BARTLETT DESPERATION ON SHOW

No Answers to 13 Questions on McCreadie

www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today accused Premier David Bartlett of resorting to desperate tactics to avoid answering serious questions over his failed attempt to appoint Mr Richard McCreadie as Interim Police Commissioner, and whether he has misled the Tasmanian Parliament.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that the Premier’s refusal to answer questions, specifically why he did not inform the Parliament last year when asked that the Acting Commissioner, Darren Hine, had warned of potential problems with the planned appointment, is going to damage David Bartlett’s reputation badly.

“Tasmanians want and deserve a Premier who tells the whole truth, and if David Bartlett is fair dinkum about transparency and restoring people’s faith in democracy then he needs to stop with the weasel words and start with the answers,” Mr McKim said.

“Mr Bartlett’s desperation was evident today when he came in prepared with a songsheet which he repeatedly sung, instead of facing up and answering the specific questions surrounding his behaviour over the aborted plans to reinstate Mr McCreadie as Interim Police Commissioner.”

“Under the Westminster tradition, should a Member of Parliament have misled Parliament there is an expectation that the MP takes the first opportunity to apologise and correct the public record. Thirteen questions were put to David Bartlett on this matter today, yet he failed to take those thirteen opportunities to correct the record.”

“The more Mr Bartlett squirms under the spotlight and refuses to answer, the more people start to question why. This matter will not go away despite Mr Bartlett’s stonewalling.”
Nick McKim MP Greens Leader