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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 5 Hansard (9 May) . . Page.. 1293 ..

MR SPEAKER: You have been given leave to make a personal explanation. Now come on, back you get.

MR STANHOPE: I will get back to the point, Mr Speaker.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, I want to take a point of order. Mr Stanhope is suggesting that there was some attack on the fact that there was a meeting of state Labor leaders. That is not the point that Mr Hird was making in his question, I believe. He was asking why it is that it was all right for Mr Stanhope to attend a Labor leaders meeting at public expense, at least in part, but when Mr Stefaniak's staffer made a similar trip in 1995 the Labor Party demanded that the money be repaid.

MR STANHOPE: I will go on with that point.

MR SPEAKER: I am in a difficult position here because I cannot really recall what happened in 1995.

MR STANHOPE: I might just conclude on a couple of points. First, I am incredibly grateful that John Howard has not asked me to repay any of the cost of the VIP; I am incredibly grateful that John Howard has not felt the need to do that. Secondly, I make the point that, yes, Mr Speaker, we did return to Canberra utilising funds provided by this place. I could have flown back on the VIP but I would have had to have come via Perth. The VIP was returning to Canberra but via Perth, because Mr Beazley had to go to Perth. So, yes, I did access my travel funds for my travel, Mr Speaker, pursuant-

Ms Carnell: Just as Mr Stefaniak's staffer did.

MR STANHOPE: No, let me finish-let me finish before you embarrass yourselves even further with this tawdry and appalling attack. I did access my travel funds, but through a letter prepared by my chief of staff in consultation with the Clerk of the Assembly, which was forwarded to the Speaker for approval. My chief of staff, consistent with a precedent established by you-and a very wise precedent established by you, Mr Speaker, if I may say so-travelled on training funds from the training account, which you approved, Mr Speaker, which was separate from my travel account.

Mr Speaker, I am pleased that you established this precedent. I am pleased that you had made a determination to separate and accept the need for staff to travel in company with their members from time to time.

Mr Humphries: So why couldn't Mr Stefaniak's staffer do the same thing?

MR STANHOPE: There is a reason for that. Let Mr Stefaniak fight his own fights. I am explaining my situation on the basis of a formal approval from your office, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

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