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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 12 Hansard (20 November) . . Page.. 3873 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

about part of the proposal which was to shift responsibility from the Minister to the Cabinet. The meeting also passed a unanimous motion condemning the proposal of moving responsibility from the Minister to the Cabinet as well as the whole process. Can the Minister tell us exactly who did first suggest the key changes embodied in this proposal and why the ACT Cultural Council was not involved from the very beginning of such a suggestion?

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, let me start by saying that I have to indicate my great concern with the line of questioning we have seen from the Greens in the last couple of days that blames public servants - servants of this Government, or of any government, for that matter - for decisions made by the Government. In your question you will see - - -

Ms Tucker: I felt sorry for the public servants. I said that you should have been there.

MR HUMPHRIES: Maybe you felt sorry for them, but your question clearly - - -

Ms Tucker: They got a hammering because you were not there.

MR HUMPHRIES: I was not invited to go to the meeting. That is why I was not there. For that matter, I was here in the chamber with you, Ms Tucker. Believe me, I would rather have been at the meeting than in the chamber with you, Ms Tucker - or anywhere perhaps. Read your question. I think that the criticism you have made of public servants ought not to be the theme of future questions.

Ms Tucker: They did the best they could. I am not criticising them.

MR HUMPHRIES: That is not how I heard the question; but I will let Ms Tucker consider her own conscience on that question.

Members interjected.

MR HUMPHRIES: I do not believe in blaming public servants for the decisions of governments.

Mr Whitecross: When are you going to examine your conscience?

MR HUMPHRIES: We have seen plenty of that over here. The man who said that the police could not answer the telephone - - -

Ms McRae: It is true.

MR HUMPHRIES: It is not true. It was proved not to be true on that particular occasion, if you recall well.

Mr Whitecross: No, it was not.

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