Mr BELL - 1996-08-15
On 29 February this year, the Chief Minister gave what I took to be a categorical assurance to this House regarding the use of departmental records for political campaigning. He said: `No such departmental information has ever been made available to the Country Liberal Party'. This was followed, this year, by the member for Leanyer telling ABC radio on 6 March that, in 1994, the Country Liberal Party administration had requested from Territory Health Services a list of pensioner names and addresses. I table a letter from the former Chief Minister, Marshall Perron, dated 30 May 1994. That letter was written by the then Chief Minister on Country Liberal Party letterhead and addressed to pensioners. I seek leave to table that letter from the former Chief Minister.
Leave granted.
Mr BELL: In view of the fact that the request for names and addresses of pensioners was obtained from his department, can the minister confirm that the Chief Minister misled this House on 29 February when he gave the categorical undertaking that no information had ever been passed to the Country Liberal Party?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I have been Minister for Health Services for only 8 weeks. In that time, I have done my best to meet every health minister in Australia and to visit communities throughout the Territory. I will take the member's question on notice. I am certainly not in a position to give a substantive reply at this time, but I will report to the Assembly in due course.
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Leave granted.
Mr BELL: In view of the fact that the request for names and addresses of pensioners was obtained from his department, can the minister confirm that the Chief Minister misled this House on 29 February when he gave the categorical undertaking that no information had ever been passed to the Country Liberal Party?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I have been Minister for Health Services for only 8 weeks. In that time, I have done my best to meet every health minister in Australia and to visit communities throughout the Territory. I will take the member's question on notice. I am certainly not in a position to give a substantive reply at this time, but I will report to the Assembly in due course.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016