Page 4485 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 18 October 2011
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address the mental health issues and the substance abuse issues. But locking people up for being addicted or schizophrenic is foolish.
I would also like to note that Dr Sharp was a strong supporter of the Manly Sea Eagles and that he did not get to see his beloved team win the grand final this year. However, I would like to think that there was some divine intervention from Dr Sharp to get his team over the line this year. I would like to recognise all the staff of Winnunga Nimmityjah and Dr Sharp’s family and friends who are here today and all those people who Dr Sharp treated over the years.
The loss of Dr Sharp is a great loss, not only to the Aboriginal community in the ACT but to the whole ACT community. Dr Sharp’s dedication to some of the most vulnerable people in the health system will never be forgotten.
DR BOURKE (Ginninderra) Mr Speaker, I have already spoken here about this matter, but I wanted to convey my condolences to Dr Pete’s partner, to Winnunga Nimmityjah, to the staff and to the patients. The highlights of Dr Pete’s career were 22 years of dedication to Winnunga Nimmityjah. He was a non-Indigenous man working to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here in Canberra. For that reason, I think he is worthy to be one of our great heroes.
Question resolved in the affirmative, members standing in their places.
Sitting suspended from 10.36 to 10.42 am.
Privileges—Select Committee
Statement by Speaker
MR SPEAKER: On 20 September 2011 the Chief Minister gave written notice of a possible breach of privilege concerning a media release issued by Mr Smyth which contained, in the Chief Minister’s opinion, an attempt to influence the newly formed Select Committee on Privileges.
Upon receiving the letter, I subsequently wrote to the three members of the select committee—a committee chair had not yet been elected at that time—seeking their views as to whether Mr Smyth’s press release had substantially interfered with their inquiry. I received a further letter from Ms Gallagher on the matter, and I responded to that letter the same day.
The chair of the committee wrote to me and informed me that the majority of the committee did not consider that the matter raised by the Chief Minister had interfered with the committee. Mr Seselja also wrote to me in his capacity as a member of the committee on the matter.
I present a copy of all the correspondence mentioned above for the information of members, as follows:
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