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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (25 May) . . Page.. 1791 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

The giving of evidence is a serious thing and the President of the Gungahlin Community Council spoke in the most unequivocal language. As Mr Rugendyke asked in his question yesterday, Mr Gower spoke in terms of a yes/no answer. Mr Rugendyke was a part of the committee that asked those questions and I believe from what Ms Tucker has just read out that one of the questions asked by Mr Rugendyke of Mr Gower was answered in a yes/no fashion. When Mr Rugendyke asked whether or not pressure had been brought to bear, Mr Gower was prepared to indicate to Mr Rugendyke that, yes, pressure had been applied to the Gungahlin Community Council in order to get them to adjust their views, their submission, on the preferred route for the Gungahlin extension.

Members of this place were either present when Mr Gower gave his evidence or perhaps were listening to it. I was present for some of it. I heard Mr Gower say unequivocally that, yes, pressure was brought to bear. I heard him say it, and I read about it in Hansard. That is what he said. He said it freely. He said it of his own volition. He was not under pressure. He was asked to repeat it. He was asked to repeat it a couple of times by Mr Corbell for clarification. He was actually asked a question by the chairman of the committee, Mr Hird, and he repeated the same information. Mr Rugendyke asked questions on the same matter and he spoke in the same terms. He said it not once, he said it not twice, he said it a number of times-

Mr Moore: But why believe you. You're a liar.

MR STANHOPE: And in response to each of the questions he was asked he confirmed the information.

Mr Corbell: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I just heard Mr Moore call Mr Stanhope a liar. I think that is most unparliamentary, and I would ask you to invite him to withdraw it.

Mr Moore: Mr Speaker, I withdraw. I did call Mr Stanhope a liar and I withdraw it.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

MR STANHOPE: That is very edifying, Mr Moore. The facts are very plain. The facts speak for themselves. There is some confusion around them, of course. There is some confusion in the context of Mr Gower's subsequent press release.

Mr Moore: You just said there was no confusion. Make up your mind.

Mr Humphries: You said the facts speak for themselves.

MR SPEAKER: Order, please! No interjections.

MR STANHOPE: The facts are plain. The facts appear in Hansard. We heard with our own ears. I heard with my own ears. I heard Mr Gower's evidence. I was present in the room. Mr Gower was not under pressure. Mr Gower was not put under pressure. Mr Gower answered freely. Mr Rugendyke did not put Mr Gower under pressure when Mr Rugendyke was asking him those questions. Mr Corbell did not put him under pressure, nor did Mr Hird. He answered the questions freely. He said, "Yes, pressure was applied to me by a number of people, including the minister."

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