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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 7 Hansard (2 July) . . Page.. 2109 ..

MR STANHOPE (Leader of the Opposition): Mr Speaker, could I utilise standing order 46 to make a short explanation?

MR SPEAKER: You may.

MR STANHOPE: I understand from my staff that the legal advising was delivered to Mr Wood's office last night. I was not aware of that. It was slipped under his door after he had departed. It was picked up, we understand, by a cleaner and placed in an in tray. We were not aware until it was announced just now that it had been there. So, it certainly was in Mr Wood's office. It had not been delivered. It was stuck under the door and nobody knew it was there.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

MR QUINLAN (11.52): I have to advise the Assembly that this morning I have had quite a number of phone calls from people on whom this legislation might impact who, apparently, have been contacted by an officer of the Chief Minister's Department and informed that I either was against this Bill or intended to vote it down. I have not seen the words of the communication but, certainly, there are a number of people in the IT industry or in the body hire industry who have been misinformed as to what I said or what I intended.

Yesterday, I moved in this Assembly that debate on this Bill be adjourned so that we could talk to people in the industry and clarify what was going on. I have to register my disappointment that public servants should be used in this way, whether it be communicating fact or fiction, because this is a political process. I also have to register my grave concern that I have been misrepresented in this communication. I understand that since then at least one member of this industry has been informed that Mr Quinlan has backed down from his position on this legislation, which, again, is misinformation. I have to say that, if I could connect this chain of events back to any member of this Assembly, we might be going through another censure or no-confidence motion, because it is reprehensible behaviour if it came from this chamber.

In relation to the Bill itself, Mr Speaker, I would like your advice. Is the term "cock-up" unparliamentary?

MR SPEAKER: It depends on how you are using it. I will advise. If it is, you can withdraw it.

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