Rodney breaks cover

This one just won’t conveniently go away ….

Stoush over former Tas tourism minister continues

And Hag watched fascinated as The Man At The Centre, Our Rodney Scott – formerly a Leader of the Fourth Estate (The Examiner Editor), now Rough Red’s* Chief of Staff strode purposefully across the carpark of Parliament House yesterday, grin – was it confident, was it smug, was it masking indifference – firmly affixed.

In pursuit, the Newshound Pack, desperate to get from the horse’s mouth the answer to this persistent question:

Did you give Ken Bacon certain advice before Ken stutteringly fronted the GBE hearings?

Earlier: Pale Machiavelli grows ever darker

And,

Another barking hound pursued the matter in Parliament:

Media Release
MICHAEL HODGMAN, QC MHA
Her Majesty’s Shadow Attorney General
Wednesday May 18, 2005

Premier kidding himself if he thinks witness tampering allegations will go away if he keeps saying nothing

No amount of stonewalling by the Premier will get him out of the dire trouble he is in over allegations that someone acting on his behalf instructed former Tourism Minister Ken Bacon to withhold information from a Parliamentary Scrutiny committee hearing.

Shadow Attorney General Michael Hodgman QC today condemned the Premier for again refusing to provide answers to the most basic questions surrounding the very serious allegations that amount to tampering with a witness.

Mr Hodgman today revealed that not only was Mr Bacon sticking to his claims that he was instructed not to say anything about Spirit III at GBE committee hearings, and to leave these to Nick Evers and Peter Simmons, but also that there was a witness to this event.

Mr Hodgman said Mr Bacon’s former chief adviser, Michael Roberts, was in the Premier’s office with Mr Bacon when the Premier’s chief of staff Rod Scott allegedly gave these instructions.

Mr Hodgman said the extent of the Premier’s arrogance was revealed in State Parliament when he refused to even confirm this basic fact.

He said this matter would not go away, because the charges went to the most grave contempt of Parliament, over which the Premier knows he may well be forced to resign.

“This arrogant and incompetent Premier seems to be of the view that if he says nothing, this matter will go away.

“Well he could not be more wrong.

“This Premier has a duty to be honest to the Tasmanian people about whether his chief of staff, acting on his behalf, instructed a witness to a Parliamentary Committee hearing to withhold evidence from that committee.

“He cannot attempt to bluster and bluff his way out of it because the State Liberals will continue to seek answers to this affair until the truth is known.”

However, Mr Hodgman said it was already damning of the Premier that he had not even asked Mr Bacon to retract his comments (which he would do if he believed they were false, such is the seriousness of the charge), nor had he categorically ruled out what Mr Bacon has had to say.

“I cannot overstate the gravity of this matter and the Premier is kidding himself if he thinks by saying nothing he is going to make it go away.

“Mr Bacon is sticking by his allegations and we will be considering all options to get to the bottom of them because they are so serious they could bring about the resignation of the Premier.”

Curiouser and curiouser.

*Hag is being awfully cruel to Red: he is making bold attempts to remake his image into that of the smooth, urbane, mid-age sophisticate: Stylists love the new ‘do

Now, gentle readers, some suggestions. Who does Smooth Red now remind you of? Wayne Newton in mid-evening croon, Boris Yeltsin before lunch, George Galloway before the US Senate …

Earlier:

Pale Machiavelli grows ever darker

Stop Press: Rene revs it up:

Media Release

RENE HIDDING, MHA
Leader of the State Opposition
Thursday May 19, 2005

Premier was present at Ken Bacon meeting: witness tampering affair takes a major turn for the worse for Paul Lennon

The Premier was present at the infamous meeting where Ken Bacon was told not to answer questions relating to Spirit III at GBE committee hearings.

The State Liberals now also believe that the Premier also personally instructed Mr Bacon not to answer questions about Spirit III, but to leave this to Peter Simmons and Nick Evers an instruction repeated by the Premier’s chief of staff, Rod Scott.

At this meeting on the afternoon of February 28, Mr Scott also told Mr Bacon that: “as a Minister, you are not entitled to have an opinion.”

