Legislative Assembly Hansard 1984
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Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly TUESDAY, 9 OCTOBER 1984 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy 1118 9 October 1984 Ministerial Statements TUESDAY, 9 OCTOBER 1984 Mr SPEAKER (Hon. J. H. Warner, Toowoomba South) read prayers and took the chair at 11 a.m. OVERTIME PAID IN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS Return to Order The following paper was laid on the table- Return to an Order made by the House on 28 August last, on the motion of Mr Menzel, showing the amount of overtime paid in each Grovemment department (all funds) in 1983-84. PAPERS The following paper was laid on the table, and ordered to be printed— Report of the Queensland Museum for the year ended 30 June 1984. The following papers were laid on the table— Orders in Council under— City of Brisbane Act 1924-1984 and the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982 Industrial Development Act 1963-1981 Water Act 1926-1983 and the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982 Harbours Act 1955-1982 Regulations under— Electricity Act 1976-1982 Traffic Act 1949-1982 By-laws under— Harbours Act 1955-1982 Harbours Act 1955-1982 and the Port of Brisbane Authority Act 1976-1982 Notification under the Electricity Act 1976-1982 Reports— Greyhound Racing Control Board of Queensland for the year ended 30 June 1984 Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations for the year ended 30 June 1984. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS Alleged Impropriety of Minister for Water Resources and Maritime Services Hon. J. P. GOLEBY (Redlands—Minister for Water Resources and Maritime Services) (11.4 a.m.), by leave: During the past two to three weeks I have been subjected to a smear campaign in this House and, as a result, in some sections of the media. Even though not one solid fact has been produced, the smear by innuendo has continued. As a Cabinet Minister, I have been accused of intervening in a Fraud Squad investigation. 1 have already denied that allegation; I again deny it. The honourable member for Chatsworth (Mr Mackenroth) has launched a vicious campaign. He has put together several completely unrelated facts and has tried to make something very sinister out of them. Ministerial Statements 9 October 1984 1119 Official police records show that Detective Mahony was relieved of his duties in connection with the Bargara land investigations on 27 October 1982. Statements made in this House by the Minister for Lands, Forestry and Police have verified that. It was the then Acting Detective Inspector John Huey who recommended that action. I did not enter Cabinet until 6 December 1982. Therefore, I could not have used any ministerial influence, if there is such a thing, to have Detective Mahony taken off the case. I will give Mr Mackenroth his due. He will try anything. He even missed a day's sitting of this House on 2 October to fly to Melbourne, at tax-payers' expense, to secure a statutory declaration. He hoped that it would be evidence against me. It tumed out to be irrelevant; but fitted in well with his campaign by innuendo, so he used it. Mr Mackenroth has used a fight between two solicitors, a fight between a father and son, and the concern of some investors that they might lose money to try to implicate me in some alleged underhand land dealings. To try to prove his case, Mr Mackenroth has used the alleged word of a person whom he has described, in this Parliament, as a "con man, a charlatan, and an embezzler" His informants have described the same man as a "name-dropper" I do not know whether any of those descriptions are accurate. I do not know the man well enough to even give an opinion. As 1 have said inside and outside this House, I have met Mr Luton. I have met thousands of people whilst I have been a member of Parliament. I even receive deputations from, and attend functions with, members of the Labor Party. It is a wonder that Mr Mackenroth has not condemned me for doing that, too. It is tme that police have spoken to me about Mr Luton but, unfortunately, I have not been able to help them very much. I think it was in about June or July last year that my office received a telephone call from a senior police officer, requesting an appointment with me for two senior officers. From memory I think the name of one of them was Dwyer. The senior officer indicated to my staff that they wanted information about a so-called knighthood which Mr Luton claimed to have received. I was led to believe that the police thought that, because I had attended special functions associated with Mr Luton's church, I may have been able to help