Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 02 Hansard (Tuesday, 2 March 2004) . . Page.. 466 ..

anything in this place that I did not at the time believe to be absolutely true. If there is a statement I may have made, I am more than happy for anybody to draw it to my attention. I will investigate it. If the record is wrong, I am more than happy to correct it. But as I say, I am not aware of anything that I have ever said in this place that was not—at the time I made it or said it—to my mind absolutely true.

MR SMYTH: I ask a supplementary question, which the Chief Minister may have answered. Are you assuring the Assembly that all the statements you have made in this place regarding the bushfires are accurate?

MR STANHOPE: I always tell the truth. As I just said, I am not aware of anything that I have said—nor has anybody drawn to my attention anything that I have said—that was not true when I said it. It may be that other people are saying things that might conflict with something I said. It may be that other people are making assertions or statements that may not be consistent with something that I said; I have no way of knowing that.

I have to say—I have indicated this previously—that I am not monitoring every word that is said in the coronial inquest. I am not second-guessing it; I am waiting patiently for the outcome of the coronial inquest. I am not making judgment on particular evidence given. We know the process and—I have indicated this before—I have some real concern around the way evidence being presented to the coroner is being treated outside the court. It is fundamentally important that we respect the coronial process; that we respect the rights of witnesses appearing—

Mr Smyth: You didn’t when the hospital implosion was being run.

MR STANHOPE: You go back and have a look at the records in this place in relation to that. The then opposition did not stand up in this place and second-guess or beg questions in relation to evidence that was being given on a day-to-day basis in the coronial inquest; we did not do that. It is important to respect the process. Evidence is being given; claims are being made by certain witnesses that so-and-so said this. Those witnesses are yet to be called and examined.

In all fairness, it is important that we wait for the report, for all the witnesses to be called, for all the cross-examination to be conducted, and for the coronial process to run its course.

Trees on Nettlefold Street, Belconnen

MS TUCKER: My question is to Minister Corbell as Minister for Planning and is in regard to the motion of the Assembly of 27 August 2003 calling on the minister to negotiate with the owner of the property on Nettlefold Street, block 12, section 2, Belconnen, about the potential for exchanging the land for another site because of the trees that were on the Nettlefold Street block. Can you table in the Assembly by the end of this sitting week all records of the communication you have had with that owner and any agents or managers engaged by the owner since that motion was passed?

MR CORBELL: As I have previously indicated to members, following the censure resolution of the Assembly last year, I arranged for my office to contact the agent who represented the leaseholders of that site and indicate to that person that government wish

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .