Page 551 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 April 1994
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Madam Speaker, the Government has done the right thing by establishing the inquiry which is now under way. It is under way at the moment. We have appointed a highly respected and independent person to conduct that inquiry, and we have given the inquiry appropriate resources. By appointing Professor Pearce under the Inquiries Act, we have provided virtually the powers of a royal commission, to ensure that the inquiry can get to the heart of the matter. Moreover, Madam Speaker, I understand that in conducting the inquiry Professor Pearce is intending to invite submissions in order to ensure that anyone who has information or anyone who has a view to put is able to come forward. It would be far more appropriate for the Opposition to be putting its efforts into providing factual information - if it has any, of course - and putting that information to the inquiry rather than engaging in this political point scoring in the Assembly. Indeed, Madam Speaker, if a motion of no confidence were to succeed today Professor Pearce could be forgiven for feeling that his efforts will be something of a sideshow rather than central to understanding what has occurred. At best the Opposition is being discourteous to Professor Pearce. At worst they are implying a lack of confidence in him.
Mr De Domenico: No; we are implying a lack of confidence in the Minister.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Mr De Domenico, you were heard in silence.
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, in this sense I believe that this motion appears to contradict the earlier reported comments of the Leader of the Opposition that she would accept the findings of the inquiry. She has changed her mind since; she saw a point in it. I would like to ask, Madam Speaker: Why does she now argue that in relation to Minister Berry there is no need to wait for the facts? This was not the position, Madam Speaker, that was adopted by the Commonwealth Parliament in relation to the inquiry into the handling of pay television matters. On that occasion, and sensibly, the non-Government majority in the Senate saw the logic in waiting for a report before settling a position. The case against this motion, Madam Speaker, I believe is quite clear: It is fundamentally inconsistent with logic and with fairness to reach a verdict in advance of hearing the evidence.
Madam Speaker, I would like to read into the record - if anyone is in any doubt - the terms of reference of the inquiry into this matter. They are very broad terms of reference and they allow Professor Pearce the latitude to inquire into any matter which he believes is relevant. The terms of reference are as follows:
... to inquire into the following matters:
(a) the circumstances relating to the negotiation of the agreement between ACTTAB and VITAB including
. the arrangements for VITAB access to the Supertab pool -
that is the matter which we have been discussing -
and
. the advice provided to the Minister for Sport;
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