Page 2013 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 15 June 1994
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MR MOORE: Madam Speaker, I wish to make an explanation under standing order 47.
MADAM SPEAKER: Proceed, Mr Moore.
MR MOORE: Madam Speaker, in my speech I indicated that Professor Pearce's report was a different issue from that of the misleading of the Assembly, but Mr Berry seems to have misunderstood or wishes to misquote my speech as far as that goes. Madam Speaker, we went through a no-confidence motion because we believed that Mr Berry had explained to this Assembly that everything was okay when, as we know, everything was not okay. That was not dealt with in Professor Pearce's report. Mr Berry, even now, has misrepresented that issue in an attempt to protect himself. Madam Speaker, it is very clear that the two issues are separate. This report in no way makes me feel inclined to change my mind one iota about the issue of Mr Berry misleading this Assembly, as indeed he did in trying to give the impression that everything was okay when everything was not okay.
MR HUMPHRIES (5.10): Madam Speaker, you would think, from hearing what the Chief Minister said today, what Mr Berry has just said - I see that he is running off - and from what the Chief Minister no doubt has said to the media, that there were two different sets of documents available as a result of Professor Pearce's inquiry. You would think that there was one document which exonerates Mr Berry, which damns the ACTTAB board entirely and without any mitigation, and which says that everything the Liberals have said about the VITAB contract was untrue, and on the other hand you would expect to see a document - - -
Ms Follett: There was. Everything you said was untrue.
MR HUMPHRIES: No. In contrast, there is a document, which I appear to have a copy of, which tells a very different story, a document which clearly indicates that the VITAB contract was a serious mistake on the part of the Government, the result being that the board of the ACTTAB has been sacked by this Follett Government. We have the Minister's staff criticised by the Pearce inquiry. We have various aspects of the contract which were raised by the Liberal Party in this place and in the inquiry vindicated, and I will go on to indicate the proof of that in a moment. Madam Speaker, it appals me that there may be people out in the community who would see the Chief Minister confidently smiling into the camera and saying to people, "The VITAB report of Professor Pearce clearly vindicates the Government and it completely discredits the Liberals. Mr Berry is completely exonerated and nothing needs to be worried about. He was Star Chambered a few weeks ago when he was forced to resign". People will believe that because very few individuals in the community will pick up this document and read it.
Mr Kaine: First of all, the Government will hide every copy they can find.
MR HUMPHRIES: No doubt. We have not seen too many around so far. No doubt it will be a case of Rosemary Follett's word against that of other people in the community who say otherwise. Madam Speaker, I will quote this document to prove that what Ms Follett and others have told the Assembly about the findings of this report simply is not true. This report is a damning indictment of the claims made by Ms Follett when she said that this was "unquestionably a good deal", and Mr Berry when he said,
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