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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 6 Hansard (14 June) . . Page.. 1732 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

deaths. Mr Speaker, I have received advice which suggests that there is a problem pertaining to the rights of a person who might be mentioned adversely in that interim report-

Mr Berry: But are any mentioned? That's the question. I will bet there are none.

MR HUMPHRIES: That may be the case, Mr Berry, but I happen to believe in the need for the processes used here to protect the rights of people who may be ultimately adversely affected by this process. You might not think that their rights are important, but the law presently provides protection for their rights.

Mr Berry: Nobody has been mentioned.

MR HUMPHRIES: I know that you prefer that anybody who stood between you and a vote in the election should have their rights pushed to one side. That was certainly your view with some of the other matters we have dealt with in this place in recent days. My view is that no matter what sorts of opportunities these people might present to make political capital out of, they are people who have rights and the law needs to protect their rights as we proceed to deal with the matters that the inquiry gives rise to.

Mr Speaker, the question has arisen of whether that particular person's rights can be protected by the tabling at this stage of that document, that interim report of the Gallop board of inquiry. I am seeking advice from senior counsel on the appropriate course of action to pursue with respect to the production of the report. I can advise the Assembly that I will produce the report as soon as I am able to do so without prejudicing the rights of any person and consistent with the advice that I receive on that subject.

As I say, I have no intention of having that information kept from the public any longer than it needs to be. I believe that these things should be in the public arena as soon as possible, and that will be the case.

MR WOOD: I thank the minister for that answer. You mentioned sound reasons for holding onto the report. Can you assure the Assembly that one of those sound reasons will not be your embarrassment about the report and its findings and the desire to keep it dark?

MR HUMPHRIES: I am very glad that the views taken by the opposition-

MR SPEAKER: There is an inference in that, Chief Minister.

MR HUMPHRIES: There is an inference in that, Mr Speaker. But the view has been taken that somehow a view can now be determined about what this inquiry is going to say. Mr Gallop has been circumspect in the way in which he has conducted this inquiry. He has not disclosed to me, before the handing down of the interim report, what he was thinking and what he was doing, and I am sure he has not disclosed it to you, Mr Wood, or to any other member of this place, and that is appropriate.

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