Ms BURNET question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
Thank you, Speaker, and my question is to the Premier. Have the Liberal Party received any donations from developer Tipalea, any of their associated companies, or any entity or individual associated with them?
The SPEAKER – The question is in line, as it deals with the Government’s engagement with those organisations. It is probably a party matter otherwise, but given the nature of the implications, we will allow it.
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, and I thank the member for Clark for the question. Support for political parties are a matter for the political parties. Support for, and donations, is a matter for the organisation of the parties I lead.
Dr Woodruff – You should know what is going on.
Members interjecting.
Dr Woodruff – You are ramming through a development. We have a right to know whether you are getting money to do it.
Mr ROCKLIFF – What are you talking about, ‘ramming through’? This is the parliament, democracy. Nothing is certain, as we know. That is why we work with the parliament, Dr Woodruff.
Ms Woodruff – We just want to know, have they paid you money or not?
Mr ROCKLIFF – The organisation is in charge of donations and fundraising activities, and I work with the parliamentary Liberal Party, clearly, on policy and other matters. Quite rightly, the organisation is in charge of those matters.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Ms BURNET – A supplementary question, Speaker?
The SPEAKER – I will hear the supplementary question.
Ms BURNET – The Premier has failed to answer a very straightforward question for the Greens. This developer is having their project rammed through the parliament today. Tasmanians deserve to know if there is a quid pro quo. Will you seek the information from your party and provide an answer prior to debate?
The SPEAKER – I will ask the Premier to address that in as far as he can.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I thank the member for the question and the interest in this matter. Our political party, the Liberal Party of Tasmania – like the Labor Party, like the Greens, like the Jacqui Lambie Network – will comply with the law.
Dr Woodruff – We disclose in real time. We will tell the answer to that. Tasmania has a right to know. What is going on? How much money have you been paid?
The SPEAKER – Order.
Dr Woodruff – Pick up the phone. Do it before you ram it through. Be honest, for once.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Alright, I will have to check the records on how quickly you disclosed the $1.6 million donation from Graeme Wood. I will to have to check the records on how quick you were there. Nonetheless, that was a big one. We will comply with the law, as you would expect us to do. On that, and on laws and legislation, the biggest reform made to electoral disclosure reform was from the Liberal Party of Tasmania.
Members interjecting
The SPEAKER – Before calling any further questions, I am now going to apply the Standing Orders appropriately for the rest of Question Time. What I wanted to demonstrate there was that there have been a lot of people getting very annoyed that I am too interventionist, that I am warning members of the opposition, that I am making ministers answer questions, and that I am not letting people interject. It is clearly unworkable when that occurs.
From now on, we are going to do the Standing Orders. I call, with that, Ms Johnston, member for Clark. People will stop interjecting and ministers will answer questions. That is how the rest of the day is going.
