The Premier’s family

7ZR Mornings, 08:35am, 20 February 2006

Tim Cox: I will be asking Rene Hidding about that tomorrow, obviously. With the announcement on Friday and following that you took questions from the media … One of the things that struck me as interesting was your admission that you made mistakes and of course we have all made mistakes. You said you have made mistakes, you try and learn from them and move on. Was accepting the upgrade at the Crown casino in Melbourne, just before the Belfair announcement, a mistake in your view? Can you say that now?

Paul Lennon: Well in hindsight Tim I would probably say to you that I wish I had not gone to Melbourne, but, you know, I mean, that, that was, that whole coverage of that affair was, as you I think would acknowledge yourself, largely an exaggeration. I mean I did not know what room I was going to be placed in at the Crown Towers until I was taken there by the staff after I arrived and as the others have admitted, I mean, political leaders are upgraded at hotels on a not irregular basis and, you know, I found it unfortunate, the way in which the story was made public by The Herald-Sun …

Tim Cox: It was also made public by The Mercury.

Paul Lennon: Well The Mercury took the Herald-Sun article, 100 per cent Tim, I mean, so, you know, the placement of the bottle of champagne on, I mean, I do not drink champagne, so I do not know why that was there, etcetera etcetera. So, look, you know, as a … I am a human being, you know, I am a member of the Tasmanian community, I am not, you know, some sort of robot that you can program never to make a mistake, of course I make mistakes. I try to learn from them and I have tried to do my very best for the people of Tasmania. I was thrust into the position of Premier during very difficult circumstances, a highly emotional time for myself. I was expected to take over the role as Premier, to take over the role as Treasurer, to bring down a budget within weeks of taking over, you know, it was a very emotional and stressful time for myself and for my whole family and I am through all that and, you know, I think a reasonable judgment by the Tasmanian people is that I have delivered on what I promised to do two years ago and that is to keep the economic momentum of Tasmania going, to complete the task of getting the budget back in the black, to position Tasmania for a very strong and stable future. But, you know, we live in a thriving democracy here and no-one could be more happier than me about that fact. So it is time for the Tasmanian people to decide, do they want to come forward with Labor with a stable majority Labor Government, I think everybody in Tasmania agrees that only Labor can win a majority on March the 18th, or do the Tasmanian people want to turn back, back to minority Government and all the problems and risks that that brings.

Tim Cox:: Okay. People will of course ultimately judge you on your performance as Premier and Treasurer and as leader of this Government, rather than whether or not the upgrade was appropriate or not. But would it be fair to say Premier that with the sort of coverage that got, the sort of discussion it sparked, that you would perhaps be more circumspect in accepting an upgrade in a second term?

Paul Lennon: Well Tim, obviously …

Tim Cox: You talk about learning from your mistakes.

Paul Lennon: … Yes,yes, yes, well, obviously Tim, I mean, it would have been far better if they had not have put me in the room that they did. I did not ask for it, it is not the sort of thing that I do, I mean, people that know me know that I do not ask for those sorts of things. I think, you know, people have been out who operate in a hotel environment since and have said that, you know, staff are advised by senior management to do that sort of thing when their political leaders arrive to have accommodation. Now, you know, I certainly hope that those sorts of events do not occur again in the future, of course they do, I mean, it was embarrassing for me, the way in which the story was covered, there cannot be any doubt about that. But I think what followed Tim was unfortunate as well. I do not think that I, my family, deserved what followed and that was the trespassing on my property by some members of the media, so …

Tim Cox: By The Mercury. Name The Mercury …

Paul Lennon: Well yes, well, The Mercury and I just think, I mean, to me, you have got to ask yourself this question, why was it that the Murdoch Press all over Australia were so fascinated with this, after all, you know, I would guarantee that the Prime Minister would have been given far more attention than I, you know, a state Premier of the smallest state in Australia, had he arrived at a hotel like Crown Towers to stay in a room. So report the matter for sure, but to give it … to give it three pages of coverage all over Australia, I mean, you have got to ask yourself what was going on.

Tim Cox:< Well the Prime Minister was not granting a Betfair license to anyone was he and I suppose that is why. But what would it be then with the Murdoch press, what is the issue there? Paul Lennon: Well of course they are, they are …

Tim Cox: I mean, they gunned for Richard Butler, didn’t they?

Paul Lennon: … well The Herald-Sun and The Daily Telegraph of course are the papers that have the contracts for the racing form guides with the established racing industry and I said at the time that there were vested interests after Tasmania. Let’s get this straight as well Tim, I did not grant Belfair a licence, the Tasmanian Parliament passed legislation which allowed for a license to be granted and it passed legislation with the unanimous support of the Legislative Council. It had nothing whatsoever to do with myself.

Tim Cox: But you, but you led the negotiations.

Paul Lennon: No, what I did was introduce the legislation into Parliament. The Parliament of Tasmania decided whether or not the legislation should be amended to allow for betting exchanges to be licensed in Tasmania and in doing so we created another 150 jobs for Tasmanians. There are 32,000 new jobs in Tasmania today, compared with when we took office back in 1998. there is 32,000 people who would not be enjoying a better quality of life and standard of living had it not been for us.

