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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 5 Hansard (25 August) . . Page.. 1209 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

one lease? We ask this of course. I should say at the outset that I do feel for Mr Whitcombe in this. The Labor Party has no issue with Mr Whitcombe. Mr Whitcombe is a local businessman; he is a local developer. He was doing what he does. He was doing business. He was legitimately proposing a development to the Government. I feel for Mr Whitcombe for the way that this Government has dealt with this issue. I would not laugh, Mr Smyth. I have not got to you yet, Mr Smyth. You are here, too. When did the Government know that Mr Whitcombe knew there was only one lease? On 28 May, at page 758 of Hansard, the Chief Minister tells us:

In the many discussions between PALM, OFM and Derek Whitcombe, it appears that no specific mention was made of the withdrawn leases.

We have just rebutted that.

Ms Carnell: No you have not at all.

MR STANHOPE: We have. All your officers knew about it.

Ms Carnell: You have not. You have not given any more information at all. All that is on the record already.

MR STANHOPE: I almost drop to my knees in despair. The Chief Minister said:

In the many discussions between PALM, OFM and Derek Whitcombe, it appears that no specific mention was made of the withdrawn leases.

I love this language of the Chief Minister. One thing I do love about the Chief Minister is that there is no grey. The Chief Minister then said:

We are absolutely confident that Mr Whitcombe believed totally that he was bringing three leases to the table. This came to light only in mid-May of this year.

I have just read out the minutes that existed within PALM that show that PALM had a detailed understanding of the Bolton lease. I have read out minutes that indicate that Mr Neil Morgan, who I think is the Deputy Under Treasurer, knew. Mr Morgan, the person who was negotiating the agreement, knew. He had it in a direct minute to him from one of his own officers. So we are still persisting with the fiction that the Minister knew! I do have a number of documents to rebut. I would draw your attention again to the Chief Minister's language:

We are absolutely confident that Mr Whitcombe believed totally that he was bringing three leases to the table.

That was on 28 May. On 18 May 1998 the Chief Minister received a briefing from Annabelle Pegrum, the executive director, a very senior officer, I think at the time perhaps the most senior officer in the ACT Public Service - anyway, a very senior public servant. We need to read this in the context of the Chief Minister's absolute confidence on 28 May. On 18 May Ms Annabelle Pegrum wrote to the Chief Minister:

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