Speaker Vicki Dunne has referred Liberal Leader Jeremy Hanson's handling of an election flyer to standards commissioner Ken Crispin for investigation.
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Mrs Dunne made the referral after a complaint from Labor's Joy Burch, who said the flyer had included a photo and quotes from former emergency department clinical director Michael Hall without his consent.
Ms Burch said believes the flyer might breach the code of conduct for Assembly members, which requires them to "recognise the unique position of impartiality" of public servants.
The use of Dr Hall's images "strongly implies that he supports the Liberal Party's policy in relation to the hospital", she said. "I am concerned that Mr Hanson's actions have grievously impinged on Dr Hall's rights, as a private citizen and public sector employee, to dignity and privacy."
The flyer quotes Dr Hall as saying in a Canberra Times article last year, "We need to start from scratch and build an emergency department from the ground up. There are still compromises being made." And it quotes him telling the ABC in 2014, "The hospital is seriously under stress."
The Liberals says the flyer was endorsed by campaign director Daniel Clode, not by Mr Hanson, and has nothing to do with the code of conduct, which applies only to parliamentary business. But Ms Burch says it was distributed by Mr Hanson, and she pushed Mrs Dunne last week to refer the matter to Dr Crispin, a retired judge. Mrs Dunne is understood to have now done so.
Mrs Dunne has confirmed the referral but made no comment. Nor would Mr Hanson or Ms Burch comment.
It is Dr Crispin's third investigation since he was appointed as an independent standards commissioner in 2014. The first was into Ms Burch's handling of the Menslink affair early last year and the second into Chief Minister Andrew Barr's endorsement of private company Dexar. Both were cleared of breaches of the code of conduct.
He will seek a response from Mr Hanson and is able to contact "any other person who may have knowledge of the relevant facts requesting the production of documents, answers to specific questions or other assistance". It is unclear when Dr Crispin might report.
