Page 4005 - Week 09 - Thursday, 26 August 2010
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MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (10.22): The Greens do accept that Ms Burch has come down and made the apology this morning.
Mr Coe: She didn’t apologise.
MS BRESNAN: She has come down and corrected the record this morning quite clearly with her statement. I do accept Mr Coe’s statement that it should have been done much earlier, and it is something which we had discussed with Mr Seselja’s office. I do believe that she should have actually come down and corrected the record much earlier. She has come down and done it this morning, so we will not be supporting the censure at this stage.
I will say that it is unfortunate again with the Liberals that we have had a censure circulated at the last minute. We were given every indication that Ms Burch was going to be provided with the letter yesterday, and obviously that did not happen?
Mr Coe: She was. They were.
MS BRESNAN: Well, that is not the indication that is coming from Ms Burch’s office. Again, we are hearing a story from one side and one from the other. It is not helpful at all. We heard Mr Coe come down yesterday and make this statement about what is considered acceptable in the parliament and the view we are giving to the public. I think this incident this morning that we are seeing is a perfect example of why the public is probably losing some faith in the Assembly here in the ACT with this sort of behaviour and the behaviour, frankly, that we saw yesterday from the Liberal Party. I know I am getting off track, but I think it was worth making that statement.
Begrudgingly, Ms Burch has come down and corrected the record. It is something which should have been done sooner. She has come down and done it this morning. She should have been given the time to do that, I do believe. I will make the point that we are seeing the Liberals circulating these censures at the last minute and not actually discussing them fully with other parties in this place which is, I believe, the convention of this place. I continually hear about what are the conventions of this place and the way we should be conducting ourselves, and it does not always seem that that is happening.
We do try to operate in good faith with all parties. This morning is an example where that has not happened. We will not be supporting the censure. We do accept that Ms Burch has come down and corrected the record this morning, and that is where we stand.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (10.24): I am not sure Ms Burch has corrected the record. The Chief Minister in his speech said “if it was misconstrued”. This was a dixer. This was a set piece of play. Ms Burch knew the question and she knew the answer. Her office had probably written the question and her office had probably written the answer, and they got it wrong. The Chief Minister is right. Most people here will know that Jon and I do not often agree, but the Chief Minister is right. When you are called to account, you have an obligation to correct the facts. When you are
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