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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2184 ..

MR SPEAKER: Just a moment. Mr Wood said, "Is she aware ...", and I will allow the Chief Minister to answer that aspect of it.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I am not aware of the intricacies of arrangements entered into in New Zealand, but I am aware that Fay Richwhite have been involved in lots of consultancies here in Australia. It seems that the New South Wales Labor Government does not have any problems with using Fay Richwhite. Mr Speaker, here is an interesting report, the Queensland Electricity Industry Structural Taskforce Report of December last year. Fay Richwhite were one of the consultants that were involved in this. They were looking at the reform of the Queensland electricity supply industry. Mr Speaker, if you believe those opposite, it would have needed to be only a short report saying, "Privatise it". Guess what this report does not recommend, Mr Speaker. Privatisation.

MR WOOD: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Chief Minister, is it common practice to engage companies of dubious ethics and actions to examine and advise on the accounts of public companies, or is it just a practice of your Government? Will you rule out Fay Richwhite being part of a consortium to buy ACTEW Corporation when you sell it?

MRS CARNELL: I think the second part is hypothetical because selling ACTEW is not on the agenda of the Government, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: I am not so sure that the first part did not contain an imputation.

MRS CARNELL: The first part is not much better. You are quite right, Mr Speaker. I have an enormous problem with those opposite using parliamentary privilege to slur a company that is beyond reproach, Mr Speaker. Fay Richwhite has been used by most governments in this country. It has been used by the New South Wales Labor Government. In fact, Dr Moy, who is, I understand, one of the principals doing the work on ACTEW for Fay Richwhite, is a member of the three-person task force established to recommend structural reform for the Queensland electricity industry, as I have already explained. Dr Moy is also chairman of the New South Wales Labor Government's electricity distribution review group which recommended the restructuring of 25 government-owned electricity distribution outlets in New South Wales. So it seems to me that, if the Queensland Government think they are all right and if the New South Wales Labor Government think they are all right - - -

Mr Berry: Blame somebody else. You are getting a bit nervous, are you?

MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry, if you continue to interject, I will deal with you.

MRS CARNELL: I think, Mr Speaker, it is absolutely unacceptable for those gutless wonders over the other side of this house to use parliamentary privilege to have a go at a company that has worked for most governments in this country, has worked overseas, is a reputable merchant banker, and has operated in a number of parts of the Australian industry from capital market operations to securities and equity markets - in all sorts of areas, Mr Speaker. In fact, the consultancy part of their business is only one part.

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