Thursday 29 November 2018 The Speaker, Ms Hickey, took the Chair at 10 a.m., acknowledged the Traditional People and read Prayers. RECOGNITION OF VISITORS Madam SPEAKER - Honourable members, I am very pleased to introduce everyone in the parliament to the grade 5 and 6 students from Sacred Heart College Catholic School from Ulverstone. It is important to note that this is Mrs Broad's class. Mrs Broad is the wife of our dear Dr Broad. Welcome to parliament, I hope you enjoy it. Members - Hear, hear. QUESTIONS Mr Adam Brooks MP - Integrity Commission Report - Legal Costs Ms WHITE question to PREMIER, Mr HODGMAN [10.04 a.m.] Despite what you say is a golden age, thousands of Tasmanians are struggling to pay the rent, to put food on the table and are facing a bleak Christmas. Yet, taxpayers handed over almost $60 000 to allow millionaire Adam Brooks to lie and to cheat and to bury evidence. Despite Mr Brooks moments ago saying he will pay it back, that $60 000 is more than the average wage of a worker in Braddon who trusted Adam Brooks to represent them. How did you possibly allow this to happen in the first place? ANSWER Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader for the question. I advised the House last evening that the Government had taken advice on this matter. We have received advice from the Solicitor-General about the indemnity that is provided to ministers, when, in the exercise of their duties, they are acting in good faith and entitled, by convention in parliaments across the world, to be indemnified for circumstance in which legal costs are incurred. In this matter, a payment was made two months ago, prior to the Integrity Commission making its final report, a copy of which was received this week and tabled in this parliament this week. Ms O'Byrne - A draft of which you had a month ago. When did you receive the draft of it? Madam SPEAKER - Order, please. Mr HODGMAN - As I advised the House yesterday, in addition to the advice we had received about such matters it was further my intention to review all of Mr Brooks' costs submitted to Government. That was my intention. As has been foreshadowed by the Leader of the Opposition in her question, Mr Brooks will pay all his legal costs incurred in relation to this matter. There will be no cost to the Tasmanian public. I would not have the Tasmanian public have anything other 1 29 November 2018 than the best outcome for it. In this instance the best outcome is for Mr Brooks to pay his legal fees with respect to this matter. Mr Adam Brooks MP - Integrity Commission Report - Legal Costs Ms WHITE question to PREMIER, Mr HODGMAN [10.06 a.m.] You originally forced taxpayers to pay millionaire, Adam Brooks' bills. Yesterday, when you were asked about money paid to this deeply deceitful and dishonest man, you claimed you did not know and delayed giving an answer until a time when you hoped the media would not be watching. Do you expect us to believe that $60 000 worth of taxpayer money was gifted to Mr Brooks two months ago and you did not know about it? ANSWER Madam Speaker, yesterday in response to the question from the Leader of the Opposition I said I would take advice on that matter, including how much had been paid. As is often the case, we want to put facts on the table and that is precisely what we did. The Tasmanian taxpayer will not pay one single cent for Mr Brooks' fees. Mr Adam Brooks MP - Integrity Commission Report - Legal Costs Ms O'CONNOR question to PREMIER, Mr HODGMAN [10.07 a.m.] Can you explain who made the decision to pay the legal costs of a member who is a serial liar and who has brought disrepute on the institution of parliament? Who made the decision and on what basis was it decided that one of this place's wealthiest members, one of whose eight properties is currently on the market for $2.7 million, should have his legal fees for being a serial liar covered by the taxpayer? Mr HIDDING - Point of order, Madam Speaker. Can I ask you, Madam Speaker, to consider the unparliamentary use of the word 'liar'? Speakers have always ruled that it is unparliamentary unless it is in a substantive debate. Yesterday we had a substantive debate and the word was used a thousand times. The whole question has now been sent to a body of the House, the Privileges Committee, and we are now not on the substantive matter. I propose we go back to the standard position which is the use of the word 'liar' is unparliamentary in this circumstance. Madam SPEAKER - I will uphold your point of order on the basis that the use of the word 'liar' is very unparliamentary. Whilst it has been bandied around a lot this week, I request a bit of temperance in the language and respect for the health of Mr Brooks. I will uphold it in this instance and we all need to be little more cautious about the language we use. Ms O'CONNOR - Madam Speaker, on the point of order, I will restate in safer terms for the parliament: who made the decision, Premier, and on what basis, to pay Mr Brooks' legal fees? 2 29 November 2018 ANSWER Madam Speaker, I thank the member for the question. As I have advised the House, the decision made by Government was on the basis of a convention that where a minister acts in good faith, he or she may be entitled to seek indemnity for legal costs incurred. That decision was made prior to the release and tabling of the Integrity Commission report which occurred only this week. Mr Brooks will pay for all legal costs he incurred as a consequence of this investigation. Mr Adam Brooks MP - Integrity Commission Report - Legal Costs Ms WHITE question to PREMIER, Mr HODGMAN [10.10 a.m.] Tasmanians deserve answers as to how it is possible that a millionaire lied to parliament, lied to the people of Tasmania and lied to your face, and then received a $60 000 payment from taxpayers. This goes to the warped priorities of your Government and your entitled 'born to rule' attitude. On what date was the decision made to indemnify Mr Brooks? Did it go to Cabinet and did you authorise the payment? ANSWER Madam Speaker, I repeat the answer I have previously given, which answers that question. The decision was made by Government. There will be no payment to Mr Brooks. He will pay for all his legal fees. Plans for Tasmania Mr HIDDING question to PREMIER, Mr HODGMAN [10.12 a.m.] Can the Premier update the House on how the Hodgman majority Liberal Government has delivered on our plans since the election earlier this year? Ms O'Byrne - How could he possibly know? He doesn't know what happened in Cabinet. He doesn't know if he paid $60 000. How could he possibly know anything? How can we believe a single word you say? Madam SPEAKER - Order, Ms O'Byrne - warning number one. ANSWER Madam Speaker, what I do know is that Tasmania's economy has never been stronger. There are more Tasmanians employed than ever before. Business confidence in our state is at its highest level ever and the highest in the nation. There are many more opportunities for Tasmanians as a result not only of the enterprise and endeavour of Tasmania's business sector and our industry base but also the strong policies that have been implemented by this Government that we delivered in the last four years of a first-term majority Liberal government and are now delivering in the second term. 3 29 November 2018 As we conclude this year, I reflect on the fact that we have been a productive government in getting legislation through this place. We have been working constructively with all those who want to see our state continue to head in the right direction. That does not include opposition parties who try to obstruct this progress. We have been delivering on the commitments we made and took to the election. We have detailed those and updated our progress with reports that are publicly released. We often release updates on our agenda and we are adding to our agenda. In addition to the election commitments we are delivering, we are also doing more to invest in essential services such as in our hospital system that is under increased strain. Where we can, we will do more, and we have. We have an opposition party who, when they demand more of us and we do it, they complain about it. We are also investing more into our education system. It is a fact there are more Tasmanian students now going through their schooling and being able to do so in regional communities to give them the best shot in life. That is a result of the policy we took into the last election and started implementing in our first-term agenda and it is delivering results. Mr O'Byrne - Come on, Peter, help him out. That's right, help him out. Madam SPEAKER - Order, Mr O'Byrne - warning number one. Mr HODGMAN - It is a policy that has been opposed by the Labor Party every step of the way, but it means more Tasmanian students getting the education they need. Opposition and Greens members interjecting.