Page 26 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 25 February 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
The other suggestion put to me was that there might be better demarcation of the Fringe Festival as part of the Multicultural Festival. Should there be a clearer sense that you are walking into something that is perhaps a bit more edgy than the rest of the Multicultural Festival? Again, that is a fair to discussion to have, but that is very different from the sort of content that has been put forward about Minister Burch this morning and trying to link her directly and responsibly for the content of the Fringe Festival.
With respect to the article by Jorian Gardner in Sunday’s paper, which I am sure we all saw, I certainly thought it improved the Sunday Canberra Times, knowing that normally the Sunday Canberra Times is a pretty quick read, but it was actually worth stopping to read that article. I think Mr Gardner made some very good points and he made the case very clearly about the fact that Minister Burch was not responsible for the content of the Fringe Festival. I think that goes to the heart of the motion today.
Turning to the tweet which has been referred to today, I certainly think that was a regrettable tweet. It was certainly not a tweet I would have sent. And I do not think that the original tweet from the original author was appropriate for that matter, either. But Minister Burch has been very clear that her retweeting of it was a mistake. She has apologised for that. I think it is quite appropriate for her to do so. We all make mistakes at times and I think the true test of character is how one responds to those mistakes. I accept Minister Burch’s apology on that matter and I think that should be the end of that matter.
In terms of the other matters that have been raised by the Liberal Party this morning, they have all been addressed in previous Assemblies. My colleagues and I have addressed those on previous occasions and I do not intend to address them any further today.
Mr Doszpot interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: I warn you, Mr Doszpot.
MR RATTENBURY: Having made those few remarks, I affirm my view that I will not be supporting the motion.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (11.11): When one reads the ministerial code of conduct in the light that the Chief Minister cast on the conduct document earlier in this debate, the document is worthless: it is a matter of interpretation; it is the way you look at it. Well, this is the code of conduct by which we should all judge the ministers in this place. If you run through particularly section 3, “Ethical principles for ministers”, there are nine or so different principles and on just about every one of them Ms Burch fails.
It is not just about the Fringe Festival. There is a bit of an obsession on the far side with the Fringe Festival. I think it shows how touchy they are. But when you go through the litany of failings that this minister has had in the time of her ministership, they are extraordinary. On childcare centres and childcare costs there is a whole
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video