Page 3360 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Very well. I call Mr Seselja, who will close the debate.
MR SESELJA: I think we have probably spoken about the matter at some length. I do need to respond quickly to Mr Hunter’s latest outburst. I know Mr Rattenbury is ordinarily the person who gives ratings on the performances of members in this place, but that was really a ridiculous contribution to this debate. Ms Hunter has essentially argued that black is white; no, they are not arguing against what they are arguing against; they are not intending to vote against what they are voting against. Then she claimed that there are unsubstantiated claims in there without pointing to one word of it.
Mr Hunter perhaps needs to learn that she cannot just put it out there without pointing to it. If you are going to say something, back it up. Back it up with something—anything. Yet there was not one word, not one word that actually backed it up. What Ms Hunter is failing to understand is that this is what she is voting against. She is voting against the call on ministers of the ACT government to make full and frank disclosures.
I do not know what the warning was meant to be but that is what you are voting against. You can warn me all you like, but I will not be silenced in arguing the case for full disclosure in highlighting when the Greens side with the government against full disclosure, because that is what they are doing. It is a ridiculous contribution to this debate and it should be dismissed as such.
Madam Assistant Speaker, the original motion is one that should be supported. It should be supported because we have done what we said we were going to do, which is that we were going to seek answers from the government. They are doing their best not to answer questions. We are seeking information. We are not making allegations. We are not making unfounded assertions. We are going on the back of reports and claims made by others, made by respected members of our community, and saying they need to be independently and thoroughly investigated.
Questions need to be answered by ministers in this place. We are seeking accountability. We will continue. We are not going to allow these issues to be swept under the carpet simply because the Labor Party and the Greens do a deal. We will continue to push regardless. We will continue to ask questions and we will not be silenced by the ridiculous, veiled threats of anyone across the chamber.
Madam Assistant Speaker, this is a critically important issue. These are serious claims. Everything in that motion is defensible. None of it makes claims that are not substantiated. Most of it is raises concerns that need to be investigated. We say they should be thoroughly investigated. We say there needs to be openness and accountability. We say there should be independent investigation. That is what this motion is about and I commend it to the Assembly.
Question put:
That Mrs Dunne’s amendment to Ms Hunter’s proposed amendment be agreed to.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .