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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (20 February) . . Page.. 290 ..

MR WHITECROSS: Can you explain your ruling, Mr Speaker?

MR SPEAKER: The Chief Minister has taken offence.

Mrs Carnell: You were suggesting improper conduct.

MR WHITECROSS: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: I am sure there are a lot of things that I say in the course of the business of this house to which the Chief Minister takes offence. I would not have thought that, on its own, the fact that the Chief Minister takes offence constitutes a reason to withdraw something.

MR SPEAKER: You also mentioned Mr De Domenico.

Mr Kaine: On that point of order, Mr Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition was clearly asserting that the Chief Minister had somehow extracted something out of the Interim Kingston Foreshore Development Authority by coercion. That is clearly unacceptable in terms of the standing orders of this place, and he should be required to withdraw it.

MR SPEAKER: Would you withdraw.

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, I withdraw any imputation that Mrs Carnell coerced. My point was a simple one. Members of the Interim Kingston Foreshore Development Authority board were entitled to feel, regardless of any coercion on Mrs Carnell's part, the danger and had to change their mind - - -

Mrs Carnell: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I do take exception to that. It indicated that there was some reason to be fearful, some view that I was in some way attempting to make the Interim Kingston Foreshore Development Authority do something that they did not want to do by using some other form of power that I cannot imagine I have. If that is the case, I think that Mr Whitecross should withdraw it totally, because it is simply unacceptable.

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, events demonstrate that the Chief Minister has the power to do something to people on the Interim Kingston Foreshore Development Authority board. I do not think she can say that she does not have any powers.

Mrs Carnell: You should rule on that, Mr Speaker.

MR WHITECROSS: I was talking about perceptions that may have existed in the minds of members. That has nothing to do with whether Mrs Carnell issued any threats, and I have not said she issued any threats. I have suggested that they made a decision not to allocate the $40,000; that Mrs Carnell came back and insisted; and that, on her insistence, they changed their mind. That is the kind of atmosphere in which people work in this Territory. If Mrs Carnell had been more responsive to the concerns that were raised last December when Mr De Domenico first signed that letter drafted in her office to sack Ms Rees, then perhaps they would not be in this situation now. But they have not been responsive, and that is exactly the point of the motion.

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