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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 8 Hansard (19 August) . . Page.. 2874 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

place and saying that the Chief Minister has now confirmed it. The Chief Minister said in his press release that he had asked for advice on an issue.

There is a significant difference between saying someone has confirmed something and the reality, the truth of the matter, which is that I had sought advice. These are only little issues, I guess, but they are big lies-a little issue but a big lie.

Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, haven't we already agreed that saying that people tell lies is unparliamentary? I think we have already had this one at least once today.

MR SPEAKER: Withdraw that, Chief Minister.

MR STANHOPE: I will withdraw that. I look to Mr Smyth, after I conclude this debate, correcting the record and actually removing the misleading that he was just guilty of in relation to that.

MR SPEAKER: Chief Minister, you cannot accuse him of misleading.

MR STANHOPE: I withdraw the suggestion that Mr Smyth has misled, but a person of some integrity would stand and correct the record.

Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, this is absolutely and utterly out of order. First of all, he said that-

MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, members stand and question every member's integrity in this place and I think it is open for the Chief Minister to question people in this place, surely.

Mrs Dunne: Could I finish the point of order, Mr Speaker?

MR SPEAKER: Okay, sure.

Mrs Dunne: Mr Stanhope stood here and said that Mr Smyth had uttered a lie. We decided that that was unparliamentary and he should be asked to withdraw. In withdrawing that, he said that Mr Smyth had misled and he was asked to withdraw that. When you are asked to withdraw, you should do it unreservedly, without qualification. There is a form and I would like to see it applied by the Chief Minister.

MR SPEAKER: The Chief Minister has withdrawn the matters which were drawn to my attention and that is the end of the matter.

MR STANHOPE: Mr Speaker, the Civil Law (Wrongs) Amendment Bill addresses legal issues arising from the recent so-called insurance crisis and aims to improve the ACT civil justice system. I might just read from a note today so that when we talk about issues around the so-called crisis we can put it in context. It is a note in relation to the level at which QBE Insurance shares closed this week. It was written on Tuesday of this week and reads:

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