Page 1893 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 25 June 2008
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MR SMYTH: I would first ask that the clock be stopped, Mr Speaker, as is your wont.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, stop the clock.
MR SMYTH: At no time has the word “lie” been used by the Leader of the Opposition. The Chief Minister used the word “lie.” He said, “The Leader of the Opposition is accusing me of lying.” I have used it back to him. If it pleases him, I will withdraw it so that we can continue with the debate, because he has nothing to stand on.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: I do go to the way that the Chief Minister behaves. The Chief Minister said in his introduction, when he and his officials were recalled to estimates to answer the facts:
The facts are that I personally had no role in the site identification or selection process.
When I repeated it back to him, I said:
Chief Minister, you have said consistently that the department or you had no role—
here we go—
in the process of identification and selection ...
Mr Stanhope said:
That is not correct …
So he says something. Five minutes later I repeat it to him, and five minutes later it is wrong. You cannot trust a single word this Chief Minister says. And that is why we are here today.
Mr Stanhope started by saying it is an affront. Yes, his behaviour is an affront to the process that he lauded over. And he said it is flimsily rooted in fact. The facts were laid out. Five, 10, 15, 20 documents were laid on the table by the Leader of the Opposition, none of which has been refuted. And I ask him to address the facts.
The Chief Minister goes on to say that this is a savage blow to the prospects of these facilities. And he is right; it is a savage blow dealt by his government. When you look at their record of developing business in the territory over the last 6½ years, it is an appalling record. They have set up a lousy process. They are concerned at their lack of activity for 6½ years—6½ years of nothing. We have had the abandonment of the white paper.
There is concern in business about this process. There is real concern that nothing has happened. This process that we are going through today is a reflection of
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