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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 03 Hansard (Tuesday, 9 March 2004) . . Page.. 898 ..

MR CORBELL: It is pretty sad, Mr Speaker; it really is pretty sad! Ms Gallagher is undertaking what every responsible minister should do and she has shown outstanding leadership in addressing these issues. I took the steps that were appropriate. I raised the issues with the department and I was told by the department that the issues were being addressed.

Mrs Burke: That’s appalling.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MR CORBELL: When I am advised by a government department, I tend to believe when they tell me they are going to do something that they will do it.

Mrs Burke: But you want to blame them by the same token.

MR CORBELL: I do not try to micromanage my departments. I am not like—

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mrs Burke, I warn you.

Mrs Burke: I am sorry, Mr Speaker.

MR CORBELL: I am not like Kate Carnell when she virtually signed the bloody tenders between different government agencies and did dodgy deals—I withdraw that, Mr Speaker—and made very untoward arrangements between different elements of government. I expect chief executives to manage their departments. That is exactly what Ms Gallagher expects—the chief executives to do their jobs and manage their departments. I have every confidence in Ms Gallagher following through on these issues. She has demonstrated that, she has taken responsibility for that and she is fixing the problem, something which Bill Stefaniak failed to do in all the time he was minister and something which this government is addressing and addressing in a comprehensive manner.

Child protection

MR CORNWELL: My question is addressed to the Minister for Education, Youth and Family Services, Ms Gallagher. In question time on 4 March 2004, Minister, while you were exercising your outstanding leadership, you said that you were advised of the fax at or around 5.00 pm on 11 December saying that your department had broken the Children and Young People Act 1999. You claim that you immediately advised the Chief Minister of this issue. The Assembly was sitting on 11 December until approximately 6.04 pm. The valedictory speeches, featuring a speech by you, did not start until 5.20 pm. I quote from the relevant section of the Ministerial Code of Conduct:

Ministers should take reasonable steps to ensure the factual content of statements they make in the Assembly are soundly based and that they correct any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity.

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