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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (18 February) . . Page.. 25 ..

MR KAINE (continuing):

that somehow ACTION have gone a little too far in trying to trim their services, we will have no option but to pull back a bit from that. To assert that they are somehow irresponsible, that they do not know what they are doing, is a gross accusation against good public servants that I find distasteful, and I am sure those public servants do too. Mr Whitecross would do better to be constructive in this matter and not snipe at them and use derogatory terms, as he has done. I think it is unreasonable, Mr Speaker.

MR HIRD: Mr Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. Will the Minister undertake to assure ACTION employees, including members of the Transport Workers Union and the Community and Public Sector Union, that he does not agree with the opinion of the Leader of the Opposition that the service they provide to the public is lousy and appalling?

MR KAINE: Yes, I will. In fact, I have already arranged to have discussions in the next few days with senior officers of ACTION to deal with these issues that have been brought forward. There is no doubt that we will make sure that the Transport Workers Union knows that we do not share the opinion of the Leader of the Opposition in this matter. We do not consider employees of ACTION as being somehow lacking in diligence or somehow incompetent. That is not the case, and that is what Mr Whitecross implies when he uses those words in connection with ACTION.

MR BERRY: My question is directed to Mrs Carnell in her capacity as Chief Minister. Chief Minister, will you categorically deny that the letter sacking Ms Jacqui Rees from the Kingston Foreshore Development Authority Board was drafted in your office or in your department?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I do not believe it matters where that particular letter was drafted. I can guarantee that I did not draft it; I can definitely say that without a doubt. Mr Berry is the shadow spokesman for health. A lot of issues have come up over the last few months in health, and what does Mr Berry ask in this situation? He asks a question that is not related at all to any of his portfolio responsibilities. Mr Speaker, I did not draft that letter.

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, that was not the question. The question was: Will the Chief Minister categorically deny that the letter sacking Ms Rees from the Kingston Foreshore Development Authority was drafted either in her office or in her department?

MRS CARNELL: Again, Mr Speaker, I think that is totally irrelevant to anything. I know that I did not draft the letter. I do not know who did draft the letter, and I do not think it has anything to do with it. The reality is that this whole Government supports that letter. Nobody is at arm's length from the approach the Government took.

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