Page 5408 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 November 2011
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That is the period of 30 September. I went on to ask:
So your letter in the Canberra Times just a few days ago where you said that last financial year the government paid an additional $150,000 to the RSPCA over and above the funding agreement—
Mr Corbell butted in:
We did.
I asked:
And that was cash?
Mr Corbell said, “Yes.” It was not his advisers, not his department; it was Mr Corbell, the same person who wrote the letter to the Canberra Times, the same person that publicly smeared the name of the RSPCA.
After making that kind of assertion and getting a follow-up question like that from the opposition, you would think that when the opposition raises this question, and I did so repeatedly, he would say: “Is Mr Coe on to something? Can you guys just double-check that?” He did not. He was not exercising due diligence as a minister.
It is all very well for him to get up here and blame someone else, as is his form. The fact is that he did not exercise due diligence in getting the information. He is responsible. This new era of open government and accountability that the Chief Minister is advocating surely involves telling the truth. But no; not with Minister Corbell.
At any point he could have written a letter to the committee chair, to the Speaker, to me, to the Chief Executive Officer of the RSPCA or to the Canberra Times and said: “Actually, you know what? I made a mistake.” But no. The record remained unchecked until today. There was another question yesterday in question time; he had an opportunity in this place to correct the record, but he did not. I asked him this in question time yesterday:
My question is to the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services. Minister, on 27 October, you wrote a letter to the Canberra Times stating:
Last financial year the Government paid an additional $150,000 to the RSPCA over and above the amount agreed in its funding agreement …
Further to this, in the recent TAMS annual report hearing, you said that $570,000 was paid to the society in the 2010-11 financial year. Do you stand by your comments that $570,000 was granted to the RSPCA in 2010-11?
Mr Corbell said:
That was the basis of my advice. Yes, Mr Speaker.
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