Page 1908 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 25 June 2008
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The effect of my amendment is that the motion becomes a censure motion, not a no-confidence motion. (Time expired.)
Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.
Sitting suspended from 12.27 to 2.30 pm.
MR MULCAHY: I seek leave to speak for a further five minutes.
Leave granted.
MR MULCAHY: I thank members for their indulgence on this. As there was some confusion before we went to the luncheon break, I reiterate that I have moved the amendment in my name to Dr Foskey’s amendment.
I do not believe that the Liberal Party have made a strong enough case to warrant a vote of no confidence in the Chief Minister. I will speak in a little more detail to the original motion shortly. A no-confidence motion, as I said this morning, is the most serious step the Legislative Assembly could take. It requires a serious offence, in my view, and one has not occurred in relation to the proposed data centre and gas-fired power station.
That is not to say that I am happy with the process that has been undertaken. I have told the government and ActewAGL directly that procedures and processes followed in developing this project and selling it to the community have been poor. I also acknowledge that some of the Liberal Party’s points have been well made.
For that reason, I have moved this amendment. I agree with Dr Foskey and believe that there is reason to admonish the Chief Minister over aspects of the handling of this matter. But I differ from the Greens, however, in that I do not believe that each point made by the Liberal Party in their original motion justifies censuring the Chief Minister.
Rather, my amendment seeks to censure the Chief Minister on two points. The first relates to the giving of inconsistent testimony and testimony that is inconsistent with the written record of events relating to the data centre and gas-fired power plant at Tuggeranong and, therefore, as a consequence, misleading the estimates committee and, consequently, the Assembly.
The second basis of my amendment relates to the selective release to the media of materials which were withheld from the Assembly. Withholding substantial parts of the records, I believe, is a prima facie case of some contempt toward the people and the parliament of the territory. It is clear that not all members of the Assembly have had access to the documentation that some of us have.
I believe that the Chief Minister’s performance during the estimates process was not entirely acceptable. Whilst some political argy-bargy is to be expected in any hearing, the point has been made that some of Mr Stanhope’s statements before that committee are contradicted by documents that are now available.
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