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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 05 Hansard (Tuesday, 4 May 2004) . . Page.. 1726 ..

it was of six seconds duration; and I have no recollection of receiving any message as a result of that call.

My office has also drawn to my attention the fact that my mobile telephone account documents a telephone call made by me on the morning of 18 January 2003 to the Chief Executive of the Department of Justice and Community Safety, Mr Tim Keady. The call was placed at 10.09 am and lasted for six minutes and 45 seconds. It appears that this call may have been in response to a call from Mr Keady to me at 9.10 am, which was diverted to my message bank.

As indicated, I have no memory of either receiving a message from Mr Keady or making a telephone call to Mr Keady. I also have no recollection of any conversation that may have taken place between Mr Keady and me on that occasion.

My statements to the Assembly and to the inquest reflect the call made by Mr Keady to me at 12.40 pm, which I received as I was driving to the Emergency Services Bureau of my own volition.

The fact of the record of the call by me to Mr Keady at 10.09 am is not consistent with statements I have made in the Assembly or otherwise on the public record to the effect that I had no contact with officials on the morning of Saturday 18 January. I have unfortunately relied solely on my memory in making these statements, and my memory was clearly fallible. I have today written to the coroner to clarify that. While I continue to have no memory or recollection of contact with Mr Keady during that morning, my telephone records show the fact of a call at 10.09 am.

Mr Speaker, I acknowledge that my answers to members of the Assembly and some public comment I have made on this particular point reveal a lapse of memory on my part.

I sincerely regret that I have inadvertently misled the Assembly. I apologise to members and to the people of Canberra for that. All the answers I have given to members of the Assembly and comments I have made publicly have been accurate to the best of my recollection. I have never—and would never—seek to mislead the Assembly or my community in relation to this or any other issue

Questions without notice

Code of conduct for ministers

MR SMYTH: My question is to the Chief Minister, Mr Stanhope, and it is about his code of conduct. Chief Minister, the code of conduct for ministers requires that ministers are open and honest with this Assembly. For instance, the code says:

Being a Minister demands the highest standards of probity, accountability, honesty, integrity and diligence…

All Ministers are to recognise the importance of full and true disclosure and accountability to the Parliament. …

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