Page 375 - Week 02 - Thursday, 8 March 2007
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MR SPEAKER: Do you have a supplementary question, Dr Foskey?
DR FOSKEY: Thank you. Could the minister please provide for the Assembly all instructions and correspondence relating to the drafting of those amendments and the advice that he received from the education department as to why they might be necessary and their impact?
MR BARR: I provided that information in my speech, in the outline of why the government sought to legislate in this area. It was a clear area where the act was silent, and I said that at the time. If there was an error in what occurred, it was that members were not provided with the full detail of those amendments on the Monday. They should have been provided on the Monday; I think the information was provided on the Tuesday. I apologise—and I apologised at the time—for that delay.
Bushfires—coronial inquest
MRS DUNNE: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, yesterday in question time, in relation to a call from Mike Castle and evidence that you gave to the coroner, you said:
I gave a statement. I was called as a witness. I was examined. These issues were raised by counsel assisting—a most significant senior counsel. He raised these issues in his examination of me in the court.
In fact, you gave evidence on 20 April 2004, and the existence of the call from Mr Castle became available on 4 May 2004, some weeks after. On 13 May you advised the Assembly:
I was not asked about any contact I had, or might have had, with officials or emergency services personnel.
Chief Minister, why did you give incorrect advice yesterday about your evidence to the coronial inquest?
MR STANHOPE: I provided a supplementary statement to the coroner providing extensive detail on this particular issue and was available for subsequent examination on the details of the telephone call. I gave evidence to the coroner on all the details around the issue of the telephone calls. It was in my sworn statements to the coroner.
MRS DUNNE: I ask a supplementary question. In relation to the phone call from Mr Castle, given that you hedged about with your answer on two days, will you now tell the Assembly why you did not return Mr Castle’s call?
MR STANHOPE: I have answered that question.
Emergency services—restructure
MR PRATT: My question is to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Minister, in the last eight months we have seen four senior officers in the emergency services resign. Additionally, a number of middle-ranking professional officers and
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