[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Bartlett Stonewalls Police Commissioner Questions_N McKim MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

STILL NO ANSWERS ON TEMPORARY POLICE COMMISSIONER FIASCO

McCreadie Appointment Not Taken to Cabinet

Nick McKim MP
Greens Opposition Leader

Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today said that given the Premier's public support
for a Register of Lobbyists, it is incumbent upon Mr Bartlett to
disclose whether anyone within his Office was lobbied regarding plans to
appoint Mr McCreadie as temporary Police Commissioner, and have accused
Mr Bartlett or resorting to the time-honoured Labor tradition of
stonewalling important questions.

Greens Opposition Leader Nick McKim MP said that plans to appoint a
Police Commissioner should go to Cabinet, just as any Senior Executive
Appointments should, as this position is that of a Head of Department,
and it is autocratic of Premier Bartlett to not even consult with his
Police Minister about such a move.

"David Bartlett's tactic in refusing to provide straight answers to the
many significant and outstanding questions around his plans to appoint
Mr McCreadie as a temporary Police Commissioner is utterly Lennonesque
in its non-transparency and backflips," Mr McKim said.

"The Premier has said that he supports a Register of Lobbyists, yet he
is running and hiding from disclosing whether he or his office was
lobbied in relation to appointing Mr McCreadie as temporary Police
Commissioner, and if so, by whom."

"A critical aspect of getting to the truth of this situation which
resulted in serious concerns of a constitutional crisis, is knowing why
the Premier thought it was necessary to appoint a temporary Police
Commissioner, whether it was his idea or whether it was suggested by
somebody else, yet he refuses to answer this crucial question."

"We are no wiser now than we were last week as to why Mr Bartlett
suddenly thought it was a good idea to bring in a temporary Police
Commissioner instead of leaving Acting Commissioner Darren Hine in that
position."

"There are a litany of important questions that Mr Bartlett is
attempting to stonewall on this matter, and the crucial one is this
matter of why appointing Mr McCreadie as temporary Police Commissioner
was considered necessary, as this decision sparked the entire
controversy."

"Ironically, the only straight answer received by the Parliament on this
significant issue was not from the Premier but the Police Minister, Mr
Jim Cox, who did provide the information that Mr Bartlett's plan to
appoint Mr McCreadie as a Temporary Police Commissioner was not taken to
Cabinet."






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