Tim Cox: Absolutely, but are you stepping away from your role in attracting Betfair to Tasmania?

Paul Lennon: No I am not, I am simply pointing out that getting Betfair to Tasmania has been a good decision for us because it has created more jobs. I mean the responsibility of the Government Tim is not to avoid business, but to work with business to grow the Tasmanian economy. You cannot have 32,000 new jobs if you will not or cannot talk to business, yet it seems to me that the Liberals are now campaigning on a platform that says that Government should not talk to business, well that is ridiculous. All that will do is send Tasmania back to where we have come from, you know, back to the worst performing economy in Australia, back to a position where families have to pack their bags and move interstate in the hope that they can have a better life. I do not want to see a Tasmania like that and I do not believe that the Tasmanian people want it either.

Tim Cox: Can you tell us Paul Lennon about this smear campaign that is obviously filling the void before policies start to fill the election campaign. We have had the business about your brother and are you absolutely certain that the Auditor-General’s investigation will completely exonerate both you and your brother John?

Paul Lennon: Well I am looking forward to the Auditor-General’s report Tim.

Tim Cox: Will those findings be revealed before polling day?

Paul Lennon: Well that is a matter for the Auditor-General, he acts completely independently from the Government of the day, whether it is a Labor Government or some other form of Government. He is the master of his own destiny, no Government can interfere with the independence of the Auditor-General and that is exactly as it should be.

Tim Cox: Is it your hope though, that they will be out before polling day, that people will see that there is nothing untoward before we vote?

Paul Lennon:LENNON: Absolutely. My brother is a partner in a very small business, which has done work for Government Departments, dating way back to before when Labor came to office, you know, so he is entitled to earn a living in Tasmania. I have no influence whatsoever over any of the work that he has done for Government Departments, for Local Government, for anybody else in Tasmania, or elsewhere. The disappointing part about all this Tim has been the continued refusal by the media to print both sides of the story. Now this story all broke in The Australian and The Australian was provided with information concerning how these consultancies were awarded and they refused to print it on the very first day and they still have not printed it. So I think before this episode is concluded, there will be a lot more answers required yet of what went on behind the scenes, before this story was made public. I thought Tim Morris made a very revealing statement in an interview with yourself Tim, I think it was last week, when he said that he first got his head together on this matter with Mr Denholm, of The Australian, in October of last year. Well, you know, what went on them? What is all that about and you see there has been no proper explanation yet of all that, you know, Carmel Torenius the Mayor of Sorell, who was a Liberal candidate in the last state election, had it recorded in the minutes indeed at the Sorell Council that it was her idea that my brother’s small company, in which he has a partnership in, should be offered work there because, I think she said they had done a great job on the Midway Point causeway. So, you know, he is entitled, surely, along with his business partners, to make a living in Tasmania. I do not want to be a part of a Tasmania that says my family is not entitled to live and work in Tasmania. I come from a very big family, I’ve got three brothers and three sisters and so I imagine there will be more of it yet Tim. My brother, I have another brother that works for the Hydro, my wife works for the Health Department as does my daughter and I have another daughter that works in Paula Wriedt’s office. I mean all these things have been trotted out publicly before and I do not believe that my family should have to put up with this. The people of Tasmania want to hear from their politicians, at this time in particular, about their visions and plans for the future of Tasmania and of course I think that a lot of what has happened so far is because neither the Liberals and the Greens want to talk about the economy, you know, and that is what it is about. It is about the quality of life and standard of living that the political leaders who are standing for office in this election offer for the wider Tasmanian community.

Tim Cox: You were asked yesterday of course Mr Lennon about the renovations on your house, I mean, as much as anything it is going to be about perceptions isn’t it? You would be well aware of that, having had such a long career in public life. But what will you be doing and you are going to have to go on the front foot with it, what will you be doing to get rid of some of those perceptions that seem to be persisting?

Paul Lennon: Well Tim, here is a perception created by some propaganda, organised by a media person. You see, Mr Tuffin, who I understand is an assistant editor with The Mercury, runs a dubious website. Now he puts up some propaganda on his website and then other sections of the media take it as some sort of fact. Now, you know, I cannot deal with it, I have no opportunity whatsoever to defend myself against that sort of behaviour. Now, yes I have had some renovations done at my house, what is wrong with that? Of course I am entitled, along with my family, to buy a home and to enter into proper commercial arrangements to have renovations done. Now, all of a sudden, people are questioning that. Well, the questions in fact are coming because of propaganda, put up on a dubious website, by Mr Tuffin who I understand is an assistant editor at The Mercury.

Tim Cox: Well am not questioning the negotiation, of course you, as do we all, has the right to have that sort of work carried out. But what I am putting to you Premier is the perception that is getting out there, what will you be doing to take the sting out of it?

