Page 768 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 13 April 1994
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Mrs Grassby: You are kidding yourself.
MR STEVENSON: Mrs Grassby says, "You are kidding yourself". No, I am not kidding anybody. Listen and you will find out why. However, I was lobbied by someone from the Labor camp, someone in the bureaucracy. I do not mind that. I welcome anybody at any time, as I had done. I spoke to Mr Berry on that matter.
Mr Berry: He asked me to lobby him.
Mrs Grassby: Yes. He came to see Wayne in his own office.
Mr Berry: He said, "What about this?". I was not going to talk to him.
MR STEVENSON: I was there to look at your office and we had a chat about the matter coming up before the Assembly. You certainly would not disagree that I gave you an opportunity to have your say, would you?
Mrs Grassby: How generous of you, Dennis.
MR STEVENSON: That is petty, Mrs Grassby, and it does you and this Assembly and the people of Canberra no service. As I said, I was lobbied by someone in the public service, on behalf of the Government, and I spent considerable time on the matter. Let me mention something that hardly anybody in this Assembly knows about. I brought up various points exactly as I saw them and I stated why I saw them that way. I was given some information that made a difference to how I felt, but I did say that that information must be in writing. I said, "If that is the way it is, get it in writing". I was told that it may not be possible in some cases. I said, "If someone has made a statement, get an affidavit". They were the affidavits that were tabled in this house. I suggest that they were prepared - I totally agree with it - because I made the suggestion; not because I had made up my mind and did not want to hear the evidence, but because I gave every opportunity to everyone in here to listen. The break in the sittings of the Assembly last night was fortunate. It did give us time. To suggest that that was wrong is an absolute nonsense, and one wonders why the statement was made.
I have been out surveying this morning, and I was also phoned up yesterday. What people said to me is interesting. I did not start talking about the vote in the house, but a number of people mentioned that they were glad. Someone rang up and said, "Vote for the no-confidence motion". Some people this morning and late last night, when I stopped at a place on the way home, said, "It is good that he has gone because he was arrogant". They did not say "because he misled the parliament", or whatever, but "because he was arrogant". I think the statements this morning only confirm that, and it is unfortunate.
The Chief Minister said, "I have complete confidence in him as a Minister. I believe that the facts he presented to the chamber demonstrated convincingly that he did not mislead this house". That is unadulterated nonsense, as a reading of Hansard and looking at the evidence will show. It is nonsense to say that, though some people in this parliament - - -
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