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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 1 Hansard (29 April) . . Page.. 141 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

How many tickets were issued to these thousands of people that weekend, or indeed over the whole 10 days of the festival? Six. How many tickets were issued on the vacant piece of ground? None.

Mr Speaker, this is not the first time Mr Hargreaves has got himself a little bit of media attention with a story that is a complete fabrication. The former Minister would remember the story about asbestos in the water supply earlier this year during the election campaign. Mr Hargreaves has never let the facts get in the way of a good story. It could be excusable if Mr Hargreaves had been misled. He could have asked me. I would have told him. Mr Hargreaves was clearly acting without any information at all. He just made it up. It is simpler that way. You make it up and you walk away from the mess. It clearly demonstrates that he has no regard either for the truth or for the people of Canberra. Firstly, we had the people of Tharwa terrified to drink water coming out of their taps. Now he is beating up a frenzy of hate against the people he, as Opposition spokesperson for urban services, has responsibility for.

Mr Hargreaves: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.

Ms Carnell: Hello.

Mr Hargreaves: Hello, Chief Minister. How are you? It is very good to see you here today.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Hargreaves: Mr Speaker, my point of order is that the Minister is merely indulging himself. He has not got his facts straight and he is not - - -

Ms Carnell: Mr Speaker, that is not a point of order. I think Mr Hargreaves needs to read the standing orders.

MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Mr Hargreaves: Mr Speaker, I seek your ruling that the Minister answer the question and then cease.

MR SPEAKER: I think the Minister was comprehensively answering the question.

MR SMYTH: Absolutely. The allegations were comprehensive, Mr Speaker. The answer needs to be so. If Mr Hargreaves wants to make allegations against me, let him come in here and do it and I will wear it; but he has no right to target public servants in this manner. He has made the job of being a public servant in the ACT harder than it has to be. Parking inspectors do a very important and very difficult job to ensure that car parking is managed equitably. It is vital for public safety. They may be an easy target to him, but that gives him no right to make public statements that he knows to be untrue.

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