Page 2627 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 24 August 1994
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What else did it do? It put $3.3m into the pockets of four or five or six people - none of them resident in the ACT, we think, and one of them a former Prime Minister with an 11 per cent share. Those were his words. He knows that he has an 11 per cent share. So, whilst this Government increased rates by up to 30 per cent for some people in northern Canberra, we paid out $3.3m to Mr Hawke and his mates. The Chief Minister stood in this place, tried to hurl vitriol across the floor of this house and denied what we all know is true - that this has been the greatest monumental act of incompetency of any government that this Territory has experienced since the time of self-government. They are the facts.
It would be made a lot easier, Mr Deputy Speaker, if the Government admitted to that. Everybody knows that that is true. Why will this Government not stand up and say, "Listen, the person we had in charge at the time of this deal being signed was incompetent. Maybe he was not personally incompetent, but the advice that he listened to made him incompetent. He gave instructions to sign a deal which is costing the people of this Territory millions and millions of dollars. They are the facts."? But, no; what does this Government do? It attempts to blame the Opposition, for heaven's sake. It was not the Opposition that gave directions to the TAB board to sign the contract. It was their former Minister, Mr Berry. We, the Opposition, as early as November last year, alerted the Government. We asked questions in this place. We said, "Listen, this contract is no good. Give us a look at the contract and we can show you where it is no good". But, no; it was all commercial-in-confidence. It had been signed under this veil of secrecy. They are the facts, Mr Deputy Speaker.
Let me get on to this other area that I need to talk about as well. The Chief Minister was waxing lyrical about how wonderful her Government is and how it was nothing to do with her. This afternoon Mr Kaine asked the Chief Minister whether she would table some documents that she had received, and she did not even know that she had received them, for heaven's sake.
Mr Lamont: Allegedly received.
MR DE DOMENICO: "Allegedly". Thank you, Mr Lamont. I am delighted that you interjected. Mr Deputy Speaker, I now seek leave of the Assembly to table a document obtained by the Opposition under FOI, which says, "Folio, 219; Nature of Document, Draft PAQ for CM; Action, E; Section 36 and 45(1);", et cetera, et cetera.
Leave granted.
MR DE DOMENICO: I would like also to reflect on some of the comments made by Mr Lamont and Ms Follett. Mr Lamont, interjecting yesterday, questioned the integrity of Mrs Carnell. Very slowly, but surely, Mr Lamont, let us have a go at what you said, and at you, in particular. Mrs Carnell has read into Hansard what the New South Wales Minister thinks of Mr Lamont. When Mr Lamont steps outside the ACT he should wake up to the fact that no longer is he the big fish in the union pond that he used to be. Small fish in big ponds have a habit of being eaten. But you cannot help yourself, Mr Minister.
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