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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (18 February) . . Page.. 22 ..

MR SPEAKER: It has been submitted, but it is not on the notice paper.

MRS CARNELL: It has been submitted, yes. Mr Whitecross read from my reported apology. I indicated in a letter to Ms Rees that Mr De Domenico in his letter had made a particular comment that he had not made. I apologised for saying in a letter that he had made a comment that he had not made. I certainly in no way withdrew the comments - which were very true, by the way - with regard to Ms Rees and comments that she had made about public servants. The reality is that in print and in front of the Stein inquiry Ms Rees has constantly indicated that she believes that some public servants acted improperly. In fact, I think she used words significantly stronger than that. From my perspective - - -

Mr Moore: That is different from corruption, and you know it.

MRS CARNELL: I think that Ms Rees has made a number of comments to indicate that she believed that planners were in the back pockets of developers - comments similar to that. I will continue to defend public servants in this place. I do not believe that it is appropriate for anyone, in the media and in other places, to make comments of that ilk. I believe that those sorts of comments are something that the Opposition should be absolutely decrying in this place. For Mr Whitecross to get up and say that it is all right for somebody to go public and say that public servants are in the back pockets of developers and make all sorts of other statements is absolutely atrocious behaviour. The reality is that this Government will continue to support our public servants. We believe, and I know, that our public servants are above any of that sort of behaviour, and we will continue to ensure that they are not treated in such a fashion.

MR WHITECROSS: I ask a supplementary question. I thank the Chief Minister for her diversion. My question was about what her excuse is for having sacked Ms Rees from the Interim Kingston Foreshore Development Authority.

Mrs Carnell: That is not what you asked.

MR WHITECROSS: It is, I am afraid. Chief Minister, is it not the case that Ms Rees was removed from the Interim Kingston Foreshore Development Authority as a payback for her criticism of the strategic plan - criticism in which she was not alone, but criticism which had nothing to do with her responsibilities on the Interim Kingston Foreshore Development Authority?

MR SPEAKER: I will leave up to you, Chief Minister, how you wish to answer that.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, again, I am happy to answer that.

MR SPEAKER: There is an inference in it, though.

MRS CARNELL: Obviously, the supplementary question is out of order. I think it is important to quote again the letter the former Deputy Chief Minister wrote to Ms Rees on 11 December 1996. He said:

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