Page 592 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 22 February 2012
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Dear Mr Johnston
Thank you for your letter of 16 January 2012 and taking my phone call regarding comments made by Mr John Hargreaves MLA in the Legislative Assembly on 15 February 2012.
I understand your disappointment and the concerns that you have expressed on behalf of the Council. The ACT Government does not share the views expressed by Mr Hargreaves and I have spoken to him this morning and told him so.
I understand that Mr Hargreaves has also rung you to explain his comments about the Council earlier today.
As I said to you and in the Assembly this morning, I value both your personal commitment and the Council’s active role in the Tuggeranong valley and on matters of interest across the ACT. We have developed a strong relationship over the past few years and I know that you also work well with other MLAs as well as the local Federal member, Gai Brodtmann.
I look forward to continuing our working together on issues around Tuggeranong and its residents, and I look forward to our meeting on 1 March 2012.
At first blush you might think that that is an apology. It is actually not an apology. It is certainly not an apology to the members of the Tuggeranong Community Council. I cannot see what is so wrong that people are so concerned at having an apology here. It is quite reasonable, given the code of conduct, that we do not bring this place into disrepute and “depreciate the reputation of the Assembly”, that we use privilege properly, and that we use the forms of debate that we have properly. And if we get something wrong—let me read it again. He says “that old persons club”—it is not an old persons club—“called the Tuggeranong Community Council”. He says he sees “both of the punters”. If Mr Hargreaves came to the meeting, he would know that there are more than two people there. On some nights Ms Burch, Ms Bresnan, Mr Doszpot and I are there, so there are at least four old punters. I do not know how Ms Bresnan feels about being an old punter, but if she wants to let that stand that is up to her.
Mr Hargreaves says they “claim to have some sort of community connection with this geriatric mob”. The term “geriatric mob” is something that none of us should allow to stand. We should respect the older members of our community; we should support the older members of our community. I would expect the member for older Canberrans to help remove this slur from the record. Mr Hargreaves says:
It is … nothing but a self-help group …
There is another slur: “It is … nothing but a self-help group.” What is wrong with self-help groups? There is nothing wrong with self-help groups. No matter where you go, no matter what you read, you see it. He says it is a self-interest group. I do not know too many volunteers who go to something like the Tuggeranong Community Council who think it is about self-interest. They are there representing their community, and they do a good job. People here might like to get involved with a self-help group.
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