Page 10 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 9 February 2016
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(ii) “These are serious, serious issues, and they go beyond the issues that have been reported in the media to date.”; and
(iii) “This is not about a member of a minister’s staff relaying to a stakeholder that their concerns had been raised ... these matters go beyond that.”; and
(2) that this Assembly resolves that Ms Burch not be appointed as Chair or Deputy Chair of any Assembly Committee until such time that:
(a) police investigations into Ms Burch’s former staff are resolved; and
(b) the “serious, serious issues” that go beyond the investigation into her former staff are advised to the Assembly and are resolved.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Tourism and Events and Minister for Urban Renewal) (10.21): The government will not be supporting Mr Hanson’s amendment. It is incorrect in fact. Let us be very clear, Madam Speaker, that at no point has Ms Burch been the subject of a police evaluation, investigation or inquiry. That fundamental truth has escaped you in your role as Speaker. It has escaped many opposite in terms of their public statements and things they have said in this place this morning. That record needs to be crystal clear: at no point has Joy Burch been the subject of any police investigation.
Members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr Hanson was heard in silence.
MR BARR: And the assertions, Madam Speaker, in your correspondence to Ms Burch that suggests that she needs to be exonerated, are a fundamental misstatement.
MADAM SPEAKER: Could you sit down, please, Mr Barr. My actions are not subject to debate in this motion. This is a motion about the constitution of committees, and Mr Hanson’s amendment to Mr Gentleman’s motion. Could you stick to the subject matter of the motion and the amendment.
MR BARR: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I said, the government will not be supporting this amendment. There is a code of conduct.
Mr Doszpot interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Doszpot, I have asked you to listen to Mr Barr in silence.
MR BARR: Members have a code of conduct. Ministers have a code of conduct. They are different, for obvious reasons, because of the differences of responsibilities that go with being a member of the executive, as opposed to simply being a member of this place.
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