Ms O’CONNOR question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
Did you or your DPAC secretary, Jenny Gale, or any member of your staff, ask Commissioner Bolt to write a second letter last Friday, that allowed you to breach committee rules and trust and politicise and weaponise the Workplace Culture Review as you have today?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for the question. I stood up today out of concern –
Opposition members interjecting.
Ms O’CONNOR – Point of order, Standing Order 45, relevance. Mr Speaker, you have frequently guided us to keep the questions short and to the point. It was just a question.
Dr Woodruff – A yes, or no answer.
Ms O’CONNOR – A yes, or no; because we will find out.
Mr SPEAKER – Ms O’Connor, the question has been put to the Premier and I will allow the Premier to answer with enough time to do so.
Mr ROCKLIFF – The Equal Opportunity Commissioner, the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, can make these choices herself, in terms of letters she writes; and of course I have permission to read the letter today, which I have quoted, I have tabled in openness and transparency, in the best interests of –
Ms O’CONNOR – Point of order, Mr Speaker, there is only one question here and the Premier is clearly trying to avoid it: did he, or his DPAC secretary, or his staff ask Commissioner Bolt for a second letter?
Mr SPEAKER – Ms O’Connor, you have already put the question and I will allow the Premier to answer it.
Ms O’Connor – Will he?
Mr ROCKLIFF – I cannot speak for anyone else, Mr Speaker, but, clearly, the commissioner is concerned. That is why I have detailed the letter today, because of the content within it. As head of the public service, as Premier of Tasmania, I –
Ms O’CONNOR – Mr Speaker, I implore you to bring the Premier to the question, under Standing Order 45 on relevance.
Mr SPEAKER – Ms O’Connor, that is the third time in two and a half minutes that you have raised points of order. I will allow the Premier the appropriate amount of time. I cannot put words into the Premier’s mouth. I can only remind him of the relevance of Standing Order 45, and I will allow him to continue.
Any decision of the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner to write a letter is a decision of hers alone.