Paul Lennon: Well am not sure what I can and have to do Tim. I mean, The Mercury asked me about the renovations at my house months ago and the same reporter asked me the same questions yesterday, following propaganda put up on a dubious website by another employee of The Mercury. So I am not quite sure how I can respond to those sort of matters, except to say that yes, as everybody is aware because there has been lots of photos taken of my house recently, that we have been doing some renovations there. It is a lovely old home, a historic old home and it is in need of some loving and tender care and that is what I and my wife and family are doing out there, you know, as we can afford it we are restoring the house. Now I imagine it is going to take many years to do that and every spare minute of my time that I have got, I am out there doing a bit, I have built a fence or two and started to landscape the back and I am about to start on the front and some of the work I cannot do myself, so I have had to contract work in.

What the Libs reckon:

Media Release

MICHAEL HODGMAN, QC MHA

Her Majesty’s Shadow Attorney General

Tuesday March 7, 2006

Cloud continues to hang over the Premier who did not disclose

Shadow Attorney General Michael Hodgman said the Premier Paul Lennon remained under a cloud for his special deals for special mates, notwithstanding the Auditor General’s statement today.

Mr Hodgman said the terms of reference for the inquiry appeared to be very narrow.

“While the preliminary findings find no wrong-doing in terms of Paul Lennon actually recommending his brother’s company be awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in government contracts, it does not explain whether he had had any role in influencing these decisions.

“Just because Paul Lennon didn’t directly recommend the use of GVM, it does not mean that he did not act inappropriately and doesn’t absolve him from failing to disclose his potential conflict of interest.

“Mere compliance with the Parliamentary Disclosure of Interests and the members code of conduct is not the same as acting appropriately and providing full disclosure.

“Paul Lennon does not appear to have disclosed anywhere that his brother ran a company benefiting from lucrative government contracts, while his Minister Steven Kons does register a similar family interest. Paul Lennon should have, as the Premier of the State, understood the need to be completely upfront about his own family interest.”

Mr Hodgman said the Premier had a reputation for special deals for special mates, and the preliminary statement by the Auditor General also did nothing to change the fact that Paul Lennon handed failed former Governor Richard Butler, a Labor mate, a $650,000 golden handshake when he wasn’t entitled to a cent, denied accepting more than $20,000 worth of free hospitality from Crown Casino on the even of handing its owners a $700 million betting licence, that he still has not explained the circumstances in which he secured tens of thousands of free publicity in the Womens Weekly for a puff piece article due out before the election but which has curiously been postponed, has spent more than $1 million putting Labor ministers and backbenchers in lavish offices and has appointed more than 80 special Labor mates to special positions.

Mr Hodgman said that the State Liberal Team’s concerns about the GVM contracts affair only ever centred on the Premier and his lack of disclosure, and GVM should be asking the Premier for an apology for not disclosing his interest in the first place, as Paul Lennon as Premier should have done.

The State Liberal Team is committed to accountability in government and we make no apologies at all for holding Paul Lennon to account in this matter.

“We have never suggested that a relative of the Premier should not be eligible to receive government contracts. Tasmania is a small place and relatives of the Premier should not be disadvantaged compared with other Tasmanians.

“But, equally, relatives of the Premier should NOT receive any special advantages.

“The only person who should apologise is the Premier himself for not fully disclosing this important information in the first place.”

What the Greens reckon:

Media Release
Tim Morris MHA
Lead Candidate for Lyons

Wednesday, 8 March 2006

PREMIER – GVM STILL UNRESOLVED

Questions in Parliament to Premier will be Necessary

The Tasmanian Greens today responded to the Auditor General’s interim statement regarding his inquiry into the Premier and GVM, saying that the statement leaves unanswered questions and has not resolved the issue, which they will now need to pursue with questions in Parliament.

Green Member for Lyons Tim Morris MHA also made public a document released under FOI in relation to a contract awarded by Sorell Council to GVM, which shows the bill for the transport study being directed to the Premier’s senior political advisor, not the relevant government department, and said that as it now transpires that the Auditor General didn’t investigate the Sorell contract he would now refer it to him.

Mr Morris cannot reconcile the Auditor General’s statement with how the Premier could have complied with the Ministerial Code of Conduct, and will await a full report.

Mr Morris is unlikely to apologise, having never accused GVM of wrong doing, nor the Premier of recommending that Government agencies supply contracts to his brother, but rather, having expressed concerns that the Premier had failed to publicly and openly put on the record the relationship trail, as clearly required of him and all Ministers.

‘’There are many unanswered questions around the Auditor General’s interim statement into the Premier and GVM, so as far as I am concerned the issue remains unresolved until I can read the full report and ask the Premier some questions in Parliament,’’ Mr Morris stated.

‘’I simply cannot reconcile the Premier’s failure to put on the public record the fact of his brother’s company being awarded Government contracts, a matter on which the Ministerial Code of Conduct is clear that it is the potential for conflict of interest which must be disclosed, even when all the dealings are above board.’’

‘’Also of concern is that the bill for the Sorell contract undertaken by GVM is shown in an FOI document to have been sent directly to the Premier’s senior political advisor and not the relevant government department, as this is again a bad look.’’

‘’Since the Auditor General appears not to have investigated the Sorell contract I will refer it to him when I return from the West Coast.’’

Earlier: The Premier’s house (6)