None of these allegations, revealed by the State Liberals, were denied by the Premier in State Parliament this morning.

Nor was the allegation that Mr Scott, acting on the Premier’s instructions, rang Mr Bacon’s office on the same day, asking a member of Mr Bacon’s staff whether his Minister wanted to be in Cabinet.

Opposition Leader Rene Hidding said the revelations, which were not disputed by the Premier, represented a scandal for the State Labor Government, which could force the resignation of the Premier.
“The witness tampering affair has today taken a very serious turn for the worse as far as the Premier is concerned,” Mr Hidding said.

“We now know that not only did a person acting on the Premier’s behalf advise a Minister to deliberately withhold information from a Parliamentary committee hearing, but that the Premier was there, and participated in this shameful affront to democracy,” Mr Hidding said.

“Yet, the Premier is arrogantly, contemptuously and hypocritically refusing to answer even the most basic questions relating to this sordid affair although tellingly, he has refused repeated opportunities to deny them.”

Mr Hidding said it was disgusting that the Premier would not even confirm that Ken Bacon was in his office on February 28.

“However, the stink surrounding these witness tampering allegations is getting worse as further details emerge of the meeting between Ken Bacon, Michael Roberts, Paul Lennon and Mr Scott even as the Premier still arrogantly and contemptuously refuses to come clean on any aspect of them.”

Mr Hidding also pointed out the rank hypocrisy of the Premier’s refusal to provide any answers to questions in Question Time, despite claiming to uphold strict standards of Ministerial responsibility.

“In the House of Assembly, on March 17, Mr Lennon said:

“It is not acceptable to me that any minister not give proper answers at question time…I do expect and demand, indeed, that the appropriate accountability is provided to Parliament by all members of my Government. I will do my level best to make sure that occurs. I give that assurance to the House and I give that assurance to the Tasmanian public…I demand of all my ministers, and indeed of myself, the highest standards of accountability and reporting to Parliament.”

“Paul Lennon has shown that he is a complete fraud when it comes to Ministerial standards he cannot even uphold the standards he supposedly lays down for his colleagues,” Mr Hidding said.

“Premier Paul Lennon is clearly avoiding answering questions in a desperate attempt to save his own skin because he knows he could be forced to resign if the witness tampering allegations are proved.

“He foolishly thinks that if he keeps saying nothing, the allegations will go away.

“But in doing so he is not only wrong, he is demonstrating outrageous arrogance, hypocrisy and contempt for Parliament.”

Mr Hidding said the State Liberals were considering all options to get to the bottom of the witness tampering allegations and would not let the matter rest until Paul Lennon came clean.

And, what the Greens reckon:

Peg Putt MHA
GREENS OPPOSITION LEADER

Thursday, 19 May 2005
LENNON’S FAILURE TO DENY MEETING CONDEMNS HIM
Ministerial Accountability Issue Will Dog Him

The Tasmanian Greens today have criticised the Premier’s continued stonewalling over the Ken Bacon matter as he again failed to confirm or deny whether a meeting took place between himself, his senior advisor, the former Tourism Minister and his senior advisor prior to the TT Line Estimates Committee, or whether the instruction for the Minister to avoid answering questions was given.

Greens Opposition Leader Peg Putt MHA believes that the Premier’s consistent refusal to deny that the events took place leads to the conclusion that they did occur, and that the Premier is attempting to tough out his undermining of Ministerial accountability to Parliament.

“The serious matter of the Premier’s undermining of Ministerial accountability will not go away for so long as he refuses to deny that the meeting took place between himself, Minister Bacon and their senior advisors prior to TT Line Estimates hearing,” Ms Putt said.

“It is obvious from the Premier’s demeanour and his continued attempts to stonewall the matter that there is substance to the claims that he is responsible for forcing Ken Bacon to avoid answering questions.”
“It is a serious matter to undermine Ministerial accountability to Parliament and the whiff of scandal around the Premier will not go away.”

“Obviously the Premier is unable to deny the truth of the accusations,” Ms Putt said.

Ms Putt further pursued this important matter of Ministerial accountability by raising the issue as a Matter of Public Importance for Parliamentary debate this morning, in which the Premier did not take the opportunity to participate.