Intriguing conclusion to the examination of Peter Garrett at the pink batts royal commission today: MR WILSON (Counsel assisting): Finally, I want to put this proposition to you and ask whether you agree with it now. And then I’m going to ask you about the state of knowledge in the first half of 2009. Okay. The proposition is that the Home Insulation Program was fundamentally flawed as and from 8 May 2009, because (a) it sought to inject a very large amount of money that may attract unscrupulous or dishonest people; (b) into an industry which it did not properly understand; (c) on a timescale that was unrealistic; (d) without adequate precautions such as mandatory training or appropriate competencies; (e) administered by a department with no experience in delivering a program of that type and (f) with the inevitable consequence that the industry targeted by the program would largely be destroyed. THE WITNESS (Peter Garrett): No, I don’t accept that. MR WILSON: Do you accept any one of those six propositions? THE WITNESS: Not in the full terms that you’ve put them to me, no. MR WILSON: And you don’t accept that now. And I assume if I ask you the question whether those facts were all known prior to 1 July 2009, you would say no as well, is that a fair summary? THE WITNESS: That’s correct. MR WILSON: Yes. Those are all the questions I have. May Mr Garrett be excused? MR PERRY (QC representing family of deceased workers Matthew Fuller and Rueben Barnes): Mr Commissioner, before Mr Garrett leaves the witness box, my clients have asked me to put a matter on the record with respect to his evidence, if I may with your leave? COMMISSIONER: Put a matter on the record? MR PERRY: Yes, indeed. COMMISSIONER: Yes. MR PERRY: Mr Garrett, Mr and Mrs Fuller would like to thank you for the frank and open way in which you’ve given your evidence surrounding the circumstances that led to the death of their son and subsequent events. And for that they thank you. THE WITNESS: Thank you, counsel. COMMISSIONER: Mr Garrett, thank you for – it has been a long day. THE WITNESS: It has. COMMISSIONER: Thank you for your evidence and you’re excused from further attendance. THE WITNESS: Thanks, Commissioner.
Posted on: Wed, 14 May 2014 13:57:16 +0000
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