Page 2946 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 20 September 2006
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MR SPEAKER: I warn you, Mr Smyth. That is the third time I have called you to order.
MR STANHOPE: I did not and will never involve myself in the day-to-day management of Rhodium. It would be entirely inappropriate for me to do so. If I were to involve myself in the day-to-day management of ACTTAB, if I were to involve myself in the day-to-day management of Actew, if I were to involve myself in the day-to-day management of Rhodium Asset, you would be the first to condemn me.
Rhodium Asset Solutions Ltd
MRS BURKE: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Deputy Chief Minister. Ms Gallagher, in the Auditor-General’s report into Rhodium Asset Solutions, the Auditor-General says the following about you, as one of the government shareholders:
In Rhodium’s case, it seems evident that the lack of clear strategic direction from the Shareholders created uncertainty and made it difficult for Rhodium to prove and commit to appropriate long term strategic planning to achieve its business objectives.
Deputy Chief Minister, have you been derelict in your duty?
MS GALLAGHER: Thank you, Mr Speaker. For the information of members, I have been a shareholder of Rhodium Asset Solutions Ltd since March this year. A large part of the inquiry preceded my term as a shareholder but I support the comments the Chief Minister has made. The Auditor-General’s report largely finds that the actions of senior management, in particular the chief executive, misled the board. Those are the origins of the issues that faced the company and some of the issues we have been talking about today.
No, I have not been derelict in my duties. I take my duties as a shareholder of ACTEW, Rhodium and ACTTAB very seriously. But I think you will find that the large part of the investigation predated my term as a shareholder of that company.
MRS BURKE: Deputy Chief Minister, what steps have you, as one of the government shareholders, now taken to provide a clear, strategic direction to Rhodium Asset Solutions?
MS GALLAGHER: I think the actions of the government in referring a lot of the recommendations and findings of the report to the federal police indicate the seriousness with which we have taken the Auditor-General’s report. We are doing a scoping study to look at whether it is appropriate that the government actually be in the business that Rhodium engages in as a company. We have taken a number of measures as a government to ensure we have acted appropriately on all the information that has been made available through the Auditor-General’s report.
Women—summit
DR FOSKEY: My question is to the Minister for Women. It relates to the first ACT women’s summit. According to a media release put out by the minister, on
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