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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 12 Hansard (24 November) . . Page.. 3619 ..
MR BERRY (continuing):
Mr Gary Dawson of the Chief Minister's Office, as her media adviser, did have a major coordinating role in the demolition becoming a public spectacle. The Chief Minister did give her full approval to promote the implosion as a public event.
It must be said that Mrs Carnell did agree, when giving her evidence, that the demolition of the Royal Canberra Hospital had the potential to cause some political backlash. She further agreed that the Government stood to gain publicity surrounding the demolition if the positive aspects were to be accentuated. Mr Hopkins of the Chief Minister's Department agreed with the proposition that Mr Dawson was seeking to use the media coverage to the best advantage he could as far as the Government was concerned.
These are serious indictments of the Chief Minister. No, the Chief Minister never pressed the button. Nobody ever said that. Some other poor unfortunate soul did that, but the Chief Minister was clearly responsible for the public gathering which was arranged to view this tragic event.
At this stage I want to take up an issue rejected by the coroner in his report. The coroner states:
I do not agree with, nor do I consider there is evidence to support the submission made by Counsel Assisting the Inquest to the effect that "the public event was organised with at least one purpose being to enhance the political prospects of the government". The closest the evidence reaches on this point is the Liberal party -
I want to emphasise that -
brainstorming session at the Rydges Eaglehawk Resort in December 1995 where the reference appears on a piece of butchers paper of bombing the hospital.
On this issue, there is a significant error which members of this house need to know about. The "love-in" at Eaglehawk was not a Liberal Party brainstorming session; it was a government brainstorming session paid for by ACT taxpayers, involving all the most senior members of the Government and the ACT Public Service. Its aim was to enhance the political prospects of the Government and reinforce the Government's position on a range of issues, including the demolition of the hospital in this manner. The minutes demonstrate that most clearly. It was a pity the coroner did not accept the submission made by counsel assisting the inquest. There was never any doubt in my mind, nor was there any doubt in the minds of those in government, that the public event was organised with at least one purpose being to enhance the political prospects of the Government.
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