Personal Explanation

MEMBER'S REMARKS

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (15:12): I seek leave to make a personal explanation.

Leave granted.

Mr VENNING: During question time today, while the Attorney-General was answering a question about setting up an independent commission to investigate corruption, he raised the question of the police anticorruption agency. He inferred that I said by interjection that the police anticorruption agency was corrupt. I did not; I said that all agencies of government—which would include the police anticorruption agency—could be corrupt by varying degrees, and that is the very reason we need a truly independent watchdog. I can quote the former auditor-general's comments about that.

I did not specifically raise the police anticorruption agency; the Attorney General did, and he tacked my interjection to it. So, I just reiterate that I do not think that the police Anti-Corruption Branch is corrupt. It has an excellent record. If I have caused the police Commissioner, the police and this very much appreciated branch any grief, I apologise. But the question remains: who watches the watchdog?