Page 1524 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 18 May 1993
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Mr Wood also made some salient points. Before I was a member of this place I was invited by governments of both political persuasions to sit on various boards. I am aware of the code of conduct and I am aware of the declaration - so, I dare say, is Mr Phillips - before anybody can accept such an important role in the community, most of the time at no monetary favour for the people concerned. In this case we are all aware that Mr Phillips does get some remuneration, and so he should. Whoever the chairman or the chairperson is should, because they do a wonderful job.
Mr Wood: He puts in a lot more time, I understand, than the remuneration would suggest.
MR DE DOMENICO: That is right. There is a code of conduct and we are all aware of that. Mr Kaine said quite eloquently that it would be a shame if every other member of the private sector or the community - luckily, no-one else was named - sat back and said, "Hold on a tick; should I accept any position that is offered to me on any board? I also happen to be involved in business and there is no way known that I am going to accept any position if some member of the Assembly is going to name me, through innuendo, in the Assembly". That is the sort of thing that we have to be very careful about. I think that is what Mr Moore has done today. He has made a lot of people think twice, perhaps - - -
Mr Berry: You lot have a short memory.
Mr Kaine: It applies to trade union officials, too.
Mr Berry: What about the Health Board?
MR DE DOMENICO: No, no, hold on; just listen. That is not what we are talking about at all. Perhaps one should think about why Mr Moore did this. Is it because ACTEW does not have a row of windmills on the Brindabella mountain range generating electricity or something? I do not know. Is it because of some other motive that Mr Moore has done this?
Madam Speaker, to conclude my remarks, it is a pity that we have heard in this Assembly any member of any side of the house mentioning individuals and using innuendo in the way that Mr Moore has done today. Luckily, as I said, those individuals are big enough and ugly enough - I think that is the phrase - to look after themselves. The families, the onlookers, the partners and anybody seen with them, as Mr Kaine said, at the rugby or at the hotel or somewhere, are the people that I think we have to express concern about as well. I think it is going to be a sorry state of affairs if the reputation of any individual involved in any business dealing in this community who happens to be on a board or is involved in any way, say, as Ms Follett said, on EPACT, is automatically besmirched by a member of this Assembly, perhaps under privilege. We expressed concern last week about an attempt by another member to do something. The same thing has happened today. It is a pity because it is not the way this Assembly should operate.
MADAM SPEAKER: The discussion is concluded.
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