Politics
Green crows on crisis
Sue Neales, The Mercury
DEPUTY Premier Bryan Green says the political crisis over his secret $2.3 million deal with the Tasmanian Compliance Corporation has heightened his electoral appeal. Still embroiled in defending his bungling of the “Labor mates deal”, Mr Green told State Parliament yesterday he believed he had always “acted appropriately” as a minister.
ABC Online: Green sidesteps TCC deal questions
What the Greens reckon …
Kim Booth
Tuesday, 11 JULY 2006
TCC SCANDAL GROWS:
As Deputy Premier Refuses To Rule Out Exclusivity Clause being Removed on Departmental Advice but Reinserted on Ministerial Office Request
The Tasmanian Greens today continued to pursue further details surrounding Labor’s ill-fated agreement with the Tasmanian Compliance Corporation, by zeroing in on whether the exclusivity clause in the Service Level Agreement had been removed and then reinserted upon request by the TCC despite the Minister’s office receiving departmental advice that such a provision was unacceptable.
Greens Shadow spokesperson on Building Matters, Kim Booth MHA, questioned the Deputy Premier, Bryan Green, whether discussions occurred in February this year, apparently involving his office, departmental advisors and TCC representatives, over the inclusion of clause 9 which sought to provide the TCC with exclusivity under the Service Level Agreement.
Mr Booth also said that the Deputy Premier’s refusal to rule out that his office had received advice to remove the exclusivity clause which was then ignored, indicates that the concerns raised have substance.
“I asked the Deputy Premier today whether he could confirm that in February this year, possibly just days before he signed the Service Level Agreement, that his office received departmental advice that the exclusivity clause number nine was unacceptable, but that his office then instructed the department to redraft the agreement reinstating that clause,” Mr Booth said.
“It is very telling that despite refusing twice to answer my question, Mr Green did not refute the allegations and nor did he rule out that his office had been advised to abandon the exclusivity clause but over-rode that advice.”
“The Deputy Premier’s refusal to answer now appears to be an admission by default.”
“It is the Greens’ understanding that in February this year, senior departmental staff advised Minister Green’s office that clause nine, which grants exclusivity to the TCC with compensation provisions, was unacceptable and prepared a document for signing with this clause deleted – but the Minister refused to confirm or deny this when put to him today.”
“Further it is our understanding that after the intervention from a TCC representative, Minister Green’s Office then issued instructions for the department to re-draft the Service Level Agreement restoring clause nine – once again the Minister refused to conform or deny this when put to him today.”
“I also requested that Minister Green inform the House of the dates when these discussions and alterations to the Service Level Agreement over clause nine took place, which he ignored.”
“Similarly Minister Green’s silence was deafening when it was put to him that the Service Level Agreement was not meant to see the light of day unless there was a change of government, hence its hasty signing just before the state election.”
“Bryan Green’s refusal to answer these specific questions over the detail as to how the contentious exclusivity clause came about and at whose behest, has just confirmed everyone’s suspicions that the TCC scandal is not over, and that the Minister has not fully informed the Parliament on this matter.”
“The challenge to Minister Green is simple: either confirm that the sequence of events I outlined to the Parliament is accurate, or rule out that his office demanded that the exclusivity provision, clause nine, was to be reinstated after receiving departmental advice that it was unacceptable,” Mr Booth said.