Democracy Tasmania
Mates Plates: Questions for Mr Aird
Lindsay Tuffin
Questions Michael Aird must answer.
1. Did Federal Hotels provide the venue and dinner at no cost?
2. Did Federal Hotels provide the venue and dinner at ‘mates rates’?
3. Can Mr Aird give a guarantee to the Tasmanian people that no-one who attended that dinner will receive preferential treatment from the Tasmanian government?
4. Has Federal Hotels sponsored dinners for any other Labor luminaries?
Premier David Bartlett: “It’s the nature of the Beast. It’s no Big Deal.”
Mercury: Federal Hotels donated a function room at the Henry Jones Art Hotel for the event, which was attended by 12 of the state’s top businessmen. They were developers George Giameos, Robert Rockefeller and Peter Behrakis, Tasmanian Abalone Council president Dean Lisson, contractor Alwyn Shaw, Greg Farrell, Michael Kent, Josef Chromy, Dean Cocker, Steve Old and Brendan Blomeley. Read more here
Examiner: University of Tasmania political analyst Tony McCall said that it was too late for the Treasurer to redeem himself …
… He said that Mr Aird’s behaviour was unacceptable and typical of that of a number of Labor ministers who he said only showed regard for ethics after they “get caught”.
“Every minister in the Labor Government that gets caught is a genius after the event,” he said.
Dr McCall said that a treasurer needed to be particularly prudent.
“If you are the treasurer of a state government you have to be very careful about the way you conduct yourself … everything that he does needs to be seen as squeaky clean. He’s not the minister for smaller portfolio areas … he’s got his hand on the till.
“This is not acceptable behaviour. He can’t fob it off like it’s a chook raffle or a barbecue.”
Earlier:
Airdy’s lovely din-dins