Page 1263 - Week 05 - Thursday, 31 May 2007
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
on the basis of the advice I had from my department and, as I said, I am having the matter investigated further. If there is any change to the advice the department provides me I will of course advise the Assembly and correct the record. But as of yesterday when I provided this answer in question time the advice I had from my department following a thorough investigation was that the protocols had been adhered to and that appropriate action had been taken by the school.
I was not at the school during the time of the incident. I am in no position to do other than ask for the matter to be investigated and to receive the advice from my department, which I have done and which I have communicated to the Assembly and to Mrs Dunne and to her office extensively through this process.
If this is going to become the nature of our dealings, Mrs Dunne, I will have to review the courtesy that I have extended to you. If this is the way that the game is going to be played and you are going to seek to use for political purposes appalling incidents that occur in our schools from time to time that are unfortunate, that we all hope will not occur and that we have extensive protocols and practices in place to attempt to avoid—we know that in our society it is inevitable from time to time that incidents of this nature will occur, but if you are going to seek to elevate them to political point scoring—that is a reflection on you as a politician and you need to think about what you are doing here.
If I was in any way involved in some sort of cover-up or seeking to do anything other than to see the appropriate practices and procedures put in place, if I was being neglectful in my duty in not seeking advice from my department and not having the matter investigated thoroughly and being briefed on the matter, I would accept this charge. But I do not, because I have extensively sought to engage with your office, the department has sought to engage with the parents and I am advised that the school and the students are satisfied that the incident is now resolved. That is what I have been advised and I stand by that.
I have asked the department to look at the matter again and if there is contrary advice I will immediately come back and correct the record. But I stand by my letter to you and I stand by what the department has advised me. If that changes, of course I will come back and correct the record. But your allegation is unfounded, it is unfair, it is blatantly political and it reflects upon you as a politician and you as an individual and I am deeply disappointed in what you have just done. This issue should not be the subject of a debate of this nature. If you have concerns about my handling of the matter, raise them with me. You have done that in writing and I have responded to you.
Mrs Dunne: You didn’t respond.
MR BARR: I did. Do you deny receiving this letter?
Mrs Dunne: It does not respond. It does not respond to the issues that I raised with you yesterday afternoon.
MR BARR: This is just outrageous, Mrs Dunne.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .