Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (18 February) . . Page.. 28 ..

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I would like to make a personal explanation pursuant to standing order 46.

Mr Humphries: After question time, Wayne. That is the way we usually do it.

Mr Berry: Wrong statements were made, and I think one is entitled to correct the record immediately after the question is answered, so that it is fresh in everybody's mind.

Mr Humphries: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: Mr Berry has always been the first to rise in his place and protest about the making of a personal explanation during question time. I simply adopt his own rule and urge him to consider making any statement he wants to make at the end of question time.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry, standing order 46 states:

Having obtained leave from the Chair ...

I will give you leave at the end of question time.

MS REILLY: My question is to Mrs Carnell as Chief Minister. Chief Minister, I refer to the recent complaint by very many community organisations about the way your Government uses bullying tactics to stifle criticism of your administration and also the lack of consultation. In their letter, some of them raise the concern that your actions show a reducing concern for the diversity of community opinions essential for the operation of a truly representative government and that they are leading to a loss of confidence in Government impartiality by community organisations. Chief Minister, do you concede that your autocratic style is contributing to the marginalisation of community groups, who make a valuable contribution to the Territory? What are you doing to change the way you deal with community organisations to address these concerns?

MRS CARNELL: Thank you very much, Ms Reilly. I am very happy to answer that question. It is very interesting that those comments about bullying tactics have been made by a small group of community associations that, fascinatingly, does not include any of the major peak bodies. I am interested that this supposedly enormously representative group does not include the major peak bodies, apart from the Trades and Labour Council, and I must admit to being not exactly surprised on that one. Not one of the peak bodies in the community sector is on that list, and I think that is very important to spell out.

This group of people wrote to me wanting an urgent meeting, and I managed to fit that in last week, because I am always available for those sorts of meetings. I asked them to spell out what they meant in a number of areas. I asked them to spell out what they actually meant by "bullying tactics". The fact is that they could not give one indication of bullying tactics that had been used. In fact, they indicated that it was perception, to quote them quite definitely, and they could not actually give us any particular indication of where it had happened.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .