FED: Stott Despoja disappointed by Callinan inquiry decision

AAP General News (Australia)
08-02-1999
FED: Stott Despoja disappointed by Callinan inquiry decision

CANBERRA, Aug 2 AAP -A spokesman for Australian Democrats Deputy Leader Natasha Stott
Despoja today denied she had been rolled in the party room over her push for a parliamentary
inquiry into High Court judge Ian Callinan.

New Democrats legal spokesman Senator Brian Greig yesterday revealed a party room meeting
had decided to drop support for a senate inquiry into Justice Callinan's appointment by the
federal government.

Senator Stott Despoja had been pushing hard for an investigation after allegations Justice
Callinan had acted improperly during a case in which he was acting as barrister.

But Senator Greig, who took over legal affairs from Senator Stott Despoja on July 1, said
the Democrats feared any inquiry would degenerate into a political witchhunt driven by Labor.

A spokesman for Senator Stott Despoja said it was unfair to say the Democrats deputy had
been rolled on the issue.

"There were many issues, there were numerous briefings, it is obviously a very sensitive
issue, and at the end of the day there was a decision in the party room to not continue with
the inquiry," the spokesman said.

"Now that's not really being rolled. These sort of decisions are made all the time by party
rooms after advice is given."

The spokesman admitted Senator Stott Despoja was probably a little disappointed. But he
denied accusations by Labor legal affairs spokesman Robert McLelland that the Democrats had
adopted bad policy by acting too quickly in her absence.

Mr McLelland said he would now seek talks with Senator Stott Despoja to work through the
issue of judicial appointments generally.

AAP rft/sc/adh

KEYWORD: CALLINAN DEMOCRATS

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