Page 1306 - Week 05 - Thursday, 31 May 2007
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most recently arrived to the place who acted with decorum and the integrity required of a member of this place, as against a more senior and experienced person who has been around the Assembly for some years and who just did not have it within herself to follow the example set by her more recently arrived colleague Mr Seselja. It was that grovelling acceptance, and I was simply embarrassed at the nature of it—embarrassed on Mrs Dunne’s behalf—
Mr Mulcahy: Have you got over that now?
MR STANHOPE: I have. In fact, it is quite interesting. As I walked out of the chamber after that debate, Ms Gallagher said to me that I should now watch the grace with which Mrs Dunne actually acknowledges the wrong and the fact that it was she who, by her own admission, may inadvertently have misconstrued what I said. This led me, as I say, out of sheer weariness, to withdraw the motion of censure.
In retrospect, of course, and bearing in mind Ms Gallagher’s prediction to me at the time that I should now wait and see how Mrs Dunne deals gracelessly with the withdrawal of the motion, I ask myself: why am I surprised at Ms Gallagher’s prediction about the absolute lack of grace that we now see represented by Mrs Dunne here today? It was fully predicted, fully expected and none of us is a bit surprised. You really are an embarrassment, Mrs Dunne. You really are.
In relation to the question, it is quite clear that Mrs Dunne misled the Assembly grievously on Tuesday in relation to her suggestion—
MR SPEAKER: You can withdraw that.
MR STANHOPE: I withdraw that, except, Mr Speaker, Mrs Dunne admitted—
Mrs Dunne: You still have to withdraw.
MR STANHOPE: I have withdrawn, but I note that Mrs Dunne admitted during the censure debate this morning that she had in fact misconstrued and misled the Assembly. She has admitted it, so can I now rephrase my comment? As Mrs Dunne herself admitted this morning, she had misled the Assembly, perhaps inadvertently. She was misconstrued, she said, but she did mislead the Assembly. I stand by the statements I made in response to the question I was asked on Tuesday.
MRS DUNNE: I will give the Chief Minister an opportunity to answer a supplementary question. Did he mislead the Assembly this morning when he said:
I received no such advice not to plant trees. That is not true.
MR STANHOPE: I stand by the answers I gave on Tuesday.
Hospitals—waiting times
MR PRATT: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, on ABC radio this morning you were asked about the latest report on the performance of hospitals, prepared by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. On being questioned about
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