Page 3716 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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Mr Hargreaves: Repetition.
MR SMYTH: I have not said this. I am not repeating it.
Mr Hargreaves: You have. This is the second time you have said it.
MR SMYTH: Ross Solly asked the minister, “And you told the outgoing members, including EPIC board chairman, Brian Acworth, not to bother to reapply?” Minister Barr replied, “No, that is not correct. We certainly sought expressions of interest. I put media releases out in mid-June seeking expressions of interests.” Mr Barr then refused twice to answer whether he had explicitly asked Brian Acworth not to re-apply. Ross Solly asked, “Minister, we have spoken with Brian Acworth this morning. He did not want to come on the show, but he said you told him it would not be necessary for him to seek reappointment.” Minister Barr replied, “Well, I wrote to Mr Acworth and other members of the board along those lines, yes.” Ross Solly asked, “So why did you tell those two it would not be necessary for them to seek reappointment?”
There it is. He will go as far as he can go whenever he thinks he can get away with it. He will, on the radio, deny something that is patently false—not once, not twice but three times—and then, when confronted with the truth, does not apologise, does not correct. He thinks he can get away with it. He tries to do it in here. It is important that he is bought to account, It is important that the standards are maintained. It is important that the standard is high because, as the Chief Minister, said—and it is probably the only correct thing that he said—we need to set a high example.
It is certainly not something we are getting from the frontbench or parts of the frontbench. It is about time the minister stood and simply said he got it wrong. He should do that. He should not have to be forced to do it. If he was an honourable man, he would do it. His failure to do it does give rise to grave doubts about whether or not he is up to the job. It does give rise to grave doubts about the example that he sets and the standards that he lives by.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella—Minister for Disability and Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Corrections) (3.41): I need to make a number of comments about this whole process today. I am concerned about a number of facets of it. I am concerned about the substantive subject matter, I am concerned about the way in which it is being played out within this chamber and I am concerned about the precedent set by the amendment offered by Ms Bresnan.
I have been in this place, Madam Assistant Speaker, for 11 years. I have been on the backbench as an opposition member. I have sat in the whip’s chair. I have sat on the frontbench. I have sat in committees. In all of that time Mr Brendan Smyth has been on the other side of the chamber. If ever there was a man who is expert in the creation of spin, fabrication and mistruths bordering on the hysterical, it is he.
Mrs Dunne: I raise a point of order, Madam Assistant Speaker. We have determined this morning that the accusation of a mistruth is to be the subject of a specific motion.
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