Mr MALEY - 2002-02-26
Madam Speaker, for the sake of fairness and perhaps to jolt the independent memory of the minister for Justice, I seek to place before the House minutes of a meeting which occurred on 23 January 2002 between representatives from Correctional Services and the minister, in which a number of matters were addressed, including - on the second page - specifically, ministerial interference in an operational matter, and the fact that this interference is based upon racial grounds ...
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I would like the minutes tabled.
Members interjecting.
Mr Stirling: Send a copy across!
Mr MALEY: Well, if you just wait ...
Mr Stirling: Well, if you want the minister to address it, give him the decency of seeing it.
Mr MALEY: Madam Speaker, if I could finish ...
Mr Stirling: Seek leave to table.
Mr MALEY: I am seeking leave ...
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Goyder has the floor and it is up to the member for Goyder if he wishes to table that paper or not. I do remind members of the opposition that these questions are becoming very repetitive, so please get on with it.
Mr MALEY: Madam Speaker, I seek leave to table this document.
Leave granted.
Mr MALEY: I ask the minister for Justice to peruse that second page, and I ask him once again, after he has looked at that document, the minutes of that meeting, does he now have a recollection of that issue being raised, and what is his response to the prison officers who are listening to today’s questions, when their clear instructions are that the matter was raised, what sort of assurance can he give that it will not occur in the future?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is the first time I have seen these minutes. In fact, the normal protocol for a meeting, if such minutes have been produced, would be to present them to the other parties who had been present at the meeting to have them confirmed as accurate or not accurate. I have never seen these minutes since the meeting in question. I have no recollection of that matter being discussed let alone of putting that point of view in any way to the prison officers.
I can only say that these minutes are the version of the meeting, presumably - I mean, we have to take it on trust that they have actually been produced by the people I met with. I have no idea who produced them. All I am saying is that the only minutes, or any written record of a meeting, that I would allow is accurate to me, is one that has been presented to me for checking. I can very much say that I do not recall that being discussed and I do not recall the position you are trying to put here today.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I would like the minutes tabled.
Members interjecting.
Mr Stirling: Send a copy across!
Mr MALEY: Well, if you just wait ...
Mr Stirling: Well, if you want the minister to address it, give him the decency of seeing it.
Mr MALEY: Madam Speaker, if I could finish ...
Mr Stirling: Seek leave to table.
Mr MALEY: I am seeking leave ...
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Goyder has the floor and it is up to the member for Goyder if he wishes to table that paper or not. I do remind members of the opposition that these questions are becoming very repetitive, so please get on with it.
Mr MALEY: Madam Speaker, I seek leave to table this document.
Leave granted.
Mr MALEY: I ask the minister for Justice to peruse that second page, and I ask him once again, after he has looked at that document, the minutes of that meeting, does he now have a recollection of that issue being raised, and what is his response to the prison officers who are listening to today’s questions, when their clear instructions are that the matter was raised, what sort of assurance can he give that it will not occur in the future?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is the first time I have seen these minutes. In fact, the normal protocol for a meeting, if such minutes have been produced, would be to present them to the other parties who had been present at the meeting to have them confirmed as accurate or not accurate. I have never seen these minutes since the meeting in question. I have no recollection of that matter being discussed let alone of putting that point of view in any way to the prison officers.
I can only say that these minutes are the version of the meeting, presumably - I mean, we have to take it on trust that they have actually been produced by the people I met with. I have no idea who produced them. All I am saying is that the only minutes, or any written record of a meeting, that I would allow is accurate to me, is one that has been presented to me for checking. I can very much say that I do not recall that being discussed and I do not recall the position you are trying to put here today.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016