Mrs HICKEY - 1996-08-13
I direct the Chief Minister's attention to Prime Minister Howard's code of conduct for ministers which states:
Ministers should not accept any benefit where acceptance might give an appearance that they may be
subject to improper influence - for example, because the giver has or seeks to have a contractual
relationship with government or has any other special interest in government decisions.
I refer him also to the ministers' code of ethics that appears in the Queensland Cabinet Handbook. This binds ministers to `not accept any gift offered in connection with the discharge of their office except as permitted under the guidelines for financial management of their ministerial offices'. Will the Chief Minister concede that his acceptance of a substantial personal gift from Telstra breaches the principle of ethics adopted by his conservative counterparts?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition must think I am very easily bought if she believes that I would come so cheap as to be influenced by a couple of business class air fares through which I was presented with an opportunity, as the Chief Minister, to see for myself the workings of the Olympics, to talk with business people who could have an impact on what might occur in the Territory, and to try to come to grips with and understand the likely or unlikely ripple effect of the Olympics in Sydney in the year 2000 and how that might impact on the Territory.
I would concede that, if I had tried to conceal this, if I had said nothing about it and had not been transparent and up- front, then the Leader of the Opposition would have had a basis for some criticism. However, I was open and up-front about it. I told you what I was doing. I told you where I was going. I told you why I was going. I told you who was supporting the visit.
Mr Ah Kit: Tell us how you are going to deal with the conflict of interest.
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Mr STONE: The member for Arnhem continues to interject. I am happy to talk about the member for Arnhem and a few others opposite. Their problem is their hypocrisy and double standards. They are not transparent. If they think that my judgment can be swayed by a couple of business class air fares, they are sadly mistaken. It really is time that they stopped being petty and small-minded. They should be very pleased that we now have in this Chamber someone who is across the issues and who has brought back an entirely different view as to how the Territory might benefit from the Olympics in Sydney come the year 2000. I can say that we were on the wrong track, as was every state in this country.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: You can moan and groan.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Your problem is that you are so narrow-minded and lacking in imagination that you attribute the worst motives to people in every circumstance. You give no credit for the transparency with which it was announced before I left. You apply one set of standards to me, but you will not apply the same set of standards to yourself. It is absolutely ironic that you would try to sledge my accepting an air fare from Telstra but, in the same breath, say that it is okay for one of your colleagues, who is sitting over there, to have accepted an air fare from Telstra. It is okay for you, but it is not okay for me. If you think that Territorians do not see through that ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: Do you want me to name the person? Do you want me to name the member who has taken cash from clubs and from social ...
Mrs Hickey: No.
Mr STONE: Oh, you do not want me to name the member? Whatever you like. I have no intention of naming the member because I take the view that the member made the declaration in good faith. That is the bottom line in all of this. I believe that one of your colleagues, who accepted that air fare, probably did some good in the work that he was undertaking. The fact that he declared it is important. Isn't it time you told us about Spain?
Mrs Hickey: Spain? I have told you about it in this House.
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Ministers should not accept any benefit where acceptance might give an appearance that they may be
subject to improper influence - for example, because the giver has or seeks to have a contractual
relationship with government or has any other special interest in government decisions.
I refer him also to the ministers' code of ethics that appears in the Queensland Cabinet Handbook. This binds ministers to `not accept any gift offered in connection with the discharge of their office except as permitted under the guidelines for financial management of their ministerial offices'. Will the Chief Minister concede that his acceptance of a substantial personal gift from Telstra breaches the principle of ethics adopted by his conservative counterparts?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition must think I am very easily bought if she believes that I would come so cheap as to be influenced by a couple of business class air fares through which I was presented with an opportunity, as the Chief Minister, to see for myself the workings of the Olympics, to talk with business people who could have an impact on what might occur in the Territory, and to try to come to grips with and understand the likely or unlikely ripple effect of the Olympics in Sydney in the year 2000 and how that might impact on the Territory.
I would concede that, if I had tried to conceal this, if I had said nothing about it and had not been transparent and up- front, then the Leader of the Opposition would have had a basis for some criticism. However, I was open and up-front about it. I told you what I was doing. I told you where I was going. I told you why I was going. I told you who was supporting the visit.
Mr Ah Kit: Tell us how you are going to deal with the conflict of interest.
Page 1467
Mr STONE: The member for Arnhem continues to interject. I am happy to talk about the member for Arnhem and a few others opposite. Their problem is their hypocrisy and double standards. They are not transparent. If they think that my judgment can be swayed by a couple of business class air fares, they are sadly mistaken. It really is time that they stopped being petty and small-minded. They should be very pleased that we now have in this Chamber someone who is across the issues and who has brought back an entirely different view as to how the Territory might benefit from the Olympics in Sydney come the year 2000. I can say that we were on the wrong track, as was every state in this country.
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: You can moan and groan.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: Your problem is that you are so narrow-minded and lacking in imagination that you attribute the worst motives to people in every circumstance. You give no credit for the transparency with which it was announced before I left. You apply one set of standards to me, but you will not apply the same set of standards to yourself. It is absolutely ironic that you would try to sledge my accepting an air fare from Telstra but, in the same breath, say that it is okay for one of your colleagues, who is sitting over there, to have accepted an air fare from Telstra. It is okay for you, but it is not okay for me. If you think that Territorians do not see through that ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STONE: Do you want me to name the person? Do you want me to name the member who has taken cash from clubs and from social ...
Mrs Hickey: No.
Mr STONE: Oh, you do not want me to name the member? Whatever you like. I have no intention of naming the member because I take the view that the member made the declaration in good faith. That is the bottom line in all of this. I believe that one of your colleagues, who accepted that air fare, probably did some good in the work that he was undertaking. The fact that he declared it is important. Isn't it time you told us about Spain?
Mrs Hickey: Spain? I have told you about it in this House.
Page 1468
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016