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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 06 Hansard (Thursday, 24 June 2004) . . Page.. 2604 ..

The next example relates to the issue of a forensic unit. On Tuesday, 30 March, in question time, Mr Corbell stated:

This is an interesting policy direction from the opposition. The reason for that is that earlier this year the opposition’s spokesperson on health advocated that this sort of facility should be part of the hospital. I quote him from Hansard.

Mr Corbell is quoting me apparently:

There are facilities. The key is the case load. We—

that is, the Liberal Party—

would establish a time-out facility and make sure there is a forensic unit as part of the hospital. That is what he said only a couple of months ago, yet yesterday he came out and said that it is going to be at the prison.

I could not remember making such remarks and thoroughly checked Hansard for it and couldn’t find it. So I asked Hansard to check. Hansard conducted a search of their database and found no such quote, and they told me, “I searched the Hansard database and cannot find the quote that has been attributed to Mr Smyth.”

That is because it does not exist. And this is conclusive evidence that the quote attributed to me does not exist. Hansard cannot even find it. I did not make these remarks. I continue:

His position and that of the opposition—

indeed, me—

has been consistent over a period of years that we would aim to build a forensic unit as part of the … prison.

Indeed, Hansard of 15 May records me as saying:

Part of our continuing strategy to address the needs of those with mental health difficulties in the ACT was to build on this foundation. Part of that would have been answered in the construction of a prison with a forensic unit.

That was the position in May 2002; that was the position all last year; and it is the position today. Mr Corbell was given an opportunity to correct the record after I made a personal explanation on the subject of the forensic unit. He did not do so. A misquote is one thing, as is a quote out of context; however, making up a quote is a serious matter; it is deliberately misleading. Mr Corbell just made this quote up. He has not made any effort to correct the record or—shock, horror—apologise for that mislead.

Mr Speaker, some may want to argue that these are only minor misleads. I disagree. They demonstrate a contempt for the Assembly by Mr Corbell who becomes a serial misleader. However, I think my next example will remove all doubt.

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