Page 651 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 April 1994
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I said:
The directors of VITAB are Dan Kolomanski, Con McMahon and Michael Dowd. It is a public company, and Tony De Domenico can do a search through the ASC company records, if he wants to confirm that.
I misdirected him, because - - -
Mr Humphries: You misled him. You misled the house.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
MR BERRY: I misdirected him. I think it was made clearer in an answer which is recorded on page 4462 of Hansard on 9 December. Mr De Domenico asked a question in which he said:
Is it not true that VITAB is a private company registered in Vanuatu? Is it not also true that Vanuatu is, as the Bulletin said this week, a tax haven? Noting that in the Assembly this week you also confirmed that you had sought the advice of Treasury and the Law Office, has either the Treasury or the Law Office advised you of the unintended opportunity VITAB must open up for tax avoidance and money laundering?
It was a quite long question. I opened up by saying this, and I think this makes it very clear:
The operation of VITAB in Vanuatu is a matter for the Vanuatu Government, not the ACT Government.
I suggested that you would expect that because it would be in relation to the laws of the land which exist in Vanuatu.
Mr De Domenico: Oh, come on!
MR BERRY: That is where the company is based. Do you think that a Vanuatu company working in accordance with Vanuatu laws ought to be working to Australian laws? That is a nonsense. I think I made that issue clear; but if you feel dreadfully misled by that, I apologise.
Madam Speaker, I think we have gone over just about all of the issues that we can go over on this matter. There has been significant evidence placed here which I think makes it very clear that the Assembly cannot claim that I have deliberately or recklessly misled it. I think it would be a travesty if this motion were carried, because I think, from the outset, as I said earlier in the debate, that this started with mud-throwing. In fact, it started with much mud-slinging. Mr De Domenico was the starter, and Mrs Carnell could not wait to get involved.
Mr De Domenico: Wrong again. Mrs Carnell asked the first question.
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