Channel 7 Today Tonight (Adelaide) - Edith Pringle / Michael Atkinson

This version of the transcript has been edited by Dr Robert N Moles

See Clarke v Channel 9 2006

30 November 2005 - in order of appearance

Leigh McCluskey - Presenter
Graham Archer – Interviewer and producer
Rob Lucas - Liberal MP
Edith Pringle - former partner of Ralph Clarke
Michael Atkinson - Attorney-General
Wayne – talkback caller
Graham Gunn - Liberal MP

Program

Leigh McCluskey

Well the Attorney-General Michael Atkinson came out swinging today, claiming his phone records showed he didn’t have a conversation with Edith Pringle about offering his Deputy Leader Ralph Clarke Board positions. Mr Atkinson also promised Parliament to correct the record if Ms Pringle could prove she went to the police over her allegations. Well it seems she can. So just who’s word can the public trust? Graham Archer has the next episode in this continuing saga.

Graham Archer

You know the expression, “when the bell tolls”? Well by now Michael Atkinson’s ears must be ringing.

Rob Lucas [filetape]

Michael Atkinson is a political carcass swinging in the breeze waiting to be cut down.

Graham Archer

Last week Edith Pringle told a Parliamentary Select Committee that despite his denials, the Attorney-General knew about the deal to offer former ALP Deputy Leader Ralph Clarke Board positions in exchange for a truce in their bitter personal legal battle.

Edith Pringle [evidence to Select Committee – file tape]

I asked Michael Atkinson about the nature of the deal and he told me it involved Board positions for Ralph. When I asked him which Boards were involved he said that Workcover would probably be one. I expressed my disapproval to Michael in fairly robust terms - and his response to me was that it was out of his hands. He said that the instruction to settle had come from higher up.

Graham Archer

Immediately afterwards, the Minister for Murk was on his feet scoffing at the fact that Edith had not gone to the police with the information.

Michael Atkinson [in Parliament – file tape]

If Mrs Pringle had any knowledge as she now claims she should have come forward to the police and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Graham Archer

Well she did. Even so, Atkinson denied the claim based on nothing it appears but his usual bluff.

Michael Atkinson [in Parliament – file tape]

Now if police inform me that the allegation by the Member for Bragg is correct, I’ll be happy to correct the record but I think, I think, I think the Opposition is in for a very big shock.

Graham Archer

The real shock will be if he corrects the record because he’s the proof. A letter from SAPOL confirming Edith contacted the anti corruption chief back in July 2003 [shown on screen] and another from the DPP saying she contacted his office in June 2005 [shown on screen] after as she told the Committee, she believed Atkinson had perjured himself in the Ashbourne trial.

Edith Pringle [evidence to Select Committee – file tape]

For what it is worth I reassure thiscommittee that my evidence is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Graham Archer

Of course - after tomorrow the government goes into hiding for four months until the election in March which - will leave our Attorney-General free to hector elderly talkback callers in the small hours of the morning, just like this.

Michael Atkinson [from talkback radio progam]

And will you apologise to me if your smear on me tonight is wrong?

Wayne [talkback radio caller]

No, listen Mr Atkinson, it’s not a smear.

Michael Atkinson [from talkback radio progam]

It is a malicious smear.

Wayne [talkback radio caller]

I have been very upset, and I knew you were on the program tonight, so that’s why I brought it up tonight because I knew you were there.

Michael Atkinson [from talkback radio progam]

I think you have a secret grudge Wayne. I’d be very interested to find out what it is.

Graham Archer

And are there others?

Michael Atkinson [in Parliament – file tape]

Mr Speaker none spring to mind, none at all.

Graham Archer

Of course there are.

Graham Gunn - [Question in Parliament - file tape]

Not withstanding the Attorney’s previous answers sir, did the Attorney-General phone a talkback caller on the evening of the 30^th of August 2005 and demand that the caller publicly retract his comments about the Attorney from talkback radio that morning? And by way of explanation sir I will read extracts from a statutory declaration that has been provided to me. “That evening between 5.20pm and 6pm I received a phone call from Michael Atkinson. He said that I’d made defamatory remarks about him on the radio that day. He also told me to be careful what I said as our conversation was being recorded.”

Michael Atkinson [in Parliament – file tape]

The first thing to say is that the conversation was not recorded. I merely had my staff with me in the office.

Graham Archer

Surely the first thing to say is that the conversation previously forgotten had suddenly sprung to mind. And if voters can tear themselves away from the radio they might wonder what a real Attorney-General actually does for a living. What we’ve got is looking more and more like an oxymoron.

[Oxymoron: figure of speech - with contradictory expressions]

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