Page 1018 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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Mr Doszpot is accusing Mr Grassby of something for which he was cleared; that is the first point. The second point is that he misses the very point which—
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Order, members!
MR HARGREAVES: The other thing is that Al Grassby personifies multiculturalism in this town. The consultation process that these people opposite here accuse me of not engaging in took place over six months. I took part in a number of forums with somewhere between 12 and 15 different community groups in this town. Not one of them raised anything but support for the statue—not one of them. Did I receive any negative feedback on this from anybody? No, I did not.
Mr Hanson: What about the Mackay family? Did they comment?
MR HARGREAVES: The Mackay family did not contact me until after the commissioning had been done. How was I to know that any of this had anything but approval? These characters across the chamber would say I have to consult with everybody and I am supposed to know everybody. I had extensive consultation on it and it was quite agreeable to all of those people. And I did not say, “This is what we are going to do; what do you think about it?” I said, “This is a proposal; what do you think about it?” and they said—
Mr Hanson: Did you consult with the Chief Minister?
MR HARGREAVES: Madam Assistant Speaker, I would ask you to get Mr Hanson to address his comments through you in the proper course of events.
Mr Hanson: Because you never interject, mate?
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mrs Dunne): Mr Hanson!
MR HARGREAVES: This has been done to death, this particular issue. These characters over there—these three dwarfs over there—are trying their hardest—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, that is disorderly.
MR HARGREAVES: All right, I withdraw it. Madam Assistant Speaker, let us not get pedantic about this, though. These people across there are trying to inflame a situation which was dealt with before the election. And let me tell you something, Madam Assistant Speaker: much to their disgust, I went to the election. They did their damage; they tried to damage me with this particular subject. They tried to say: “Don’t elect him, horrible person. Look at this.” And I still got elected. Isn’t that sad for you? Isn’t that just sad for you?
Mr Doszpot: Sad for the community.
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