them with their inquiries. However, as I had no details of Mr Luton's so-called knighthood, my staff rang Mr Luton and asked for details about the citation. I am told that Luton delivered the information to my office. I am also told that he spoke with police officers at that time. As I was not involved with, or interested in, Mr Luton's affairs, I have only vague recollections of my discussions with the police. I do not have any knowledge of what information Mr Luton supplied to them. I have had no further contact with the police regarding their investigations. The Minister for Lands, Forestry and Police may be in a position to advise the House whether the investigation has been completed or is still proceeding. As you can see, Mr Speaker, the whole campaign has been built up on innuendo. I have been told that Mr Luton has either had discussions with, or attended functions with, the former Leader of the Opposition (Mr Wright) and the new Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Mr Burns). However, I would not expect either of those two gentiemen to remember those occasions. I certainly do not remember everyone I have met or complete details about them. As I said right at the beginning, this whole affair has been put together by the honourable member's taking bits and pieces of unrelated information and trying to make something sinister out of them. To prove just how sincere Mr Mackenroth is. Let us look at what he had to say to John Barton on "Today Tonight" on 19 September— "Mr BARTON: 'Well, you believe him (Luton) don't you? You believe what he said?' 1120 9 October 1984 Ministerial Statements Mr MACKENROTH: 'I haven't said that I believe him'." Later in the interview Mr Mackenroth said— "Well, I never made the allegations. I raised this very serious allegation that's been made to me after I checked it out and was able to at least verify portions of that statement and the portions that I could verify were tme." This issue could very well go down as a Claytons allegation—the allegation Mr Mackenroth makes when he's not making an allegation. Finally, let me say, if only for Mr Mackenroth's sake, that I have never intervened, as a Minister or as a member of Parliament, in any land fraud investigations involving Mr Luton or anyone else. I have never applied pressure anywhere to have Detective Mahony taken off any investigations. I have never made formal representations on Mr Luton's behalf I have never done business with Mr Luton. I have nothing more to say on this matter. However, I have no doubt that Mr Mackenroth's mouth is still in gear. "Motormouth Muckenroth" will not be able to help himself Opening of Cape Tribulation to Bloomfield Road Hon. M. J. TENNI (Barron River—Minister for Enviroment, Valuation and Administrative Services) (11.10 a.m.), by leave: Contrary to those two so-called experts on road-building in far-north Queensland, Dr Aila Keto of the Rainforest Conservation Society of Queensland and Mr Ray McKendrick of the Wilderness Society of Queensland, the opening of the Cape Tribulation to Bloomfield Road on Sunday was an outstanding success. Approximately 100 four-wheel-drive vehicles, six small buses, five conventional cars and a campervan completed the historic cavalcade to Bloomfield without incident. The cavalcade, which was witnessed by some 1 000 people at Cape Tribulation and 800 people at Bloomfield, was officially welcomed at the road's northern end by members of the Cook Shire Council and the Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Community Council. The completion of this missing link in the coastal road to Cooktown has broken the isolation gap felt by hundreds of families in Bloomfield, Rossville, Helenvale and Cooktown. The new road will markedly improve police, defence, emergency, community services and ranger access to one of the most inaccessible stretches of coastline in Queensland. These benefits mean very little to the likes of Dr Keto and Mr McKendrick, who have waged a deliberate distortion campaign over the last two days, claiming that 50 or more vehicles, including the official party, and 30 elderly people in buses were left bogged on the road after a downpour of some 39 mm of rain. Such downright lies and distortions were given good press by some sections of the media, who, I might add, declined an invitation to attend Sunday's official opening ceremony. Mr SPEAKER: Order! I point out to the Minister that this is not really a personal explanation. Mr TENNI: It is a ministerial statement. Mr SPEAKER: Order! I thought that the Minister asked for leave to make a personal explanation. Mr TENNI: No. Mr COMBEN: I rise to a point of order. Apparently this has now been changed to a ministerial statement.