Amended Answers to Oral Questions — Question No. 7 to Minister, 11 April

I seek leave to make a personal statement to the House.

💬 SPEAKER: No, the member has got to say in relation to what, and then there’s a question of leave.

In relation to an answer given to the House on 11 April.

💬 SPEAKER: In order to correct an answer—is that what the member means?

In order to correct the record.

💬 SPEAKER: OK. Is there any objection to that? There is objection. [Interruption] No? Well—

Just kidding—just kidding.

💬 SPEAKER: The Hon Damien O’Connor.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I wrote to you on 12 April noting an error in a statement I made to the House on 11 April. Because I was travelling on 12 April, and in the intervening recess, this is my first opportunity to correct my statement in person.

On 11 April, in answer to a question from the Hon Nathan Guy, I said that Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd (CIIL) had not requested meetings with me as Minister regarding decisions about the Government’s funding for irrigation schemes. I also said that officials had dealt with Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd, which is correct. Officials have informed me that CIIL wrote to my office specifically requesting a meeting on two occasions in mid-December. Officials handled that correspondence as per the instructions in an earlier letter to CIIL dated on 7 December from shareholding Ministers telling CIIL to consult with officials from the Ministry for Primary Industries and Treasury.

Prior to that, on my starting as Minister in late October 2017, CIIL wrote a general introductory letter to my office. However, I want to correct my initial statement to acknowledge that my office did receive meeting requests from CIIL. My previous statement was a case of human error on my part. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

We now go to business—[Interruption] Mr Guy, would you like to keep your fingers down and to settle, please. Thank you.