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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 8 Hansard (24 August) . . Page.. 2296 ..

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, it is an important fact. If Mr Corbell had actually been interested in the facts he could have asked. If he did not want to ask the Government, he could have asked the Commissioner for Public Administration, an independent entity, Mr Speaker, but he did not. He could have approached any number of people for an interpretation of the particular standard, even though he was using the wrong one, but he did not. Instead, he wanted an article in the newspaper containing wrong information, wrong public sector standards, and to place the Government in a position where we were not able to respond.

Mr Corbell: Oh!

MS CARNELL: Mr Corbell does not think that matters. Mr Speaker, it would not matter if the person that he was attacking was me or anyone on this side, but it was not. It was a public servant.

Mr Moore: And through his action that person was named in the paper.

MS CARNELL: And somebody who is named in the paper, Mr Speaker, a former public servant who, I have to say, is one of the most professional executives I have ever come across. If it was not him that Mr Corbell was getting stuck into, it was obviously the public servant who gave him the advice. My advice is that the advice that was given to the particular person was correct under the Public Service standards. Mr Corbell could have found that out if he had cared about the people he was slurring. He could not care less, Mr Speaker. It is about time that those opposite lifted their game.

In question time today, Mr Speaker, we have had a question about the current head of the Department of Treasury and Infrastructure. We have had a question about the person who was heading up business before the restructure. Now, Mr Speaker, they are casting innuendos, at least, against a former public servant or, alternatively, against public administration areas of government that gave the advice. This is simply unacceptable behaviour, Mr Speaker.

Mr Corbell: Mr Speaker, under the relevant standing orders, I would invite the Chief Minister to table the documents she was quoting from in relation to the legal advice she obtained.

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, you know that is not - - -

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, this is merely a request of the Chief Minister. She can either deny it or agree with it.

MR SPEAKER: She does not have to table.

Ms Carnell: Mr Speaker, I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.

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