Fed: Tuckey sorry for using ministerial letterhead in fine case
By Sandra O'Malley
CANBERRA, Aug 20 AAP - Federal government minister Wilson Tuckey today apologised toparliament for using a ministerial letterhead to write to the South Australian governmentasking that a fine against his son be overturned.
The West Australian MP, who is the minister for regional services, territories andlocal government, acknowledged he had also erred in referring to his son as a constituent.
Mr Tuckey represents the seat of O'Connor and Labor says his son lives in the electorateof Canning.
But the minister maintained he had a right to properly intervene in the matter.
Michael Tuckey and his workmate were moving a truckload of tree seedlings last Augustwhen they were issued an $193 fine for failing to keep a log book by a police officerat a Port Augusta weigh station.
On September 26, in a letter under a ministerial letterhead, Mr Tuckey wrote to SAPolice Minister Patrick Conlon seeking to have the fine replaced by a warning. Two furtherletters followed.
Labor has accused Mr Tuckey of breaching the government's ministerial code of conductand of misleading parliament, demanding he be sacked.
Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown added his voice to calls for the minister to be removed.
But Australian Democrats leader Andrew Bartlett said Mr Tuckey's actions were not asackable offence.
"I think the disclosure and embarrassment is probably punishment enough this time," he said.
Independent MP Bob Katter said it would be a shame to lose the best minister in the government.
In a statement to the House of Representatives, Mr Tuckey maintained he was entitledto properly make a representation on behalf of his son.
But he acknowledged the use of the term constituent could be misconstrued to suggestthat his son lived in his electorate of O'Connor.
Mr Tuckey asked to correct the record of parliament yesterday, when he referred tohis son as a constituent.
"The communications referred to yesterday were also on ministerial letterhead insteadof O'Connor electorate letterhead," he said.
"This was a mistake but was not intended to exert additional influence. I apologiseto the House for this action."
Leader of opposition business in the House, Mark Latham, said it was clear Mr Tuckeyhad tried to mislead Mr Conlon, as well as the parliament.
"It would be extraordinary for a member in this House to claim that a constituent issomeone who lives outside your constituency," he told parliament.
Mr Latham said Mr Tuckey had made no attempt in his correspondence with Mr Conlon tomake it clear that his son lived in another electorate.
"There's no doubt that the minister for regional services was trying to mislead theminister for police in South Australia with his extraordinary intervention in this matter,"
he said.
"And then we have the minister ... standing up in the parliament yesterday and sayingit was a constituent inquiry.
"This is a misleading of the House."
AAP so/sb/cjh/sp
KEYWORD: TUCKEY 3RD DAYLEAD
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