Page 2617 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 24 August 1993
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Mr Kaine: It is right, and the secretary of your department said so.
Mr Berry: It will provide some abortion services. It is not an abortion clinic.
MR DE DOMENICO: When questioned by members of the committee, Mr Berry, the secretary of your department, Ms Biscoe, said yes, that $45,000 of that money would be used for the funding, or part-funding, of an abortion clinic. Notwithstanding what views members of the Assembly may or may not have on that issue, Mr Berry, come clean. The Government was not prepared at the time to put the word "abortion" in their press release. We all knew what you meant, Mr Berry. Notwithstanding the personal views of members of this Assembly - - -
Mr Lamont: Isn't this up for debate tomorrow?
MR DE DOMENICO: No; I am debating paragraph 71 in the report, Mr Lamont. What the $45,000 was for, Mr Berry - - -
Mr Berry: It will be a service you can be proud of, Mr De Domenico.
MR DE DOMENICO: No, no. The committee asked, Mr Berry, and, unlike some of the answers that you give in this Assembly, Ms Biscoe told the truth and said yes, that $45,000 of that money was to be spent for the funding of an abortion clinic. The PDI Committee, Mr Berry, notwithstanding political things, came clean with that.
Mr Kaine made comments about the Watson, Duffy and Tuggeranong Homestead situation. As with all other areas for redevelopment, it is essential that the PDI Committee look at the documentation and make a decision before surveyors, bulldozers or anything else goes in and commences work on any prospective development. The other little thing I would like to talk about concerns Mr Wood. I think that last week copies of certain documentation in relation to certain areas was given to the media by means of a press release. I think the press release said, "Come along to the press conference. We will be handing out documentation". I think it related to Duffy-Holder or one of the other ones. Mr Kaine, I think, will correct me if I am wrong. This was prior to it being given to the PDI Committee. That is neither here nor there. Mr Lamont, you are shaking your head, but the press release from Mr Wood's office said that and I have a copy upstairs. Perhaps, in the future, that will not happen. It would be nice for the PDI Committee to know in advance that it is going to be getting that documentation just in case we, individually, are approached by the media and asked to comment on it. That is just one minor point I would make.
Mr Berry: Why would we want to help you out?
MR DE DOMENICO: I am trying very hard, Mr Berry, to keep my comments as apolitical and as commonsense as possible, but you make it very difficult.
Mr Berry: You will find it very difficult, Tony. Commonsense is something you do not have a great grip of.
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