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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 2 Hansard (19 February) . . Page.. 339 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

97 volunteers, Gungahlin has 50, Jerrabomberra has 50, Molonglo has 51, Rivers has 102, and Hall has 61. It is not a whole lot out of the population of the ACT. If you are interested in some fun and making some good friends, a volunteer bushfire brigade is the place to be.

Today it will be wonderful to acknowledge the volunteers and the work they do. Hopefully Mr Quinlan, in his time as the minister for police and emergency services, will get to hang some 15-year medals on some of the volunteers. That is a tremendous achievement. When we get people picking up their 25-year clasp and their 35-year clasp, we are really well endowed with people of great spirit who care for their city and are willing to look after it.

I add my thanks for the opportunity to say a few words about the volunteers. They did a great job on the night. They do a great job on every occasion. I am sure they will be out again. We should thank them continuously.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Day and hour of meeting

Sitting suspended from 12.18 to 2.30 pm.

Questions without notice

Gallop report

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister, Mr Stanhope. This morning you, Mr Speaker, released advice confirming that the granting of the injunction against the tabling and/or publication of the Gallop report on 24 December last year involved "a breach of the privilege of the Assembly in the sense that it obstructs the Assembly in the performance of its functions". Of course, the granting of that injunction was greatly assisted-in fact, you could say made inevitable-by the consent to it provided by your representative, Mr Stanhope, as Chief Minister. As a disciple of the Westminster system and a lawyer yourself, why did you instruct your representative to support the injunction when it so obviously involved a serious question of parliamentary privilege?

MR STANHOPE: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. We need to put the issue into context. Of course, the situation was that the Gallop report was provided to me pursuant to the Inquiries Act, I presume, by the board of inquiry, I think, on 18 December. I, having received the report, referred it to the head of my department, Mr Tonkin.

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