Page 13 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 14 February 2012
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As Ms Hunter said, in other jurisdictions other avenues are available for investigation of concerns like this. The ACT does not have those options available, and the government believes a motion outlining the process as set out in this motion is the adequate response at this point in time. That does not mean to say that the matter will end here; it may well end here. We have listened to the Leader of the Opposition this morning, and if we are confident in the responses that he has provided and he can assure us of that in his written report to the Assembly and if the audit verifies that, it may end with this motion. But it may not.
This issue goes to matters of ethical leadership and accountability. It goes to code of conduct adherence and adherence to ACT laws. It goes to whether adequate leadership as an employer has been followed or whether we have got a leader here who cuts corners or brushes aside inconvenient process for his own gain. This goes to appropriate use of taxpayer funds and to the issues of accountability back to the community.
We all know the Leader of the Opposition is very quick to come in here and point the finger to seek to create scandal where there is none, but now it is time for the Leader of the Opposition to come in here and face his peers and to provide the assurance we need that there has not been any misuse of Assembly resources.
I know the Leader of the Opposition has tried to trivialise this back to a mere matter of compliance with the administrative requirements in his office, but it goes further than that, and Ms Hunter has pointed out some of the concerns. Concerns have been raised about staff who were not on approved leave, who may not have accrued TOIL at the time and who have now been retrospectively granted TOIL to work on Gary Humphries’s election campaign. It is not just a matter of time sheets. There are rumours in this place around phantom staff arrangements, and it is appropriate that we be—
Mr Smyth: Now you are peddling rumours.
MS GALLAGHER: No, there are rumours.
Mrs Dunne: Point of order, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Stop the clocks, thank you. Mrs Dunne has the floor.
Mrs Dunne: Is it appropriate that the Chief Minister should slur members of the Assembly by referring to “rumours”? It is entirely disorderly. In this place, which is essentially a court—and it has been treated like a kangaroo court this morning—we are supposed to deal with matters of fact and truth and not rumours. I ask you to draw this to the Chief Minister’s attention, because we are not dealing with rumours.
MR SPEAKER: I think we come back to the same issue that was dealt with under Mr Smyth’s point of order. We are debating a substantive motion. Chief Minister, I remind you to try and stick with the facts that are known as you continue with your remaining time.
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