Page 44 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 14 February 2006
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When he talked in his latest press release about Urban Services, he said that there had been this doubling of complaints from 6,000 to 10,000. Firstly, his arithmetic is a bit suss. Secondly, he did not say that three-quarters of that was inquiries about trees and not complaints. He did not say in his press release that the remaining part was inquiries and not complaints. In fact, every single time he stands up in this place, he misrepresents a situation.
Mr Stefaniak: On a point of order, Mr Speaker—
MR SPEAKER: Withdraw that.
MR HARGREAVES: I withdraw the statement that Mr Pratt misrepresents in this place.
MR SPEAKER: Just withdraw.
MR HARGREAVES: I am trying to. You can’t hear it. I did that.
MR SPEAKER: Withdraw the word “misrepresents”.
MR HARGREAVES: I withdraw the words “misrepresents in this place”. However, I need to make the point that, in the public arena, in the media, Mr Pratt is only too ready to misrepresent figures out of annual reports.
Mr Stefaniak: On a point of order: he is still using the words “in this place”. He can’t do that.
MR SPEAKER: I think he is now referring to statements outside this place.
MR HARGREAVES: I did. Correct, Mr Speaker. Thank you very much for that. Because he goes trawling through the garbage bins of history, what happens is that this man is responsible for more questions on notice and has done nothing much with it, except pick through it. Then he comes up with spurious press releases. We have another one. The brickworks is yet another one. I intend to treat this member with the contempt that he is due.
MR PRATT: Thanks for the detailed answer, minister. What further advice can you give to ACT residents who are concerned about fire threats in their neighbourhood when complaints are not actioned, as we pointed out in the previous question, sufficiently by the relevant government authorities? What advice do you have for them?
MR HARGREAVES: Thanks very much for that supplementary. The first piece of advice I give to the people of the ACT is not to listen to Mr Pratt. That is the first bit of advice. The second piece of advice I give them is to be very wary of letters in your letterbox from Mr Pratt.
Mr Pratt is the guy who was exposed on the internet for writing letters to people saying, “There is long grass at the back of your house; you’re going to burn to death. Are you concerned about that?” So they say, “Yes, of course I am, Mr Pratt.” He then goes into
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