Page 4008 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 20 September 2011
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to make a comment or felt interfered with in making a decision because of a factually correct media statement is simply laughable. I think many of us in this place, considering the conduct of members in this place, would find that laughable. For Mr Smyth, the shrinking violet, to all of a sudden feel incredibly compromised in the very senior position he holds on that committee because a media release has gone out is simply laughable.
This is politics, plain and simple. Fair enough, happy to be judged by that. But let us be clear what it is about. Mr Smyth, if you do not want government nominations to be made public, then stand up in here, move amendments to legislation and argue why government proposed nominations in a factually correct media release announced to the community should be withheld from the community. I would like to see you successfully argue that point in here. But a privileges committee will be established. I look forward to participating in that, and I look forward to clearing any political attack on me through that process.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (10.41), in reply: Thank you, members. Just to respond to Ms Gallagher, the statement has been made by Ms Gallagher and Mr Corbell that her press release is factually correct. Well, I think you can call into account just the last paragraph where the Chief Minister says:
… I look forward to formalising the appointment once the PAC has considered our recommendation.
Not “I look forward to PAC making a recommendation and then we’ll formalise the process”. That paragraph assumes PAC is just a rubber stamp, and that is the problem with this process. The only defence that the government seems to have is “it’s just politics”. Well, it is not just politics. If you had a sound defence, you would have put forward the sound defence.
I thank Mr Hargreaves for actually making the case. He says, “Why did she do it?” People will always try; that is what he said. When I was a chair of a committee I cannot remember people trying to influence me on a statutory appointment. People do not always try, and if you know of examples where people always try, then you should have brought them to committees before this, because if you have not as a committee chair brought to the attention of the committee where people have tried to influence you in an appointment, you are letting down the committee system. So, thank you, Mr Hargreaves. As always, you confirm the admission and you make the case.
Mr Hargreaves went on to say, “The onus is on the chairs to do the right thing.” The onus should not be just on the chairs. The onus is on all of us, particularly ministers, to behave properly in the execution of our duty. I have complimented Ms Le Couteur before because, when she was approached on two occasions, she brought it to the attention of the committee. Why did she do that? Because she had concerns. Now Ms Le Couteur can speak for herself as to what those concerns may well have been, but she made it quite clear to the committee that she had been approached. In the three years that Ms Le Couteur has been chair of the public accounts committee, that was the first time she has ever written an email to me to say, “I’ve had this
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