Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-10-31 Daily Xml

Contents

Personal Explanation

Statutes Amendment (Attorney-General's Portfolio) (No 2) Bill

The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN (15:31): I seek leave to explain a matter of a personal nature.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN: Last sitting day, I delivered a second reading speech on the Statutes Amendment (Attorney-General's Portfolio) (No. 2) Bill. In my second reading, I read into Hansard a letter from the Bar Association which addressed certain issues in respect of that bill. I subsequently received a letter from the Director of Public Prosecutions dated 26 October 2017, which addresses issues raised in the Bar Association letter.

The DPP disagrees with the propositions in the Bar Association letter. I will not read out the correspondence, but the DPP sets out in his letter that the Bar Association correspondence contains 'a number of inaccurate claims that are damaging to the reputation of my Office and my staff'. My reading into Hansard during the urgent debate was for the purpose of informing members of the strong views of the Bar Association. Members would know that I received that letter on that morning. I wish to advise the chamber that I hold the Director of Public Prosecutions, his office and staff in the highest regard.