of the Assembly who would be interested in acquainting themselves with the different elements of Housing Trust stock.
There is no question, Madam Speaker, of an invitation to sit down and discuss the SAAP, and that is what we are discussing and that was what was referred to in the Canberra Times.
MR CONNOLLY: I do not know how that is a supplementary question, but this is the most incredibly churlish and petty thing I have ever heard. If you wish to move a censure motion on me because I did not say, "Sit down", please do so, and you will be judged by the Canberra community for the churlish Opposition that you are. The point remains, Madam Speaker, that this person did not take up either the sensible offers in that letter or the repeated offers from the Commissioner for Housing. He continues to besiege us with pettifogging questions which I would be happy to answer. Fortunately, other members of the Opposition take a more sensible view and took up such offers, so they are better informed of the workings of government and better able to fulfil their responsibilities as opposition members.
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