Cameron Thompson (Blair, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion for the House to consider the Committee of Privileges report presented on 31 May 2007 about allegations of documents fraudulently and inaccurately written and issued in a member’s name, and to move a motion to give effect to the recommendation of the report.

Leave granted.

I move:

That the House agrees with the recommendation of the report of the Committee of Privileges presented on 31 May 2007 about allegations of documents fraudulently and inaccurately written and issued in a member’s name, and:

(1)

finds Ms Harriett Swift guilty of a contempt of the House in that she undertook conduct that amounted to an improper interference with the free performance by the Member for Eden-Monaro of his duties as a member; and

(2)

reprimands Ms Swift for her conduct.

On 31 May 2007 I presented to the House a report from the committee on whether two incidents where allegedly fraudulent and inaccurate documents purportedly from the member for Eden-Monaro, the Hon. Gary Nairn MP, were distributed to media outlets and to a recipient of government funding in his electorate constituted contempts. The committee found that Ms Harriett Swift on five occasions in 2005 and 2006 deliberately misrepresented the Hon. Gary Nairn MP by producing and distributing documents that fabricated Mr Nairn’s letterhead and signature to make it appear that the documents were prepared and sent by Mr Nairn.

The committee found Ms Swift guilty of a contempt of the House in that she had undertaken conduct which amounted to an improper interference in the free performance by Mr Nairn of his duties as a member. The committee recommended that the House endorse its finding that Ms Swift had committed a contempt of the House and reprimand her for her conduct. This motion gives effect to the committee’s recommendation and I commend it to the House.

See this speech in context