Special Minister Of State Alleged Conflict Of Interest

The Hon. M. J. GALLACHER: I thank the Government for acknowledging the importance of the Motor Accidents Compensation Bill and the need to expedite it by reducing question time to half an hour. The Opposition supports that move. My question without notice is directed to the Special Minister of State, and Assistant Treasurer. Given the nature of the bill currently before the House, can the Minister give this House an assurance that he does not have any personal conflict of interest with respect to his duties as Special Minister of State, given that Abbott Tout, lawyers for the NRMA, have recently engaged his wife as a business development consultant?

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The Hon. J. J. DELLA BOSCA: I can assure the House that I have no personal vested interest in matters before the House. It is true, as the Leader of the Opposition, a fellow resident of the Central Coast, has observed - and this is probably fairly well known amongst those who follow the careers of those on the Central Coast, as the Leader of the Opposition does - that my spouse is currently employed, and has been for some time, as a member of a consulting firm called Abbott Consulting, which is owned by the law firm Abbott Tout. I fail to see how that in any way constitutes a possible conflict of interest in respect of my duties as Special Minister of State.

The Hon. M. J. GALLACHER: I ask a supplementary question. In view of the Minister’s answer, has he advised the Premier of this matter? If not, why not?

The Hon. J. J. DELLA BOSCA: I do not have anything further to add to my previous answer.