And the leader of government business stood up to close the debate by addressing the senators' concerns. In terms of the board, he stressed that it is only an interim board that will be necessary to ensure the transition is smooth. He also explained that when it is time to appoint a permanent board, those consultations will happen.
Eamon Courtenay, Leader of Government Business
"It's very easy to stand in this Senate and to cast aspersions. Very easy. I want to make the following point, the members who have been nominated by the government to serve as interim directors of the Port are all people of the highest integrity and beyond reproach. i listened very carefully, complaints that people were not consulted, but beside Senator Beverly Williams, no aspersions were cast at any of these people, which brings me to the point that Senator Benguche was alluding to. It is an interim board, and I ask you all to look at the press release, nowhere in the press release does the prime minister say, I'm appointing this one to representing the union, nowhere does it say I'm appointing this one to represent business, or appointing this one to represent the church, that is not his intention, he obviously know that is it is someone to represent the business, they will consult with the chamber and the business bureau, consult with the National Trade Union Congress, consult with Civil Society or whatever, but we have an ongoing multimillion dollar business, once this is concluded you can't say well let's consult, we have to run the business, we have to take over the bank accounts, we have to get people paid, etc, so an interim board has been appointed of highly reputable professionals and people of integrity, they will be charged with taking over management of the port on an interim basis, reporting to the government on what is found, what our goals are, etc, and I will not stand here and tell you in one week, two week, three weeks, at some appropriate time, a permanent board has to be presented after consultation."
The Senate today approved the settlement - so it now goes to the governor general for assent - which will be followed by land transfers from the Ashcroft alliance. After all that paperwork, the full transition to government ownership is expected to be effected later this week.
