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Mr Speaker, I would like to refer now to the original of that document. The document tabled by Mr Humphries was a file copy, without my annotation on it. I will table a fax of the original of the document, and members will be able to see my annotation. It is initialled “RF”, it is dated 18 January, and it is in my handwriting. Referring to the John Overall business, it says:

I suspect GIO has other plans for this site. I also think Gungahlin is the best option for DELP.

As I said, it has my initials on it. Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table that fax of the original document, together with the note from the Acting Secretary of the Chief Minister's Department, Mr Stephen Hunter, which assures members that that is the document which has been copied.

Leave granted.

MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, I want to make a further comment on this matter. I believe that the making available to an incoming government of documents of a previous government is a matter which ought to be treated with a great deal of caution. It seems to me that on this occasion - we do not know whether it has occurred on other occasions - the incoming Government has been provided with a file copy of a brief to the previous Government and possibly has been given an incorrect, possibly misleading, indication of the previous Government's attitude to that brief. I find that quite reprehensible. Mr Speaker, it is, of course, the case that the incoming Government has no access to the originals or anything signed by the previous Government. Therefore, in making other documents available to an incoming government, I expect the highest standard of probity and accuracy from the public servants. In my view, Mr Speaker, the advice that was given to me on this matter is no more full or frank than is the advice that has been given to the current Government, and I expect a better standard than that from our public servants.

Mr Hird: Mr Speaker, in accordance with standing order 213, I would ask that the first documents that Ms Follett referred to in her personal explanation, made under standing order 46, be tabled.

Ms Follett: I have tabled them.

Mr Hird: No; the first part.

Ms McRae: They have all been tabled.

Mr Hird: No, they were not tabled.

MR SPEAKER: Are they not those that were tabled by Mr Humphries?

Ms Follett: They are, indeed.

MR SPEAKER: Yes; that is what I thought they were.

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