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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Thursday, 26 August 2004) . . Page.. 4340 ..

motion of no confidence was actually an admirer of this Chief Minister. This woman rang me, rang my office, and said, “I don’t want you to support this motion of no confidence against the Chief Minister. I don’t want to see the Liberals back in government. And you can’t support this motion after what the Liberals did to you.”

However, in the course of the conversation—and it is in this statutory declaration—she very innocently said that she did see the Chief Minister with Mike Castle and other emergency services people at around 8.30 pm on Red Hill lookout the night of January 17. I have a duty not to disclose the identity of this person because they do not want to be identified, and I cannot identify them. But what I am prepared to say is the information that has been tabled here this afternoon is going to be passed on to the coroner for her information for this inquiry.

MR QUINLAN (Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Business and Tourism and Minister for Sport, Racing and Gaming) (3.44): Just very briefly, Mr Speaker. I believe that there is a possibility that there was someone on Red Hill at 8.30 on 17 January who thought they saw the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister has, of course, said he was not there and, therefore, the most simple explanation would be someone thought they saw the Chief Minister there.

But now, by the question that Mrs Cross asked, we are advised that there is photographic evidence. The Chief Minister has already advised this place that he was not on Red Hill, so this is a most serious of allegations and it therefore does require proof conclusive. That is all we ask—in fact, it is what this house must demand.

It cannot be accepted that one person who thought they saw the Chief Minister on Red Hill on the Friday was sure of the day, sure of the person. That is not enough. That would not stand up in court. But you have said, you advised this place by the inference that can be drawn from what you have asked, that there is photographic evidence. I think 8.30 would have been beyond sunset. I do not know how well lit all of Red Hill is, but there was a flash and therefore a photo was taken. Just table it; otherwise what you have put down here is one person saying they think they saw the Chief Minister on Red Hill. That is it.

Mrs Cross: They didn’t think, they know.

MR QUINLAN: How do you—

Mrs Cross: You weren’t there.

MR QUINLAN: Neither were you. That is the point.

MS DUNDAS (3.46): I have had a very brief time to review the statutory declaration. It covers a range of issues. I have no reason to doubt the validity of the statutory declaration but it is a recording of a conversation that one staff member in Helen Cross’s office had with somebody else from the community.

Mr Wood: So?

MS DUNDAS: I cannot read most of the notes.

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