Page 4043 - Week 09 - Thursday, 26 August 2010
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Canberra’s paramedics for the professional way in which they deliver such a critical service to the ACT community. I would like to conclude by thanking my committee colleagues, Mr Smyth and Mr Hargreaves, the Committee Office, and Andrea Cullen in particular. I commend the report to the Assembly, and I believe my colleagues may wish to also make comment.
Debate (on motion by Mr Smyth) adjourned to a later hour.
Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.
Sitting suspended from 12.28 to 2 pm.
Personal explanation
MR HANSON (Molonglo): Mr Speaker, I seek leave to make a personal explanation.
Leave granted.
MR HANSON: I have received a letter from Ms Hunter with regard to comments that I made here in the chamber last night which I withdrew. She has asked me to apologise, and I would like to say that I am very happy to do so. I do apologise, Ms Hunter. Certainly, if anyone else felt offended by my comments then I am happy to do so.
I made the point that my comments were not directed specifically at Ms Hunter; they were generically made at those opposite and the Greens, after the events that had transpired that evening. As I have said, I unreservedly apologise. But I would like to explain why, in the heat of the moment, I did make such comments. I had spoken with the Greens whip prior to the adjournment debate to explain that I would be making an adjournment speech with regard to the death—
Members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Thank you; listen to Mr Hanson in quiet.
Mr Hargreaves: A qualified apology doesn’t always save you.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, let us hear Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: of Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney, and I felt it was an important speech to make on a tragic day. I had identified to Ms Bresnan that I would be happy if the adjournment debate were to be curtailed slightly; we could adjust for that. But it certainly became very apparent that, with Ms Hunter’s motion commencing at 9 o’clock, the time for the adjournment debate would not be sufficient, if we were to conduct the debate on the motion. Therefore, a speech that I felt very strongly about personally, which I had indicated to the Greens, would not be able to be made. I felt very strongly that this was disrespectful to Lance Corporal MacKinney, and I felt very emotional about it.
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