Ms O'CONNOR question to PREMIER, Mr HODGMAN
Anyone who was in the committee or has watched the footage of last Thursday's Estimates hearing knows your former minister told a series of four deliberate lies to Parliament. The first three -
Madam SPEAKER - Order. I am going to pull the member up. I have just asked the House to be careful of the language they use. If they wish to make allegations they are welcome to. Any member of this House can be the subject of a substantive motion which is a censure motion, but in the language you use otherwise please be careful of allegations you are making. There is an appropriate form to do that over and above question time. I urge members, if they wish to do that, then that is another matter.
Ms O'CONNOR - Thank you, Madam Speaker. Anyone who was in the committee or watched the footage of last Thursday's Estimates hearings knows your former minister told a series of four deliberate untruths to the Parliament. The first three were over company email address; the fourth when he tried to pretend he had misunderstood the question. Mr Brooks knowingly sought to mislead Parliament and therefore the people of Tasmania and his electorate of Braddon.
Premier, why won't you acknowledge the series of blatant untruths told by Mr Brooks or are the standards you set for your ministers' conduct so low that deliberate dishonesty is just considered part of the job?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question and completely repudiate that suggestion whatsoever. I again make it clear that Mr Brooks explained he misunderstood the question. He thought he related to business dealings only. He subsequently corrected the parliamentary record, as is expected and required of members. Of course Erskine May's Parliamentary Practice makes it clear that ministers should correct any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity. He did that, and as a consequence of those matters there arose the risk of a perception of a conflict of interest, a risk and perception that is real and has caused Mr Brooks to resign as a minister.