JEREMY Hanson says it is not good enough that Andrew Barr has responded with vicious personal attacks following questions about the mounting perceptions of a smell surrounding the ACT Labor government, in Assembly Estimates hearings yesterday.

“Over the past few months numerous incidents and media reports have led to a perception of a smell surrounding the ACT Labor government. Yesterday in Estimates hearings, when questioned on a range of issues, Mr Barr failed to address them and simply responded with personal attacks on the media and other MLAs,” Jeremy said.

“Public perception of the smell around the government discussed in committee included a recent editorial in the Canberra Times titled “Government by Cronyism’ which described “The air of patronage and cronyism that has swirled about the Barr government in recent months”.

Other issues raised included:

• Jon Stanhope’s comments in the media about ACT Labor that ‘concentration of power in the hands of unions and factions has “corrupted the party…,”.
• The former Police Minister being stood down after sensitive police information was leaked by her office to the CFMEU.
• The Canberra Times editorial of 17 March that stated “The deal between the state government and UnionsACT just doesn’t smell right”.
• Ongoing investigations by the Auditor- General into three separate ACT government land deals.

“There is clearly concern in the community and sections of the media about the conduct of the government and responding to legitimate questions with personal and offensive attacks is not good enough,” Mr Hanson concluded.