Page 189 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 16 February 2011
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(c) the damage that may be done by allegations made in the Assembly to those who are the subject of such allegations and to the standing of the Assembly; and
(d) the limited opportunities for persons other than Members of the Assembly to respond to allegations made in the Assembly;
(2) censures the Member for Ginninderra, Mrs Vicki Dunne, for failing to have regard to these principles in her irresponsible, unsound and malicious allegations against the office, integrity and reputation of the Children and Young People Commissioner; and
(3) reaffirms its full confidence in the Children and Young People Commissioner and the conduct of his inquiry into the youth justice system.”.
This amendment is about recognising that members in this place have rights and they also have responsibilities. Today it is the government’s view that Mrs Dunne has abused those rights. She has not had regard to her responsibilities to use the unfettered ability of free speech granted to her in this place not to reflect adversely on persons, unless those reflections are soundly based, not to make allegations of such a nature that cannot be substantiated and, further, not to recognise that the ability of others to respond to such allegations is limited because they are not members of this Assembly.
Mr Smyth: Bring him to the bar.
MR CORBELL: Mr Smyth says, “Bring him to the bar.” This is the sort of kangaroo court that the Liberals want to advance here. Are you going to issue a warrant for his arrest next? Is this the sort of absurd thinking that we see from those opposite and the lack of respect they have for independent statutory public office holders who perform vital independent functions under statute established by this place?
The simple fact is that Mrs Dunne should be censured, not the Children and Young People Commissioner. The member moving this motion should be censured for failing to have regard to her responsibilities to not seek to degrade, defame or reflect on the integrity of an independent statutory public office holder in this manner. She should not be allowed and permitted to get away with making irresponsible, unsound and malicious allegations against the office and the integrity of this independent office holder without due cause. And she has no due cause. There is simply no evidence to suggest that in any way have the commissioner’s actions compromised his ability to do his job, either in the broad or in relation to this inquiry.
Therefore, this Assembly should censure Mrs Dunne for adopting such a reckless and malicious attitude and abusing the forums of this place in advancing her political argument that she wants a different sort of inquiry. That is the motivation behind this at the end of the day. The motivation is that she did not get the inquiry she wanted, so she is going to trash the reputation of the independent office holder, who has been asked by this place to conduct that inquiry. It is as simple as that.
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