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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 05 Hansard (Thursday, 13 May 2004) . . Page.. 1825 ..

not mind addressing a few of those. It is curious that the Chief Minister at 4.15 stands up and says, “I was not at Red Hill.”

Mr Quinlan: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: is this summing up on the motion or is this still talking to the amendment? If so I think he should confine himself to the amendment.

MR SPEAKER: No, speaking to the amendment. Mr Quinlan, you are quite correct to raise the issue, but it is a motion of no confidence. The Chief Minister, of course, spoke in relation to the amendment and I guess the same point of order could have been raised in relation to his contribution to the debate, but it was not. Mr Smyth, you have the chance to wind up as well.

MR SMYTH: I will wind up as well, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: It might be better if you stuck to the amendment because you are going to have another go in due course.

MR SMYTH: Well, both Mr Quinlan and Mr Stanhope spoke after the amendment was moved. I assumed they were speaking to the amendment, and I am addressing things they said in the debate about the amendment.

MR SPEAKER: I think that’s probably fair enough.

MR SMYTH: So in regard to Red Hill: it is interesting that I put it to this place sometime before 11 o’clock. Yes, I was on the radio this morning. Radio 2CC rang and said, “Were you aware of what Mr Cornwell said?” I said, “Yes. We had the story relayed to us by constituents some time before.” We said, “This is just something that’s out there in the ether that somebody else had put to us.” We cannot prove it. I cannot prove it. Mrs Cross has a different version of it, from a constituent. We put it to the Chief Minister before 11 o’clock this morning and he spoke directly after me and could have laid that rumour, as it appears now, to rest.

The people who have informed us, Mrs Cross and a radio station will either have to put up or shut up, but it is right in the context of this—

Mr Corbell: The same with you—or pay up.

MR SMYTH: Well, go back and check Hansard. It is right in the context of this debate to raise things that were raised with us as matters of grave concern.

Mr Quinlan got up and said, “I rang Mr Stanhope’s mobile phone. It takes six seconds to get his message. Therefore you are wrong. He could not have left a message.” Well, that is interesting. My office has rung Telstra and Telstra says that if there is no message left then there would be no time record. So the six seconds that appears on Mr Stanhope’s bill is after the little beep goes. “Please leave your message after the beep. Beep.” That is the six seconds, Mr Quinlan. So the six seconds, therefore, is that of the message or the time to be left or Mike Castle hanging there for six seconds listening—six seconds of silence.

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