- John Brumby: no contact with Theo Theophanous
- By Nick Higginbottom
- The Herald Sun
- 23/10/2008 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: The Rooster ( 264 articles in 2008 )
PREMIER John Brumby has not spoken to Theo Theophanous since the Upper House MP stood down from Parliament nine days ago over rape allegations.
Mr Brumby yesterday said he was pleased police had finally interviewed the 60-year-old MP but had not been told any of the details.
"That's not for me to comment on. I don't want to give a daily running commentary on these matters. They're matters for police," he said.
Mr Brumby refused to entertain the possibility that Mr Theophanous's absence from government could become permanent if police charged him over allegations he raped a woman at Parliament House in 1998.
"The key thing is not getting into the hypotheticals," he said.
"The key thing is hoping this will be resolved at the earliest possible opportunity, one way or the other, by police."
During his absence from Parliament, Mr Theophanous's three ministerial portfolios have been allocated to three ministers: Treasurer John Lenders, Environment Minister Gavin Jennings and Roads Minister Tim Pallas have taken control of the Industry and Trade, Information and Communication Technology, and Major Projects portfolios respectively.
Mr Brumby rejected suggestions those portfolios would suffer without a full-time minister, but he refused to say how long the temporary arrangement could last.
"The arrangement . . . has to be an interim arrangement of the type I've put in place," he said.
"To not do that would be to deny natural justice."
He said he had managed a number of portfolios when he was treasurer of the Bracks government, and was confident Mr Lenders could also do so.
Mr Brumby yesterday said he was pleased police had finally interviewed the 60-year-old MP but had not been told any of the details.
"That's not for me to comment on. I don't want to give a daily running commentary on these matters. They're matters for police," he said.
Mr Brumby refused to entertain the possibility that Mr Theophanous's absence from government could become permanent if police charged him over allegations he raped a woman at Parliament House in 1998.
"The key thing is not getting into the hypotheticals," he said.
"The key thing is hoping this will be resolved at the earliest possible opportunity, one way or the other, by police."
During his absence from Parliament, Mr Theophanous's three ministerial portfolios have been allocated to three ministers: Treasurer John Lenders, Environment Minister Gavin Jennings and Roads Minister Tim Pallas have taken control of the Industry and Trade, Information and Communication Technology, and Major Projects portfolios respectively.
Mr Brumby rejected suggestions those portfolios would suffer without a full-time minister, but he refused to say how long the temporary arrangement could last.
"The arrangement . . . has to be an interim arrangement of the type I've put in place," he said.
"To not do that would be to deny natural justice."
He said he had managed a number of portfolios when he was treasurer of the Bracks government, and was confident Mr Lenders could also do so.
Source: https://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24538184-661,00.html
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