Mr BAILEY - 1995-02-21
The Chief Minister has said previously that he would not comment on the Cannonball Run inquest until the coroner had delivered his report. The Chief Minister will be aware that the coroner has now reported and delivered a stinging indictment of the government's abdication of its responsibility to maintain public safety in such an event. He may be aware also that many people believe that he and his minders have dreamed up and timed the euthanasia initiative as a means of diverting attention from the government's poor performance over the Cannonball Run. Will the Chief Minister undertake to make a ministerial statement this week addressing the issues raised in that coronial report?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I must confess that some of my colleagues would wish that my attention to the euthanasia issue was simply a smokescreen, but it is not. In response to the honourable member's particular point, I acknowledge the coroner has reported and I am unconstrained in making comments in response. I am certainly prepared to do that. I reject his assertion that the coroner's criticism of my government - and indeed there was criticism - was a 'stinging indictment'. The honourable member would be well aware that, in relation to the tragic accident itself, the coroner said that the matrix of circumstances surrounding the accident was not reasonably foreseeable. Indeed, his criticism of the government was not in relation to the accident itself. I am prepared to make a statement on the Cannonball Run. It will not be this week because we have not prepared for it. Next week, I certainly will provide honourable members with an opportunity to debate such a statement.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I must confess that some of my colleagues would wish that my attention to the euthanasia issue was simply a smokescreen, but it is not. In response to the honourable member's particular point, I acknowledge the coroner has reported and I am unconstrained in making comments in response. I am certainly prepared to do that. I reject his assertion that the coroner's criticism of my government - and indeed there was criticism - was a 'stinging indictment'. The honourable member would be well aware that, in relation to the tragic accident itself, the coroner said that the matrix of circumstances surrounding the accident was not reasonably foreseeable. Indeed, his criticism of the government was not in relation to the accident itself. I am prepared to make a statement on the Cannonball Run. It will not be this week because we have not prepared for it. Next week, I certainly will provide honourable members with an opportunity to debate such a statement.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016