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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 05 Hansard (Tuesday, 4 May 2004) . . Page.. 1727 ..

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.

This morning a committee of the Assembly has—yet again—found the performance of Minister Corbell to be unsatisfactory, with members of the committee identifying that the minister wilfully withheld information from the estimates committee of the Assembly. Do you accept or reject the finding of the committee regarding Mr Corbell? And what disciplinary action will you take with Mr Corbell over his latest breach of the ministerial code of conduct?

MR STANHOPE: I am aware of the reference, in the committee report, to Mr Corbell and am broadly aware of the comments that you just made as they relate to the particular issue that was under consideration by the committee. I just wish to say that I have not read the report as yet.

MR SPEAKER: I think, too, Chief Minister, that the question does in some way anticipate further discussion on the motion to adjourn consideration of the report. So please be mindful of that in your response to the question.

MR STANHOPE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I was going to go on to say that I have not had an opportunity to read the report. I have not had an opportunity to make any judgment on the claims or recommendations that may have been made by the committee in relation to Mr Corbell and the incident that the committee has reported on. In order for me to be able to do justice to the question that the Leader of the Opposition asks, I think I should be afforded an opportunity to at least read the report. In the interests of any issue such as this it is only appropriate that other forms of the Assembly be utilised and, indeed, I think it only appropriate that the member or minister affected—in this instance, Mr Corbell—be given an opportunity to respond.

MR SMYTH: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Chief Minister, what efforts have you taken during the life of your government to ensure that Mr Corbell and other ministers comply with the code of conduct? Will you table any correspondence that has taken place between you and your ministers about the need to comply with the code?

MR STANHOPE: I and all members of the government take the code of conduct seriously. It is a matter of some moment. We pride ourselves on our accountability, our honesty and our integrity. It is a hallmark of this government. It is something that we discuss. It was discussed at length, certainly, by the ministry in the cabinet processes that led to the formulation of the new code of conduct. It is a matter that I have urged on my ministers as of importance; to the extent that we meet weekly as a caucus we talk constantly about the image that we present, our integrity as a government and the importance of our representing at the highest level the notions and the principles enunciated in the code of conduct. We take them seriously. We are serious about it. We think it is a true reflection of the nature of a government and it is my intention, each of my ministers and every member of this government that we will govern according to the highest principles of accountability, openness, honesty and integrity.

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