Page 1024 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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There is no doubt that Al Grassby was a pioneering influence in the development of multiculturalism as a meaningful force in Australian society. By dint of his personality, as well as his strength of character, Al pushed multiculturalism along and was particularly successful in selling this new societal institution to the broader Australian community.
In more recent years Al continually played a role in multiculturalism here in the ACT. I had the pleasure, as the shadow multicultural minister, on many occasions to meet him and to discuss multicultural issues here peculiar to the ACT.
Mr Coe: Totally inappropriate, Andrew.
MR BARR: So it is appropriate for those sorts of comments to be put on the record at that time and then, a few years later, to come into this place and slur someone’s character?
Opposition members interjecting—
MR BARR: Madam Assistant Speaker, from the level of interjection and response I have obviously touched on a raw nerve. Later I will table for members opposite the comments that were made at that time.
If we compare the comments the Liberals made at that time with their comments today in this place, it is an appalling level of hypocrisy. But it is perhaps not surprising. Mr Doszpot, it appears—
Mr Hargreaves: He is good at that, though.
MR BARR: Yes. I think that after this debate a number of people will re-evaluate their character assessments of Mr Doszpot. That is for individuals to determine. I have just been passed another piece of Mr Doszpot’s work, and it does appear that he likes to borrow the work of others when it comes to issuing press releases. I am also pleased to be able to table a copy of a press release that he issued earlier this year, which appears to be almost entirely lifted from the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils. At the conclusion of my remarks I will table that for the benefit of the Assembly as well.
Mr Hargreaves: Plagiarism.
MR BARR: It is, and it is disappointing, Madam Assistant Speaker. To raise issues like this today in what should be a constructive debate about the National Multicultural Festival does go to credibility and the heart of someone’s performance in a shadow portfolio. We do not need the sorts of contributions that we saw from Mr Doszpot and the sorts of interjections that we are hearing from a particular faction within the Liberal Party, and that is to their discredit. It stands in marked contrast to the statements on the public record by other members of the ACT Liberal Party, including a number of past leaders of the ACT Liberal Party.
Mr Hanson: In many statements from Mr Pratt, Andrew—
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