Ombudsman Investigation, Member for Bragg

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:17): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Attorney-General regarding the editorial in The Advertiser today.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: In The Advertiser today I am sure members would have seen and read with some surprise or some interest at least that the editorial was quite scathing of the previous government and their role in the inquiry into Ms Chapman late last year.

I would like to add a few quotes from The Advertiser editorial this morning, and I quote directly, 'The parliamentary probe into Ms Chapman was indeed stacked against her.' Next quote, 'It was a partisan inquiry.' Next quote, 'It was politically loaded.' Next quote, 'Dan Cregan and his Labor friends from the Premier down tried to humiliate Ms Chapman.' The next quote, 'The whole thing is a worrying episode.' Next quote, 'We saw with the Chapman affair Mr Malinauskas and his team were open to the most brutal political games.' Finally, it concluded, 'They were all badly wrong.'

My question to the Attorney-General is: does he accept the account of the editor of The Advertiser in today's editorial and if not, why not?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Attorney-General, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:18): I thank the honourable member for his question. I haven't read today's editorial. I will do so at some stage. I am not in a position to give great commentary on what was said without having yet read it.

I will check the Hansard record but I think the honourable member referred to the actions of the previous government, which would be the Liberal government. I am not sure if he wants me to reflect on the actions of the previous Liberal government. I am not sure that's what he meant.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: If that's what he said. We can all check the Hansard to see if the honourable member wanted me to reflect—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —on the previous Liberal government or not, because I am quite happy to reflect on the previous Liberal government, if that's what he wishes. Putting that aside, it may have been just a slip, if that's what the honourable member said.

I will note that the committee that looked at this didn't have a majority of Labor members on that committee. It was a committee that had a minority of Labor members on this committee. In fact, other members of the committee were Liberal members and former Liberal members.

It was a minority of Labor members. The majority of the committee were Liberal members and former Liberal members, so it wasn't something that was a Labor-dominated committee, it was actually dominated by Liberal and former Liberal members.