• Rene Hidding tries to shift the blame
• Minister wants his own colleagues to rule on his behaviour
• Did the Premier authorise Rene Hidding’s course of action?
Police Minister Rene Hidding is making a farce of a very serious situation by trying to shift the attention onto Independent MLC Ruth Forrest.
Labor Leader Bryan Green said it’s the Minister’s behaviour in question, not Ms Forrest’s.
“We’ve seen an outrageous attempt at deflection from a Minister under severe pressure,” Mr Green said.
“Two weeks after Rene Hidding admitted his behaviour was “unacceptable” and tried to apologise, he’s now changed his story and is accusing Ruth Forrest of making things up.
“The Minister is now claiming there were no threats, no intimidation, no bullying, no harassment and no victimisation – so what did he admit was unacceptable?
“Rene Hidding now wants his own behaviour ruled upon by a parliamentary committee with a majority of Liberal members.
“In the same press conference he claimed that all of his party colleagues backed his course of action.
“You can’t have a situation where the Minister’s behaviour is ruled upon by MPs who have already told him they’re on his side.
“This is a repeat of the Adam Brooks affair where you have the Minister in question choosing his own punishment while the Premier is hands-off.
“And the Minister dodged a question over whether he’s spoken to Will Hodgman about taking “legal action”.
“The Premier’s lack of leadership on this issue has been appalling and now he’s nowhere to be seen.
“Did he authorise Rene Hidding’s course of action today?”
Bryan Green MP Labor Leader
