Legislative Council Wednesday 25 February 2004

[This version of the document has been edited by Dr Robert N Moles
Underlining where it occurs is for editorial emphasis]

Professor Tony Thomas

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. A.J. Redford:

That this Legislative Council notes that the Attorney-General, the Hon. M.J. Atkinson MP, in a ministerial statement given to the House of Assembly on Monday 22 September 2003—

1. Acknowledged that he misled parliament in giving a ministerial statement on 1 April 2003.

2. Apologised for not including Justice Mullighan's ruling in the said ministerial statement.

3. Failed to apologise to Professor Thomas for suggesting that Professor Thomas was not a qualified forensic pathologist.

4. Failed to apologise to Professor Thomas for alleging that Professor Thomas had not carried out a post mortem investigation on a homicide case in South Australia.

5. Failed to apologise to Professor Thomas for suggesting that Professor Thomas was not a person inclined to give impartial or independent evidence to courts.

6. Failed to apologise to Professor Thomas for suggesting that Professor Thomas gave evidence to a court that was unreliable and unsatisfactory.

7. Suggested that a delay of nine weeks to partially correct a misleading statement to the parliament complies with the Ministerial Code of Conduct's requirement that ministers have a responsibility to ensure that errors are `corrected or clarified as soon as possible.'

8. Blamed others for the incorrect facts alleged in the ministerial statement.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries)

I am informed that there are different proceedings and applications under consideration by different bodies about the case of Mr Henry Keogh in which the opinions of Professor Tony Thomas will be considered. The government is advised by the Solicitor-General that, in these circumstances, it would not be prudent to make any further comment on this matter until those proceedings are finalised, and consequently the government will not participate any further in this debate. At this stage, I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.

Top of Page