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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 2 Hansard (6 March) . . Page.. 645 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

allegation that Mr Cornwell and the Liberal Party were making, of course, if taken to its logical conclusion, is that the New South Wales Rural Fire Service was in some way derelict.

I am not suggesting that. I have never suggested it. I have suggested from the outset that this fire was an act of nature of such ferocious force, a holocaust, that on the day nobody could stand in its way, and I will stand by that forever. It was a holocaust, a force of nature of such power that it was simply greater than us. It was simply greater than us and our capacity to stand in its way.

We should have regard to some of the information that is now available, particularly through the ABC program of last Thursday. The suggestion of CSIRO scientists is that the windstorm that accompanied the firestorm reached speeds of between 250 and 300 kilometres per hour. Nobody could have stood in the way of the windstorm, let alone the firestorm that accompanied it. We can see that from the devastating impact on Chapman, in particular, and Kambah of the wind. We can see it particularly starkly in relation to the trail of enormous destruction that the wind left through the Pierces Creek settlement in particular. A swathe of trees simply snapped off at the base over an enormous distance.

To suggest that we should in some way hold New South Wales culpable, that Mr Pratt in his question assumes that we should in some way believe or find New South Wales guilty of some breach of duty, some negligence, some recklessness, is quite appalling. It is an appalling suggestion. It is interesting that, not content with suggesting that Ron McLeod is involved in a whitewash, not contenting with wanting to sack Terry Snow and Sandy-

Mrs Burke: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker, under standing order 55, which relates to imputations. Please, Chief Minister, do not keep referring to the opposition as referring to the inquiry as a whitewash.

MR SPEAKER: I do not think that you have a point of order there. That is not a point of order, Mrs Burke.

Mrs Dunne: I take a point of order under standing order 55. The Chief Minister has continued to make the imputation that I have said that we should sack the bushfire task force. We had that discussion in here this morning, Mr Speaker. It was never said. I ask for the Chief Minister to withdraw it.

Mr Corbell: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: there is no substance to the point of order. If Mrs Dunne believes that she has been misrepresented, there are forms of the house that allow her to address that matter, but it is not a point of order for question time.

MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, it is open to you to seek leave of me to make a personal explanation. I will check the Hansard, but I did not hear the Chief Minister mention your name. I will check the Hansard in that respect, but I do not think that the point of order is relevant at this stage.

MR STANHOPE: I will conclude, Mr Speaker. Not content with impugning Ron McLeod and suggesting that he would engage in a whitewash, not content with

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