❓ The Attorney General addresses concerns regarding a Corruption and Crime Commission report on Craig Peacock, emphasising the government's serious response and highlighting actions taken to recover funds and investigate the matter, while also criticising the previous Liberal administration's oversight.
AnsweredQoN 121Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CRAIG PEACOCK — CORRUPTION AND CRIME
COMMISSION INVESTIGATION
121. Ms A. SANDERSON to the Attorney General:
Can the Attorney General outline to
the house how seriously the government is taking the findings outlined in the
Corruption and Crime Commission report that was released yesterday?
COMMISSION INVESTIGATION
121. Ms A. SANDERSON to the Attorney General:
Can the Attorney General outline to
the house how seriously the government is taking the findings outlined in the
Corruption and Crime Commission report that was released yesterday?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Morley for
her question. The government wishes to inform the house that we take the
findings with the utmost seriousness. Despite some media commentary and people
commenting in the media that it should not be couched as corruption and that
there has not been a trial, and undermining the findings of the Corruption and
Crime Commission, let me remind the house that in section 4 of the Corruption,
Crime and Misconduct Act the definition of misconduct is a public officer who
acts corruptly. In finding that Mr Peacock had acted corruptly, the CCC was
doing no more than that it had been charged to do under its legislation. Mr Peacock
had lawyers present at the hearing. He received a draft copy of the report and
he did not take issue with the fact that he had taken vast sums of money from
the taxpayers of Western Australia in circumstances that amounted to corrupt
conduct.
I was asked how seriously the
government is taking this. Firstly, all this happened under the previous
Liberal administration. This only came to light during the advent of the
McGowan Labor government when the Premier introduced the
machinery-of-government changes and brought these trade offices under the
Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation. The department did a reconciliation
of all expenses and was alarmed to find out that there had been this
defalcation. Under the McGowan government, the department immediately went to
the CCC and requested a full investigation, which there has been. Once the
inquiry was on, as the minister within whose portfolio the CCC sits, I was
informed of the nature of the findings. As soon as that transcript could be
released to us—not to me personally, but to the State Solicitor—I
instructed that a writ be issued immediately claiming $650 000, and to make an
application before the Supreme Court for a freezing order on all of Mr Peacock's
assets, both here and in Japan.
The government accepts the finding
and it accepts the opinion of corruption. No-one is taking issue with that
fact, despite people trying to undermine this finding of corruption in the
public media. We accept the fact, and no-one takes issue with the fact, that he
took over half a million dollars. No-one takes issue with the fact that he
wiped out the government car whilst drunk and was jailed, and then put in a false
invoice for an end-of-lease balloon payment to pay for the repairs. No-one
takes issue with that—that is corrupt. We take this very seriously. The
taxpayers of Western Australia are very, very fortunate to have elected Premier
Mark McGowan as the Premier who reorganised the lines of accountability that
caused a reconciliation to happen so that the defalcation was identified. The
Premier's department is also undertaking an audit because, as members
will see from the report, the defalcation so far concerns the last two years.
None of us know the extent of this. This Parliament, including the opposition,
have all been played for mugs by this man. The previous government fell asleep
at the wheel.
her question. The government wishes to inform the house that we take the
findings with the utmost seriousness. Despite some media commentary and people
commenting in the media that it should not be couched as corruption and that
there has not been a trial, and undermining the findings of the Corruption and
Crime Commission, let me remind the house that in section 4 of the Corruption,
Crime and Misconduct Act the definition of misconduct is a public officer who
acts corruptly. In finding that Mr Peacock had acted corruptly, the CCC was
doing no more than that it had been charged to do under its legislation. Mr Peacock
had lawyers present at the hearing. He received a draft copy of the report and
he did not take issue with the fact that he had taken vast sums of money from
the taxpayers of Western Australia in circumstances that amounted to corrupt
conduct.
I was asked how seriously the
government is taking this. Firstly, all this happened under the previous
Liberal administration. This only came to light during the advent of the
McGowan Labor government when the Premier introduced the
machinery-of-government changes and brought these trade offices under the
Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation. The department did a reconciliation
of all expenses and was alarmed to find out that there had been this
defalcation. Under the McGowan government, the department immediately went to
the CCC and requested a full investigation, which there has been. Once the
inquiry was on, as the minister within whose portfolio the CCC sits, I was
informed of the nature of the findings. As soon as that transcript could be
released to us—not to me personally, but to the State Solicitor—I
instructed that a writ be issued immediately claiming $650 000, and to make an
application before the Supreme Court for a freezing order on all of Mr Peacock's
assets, both here and in Japan.
The government accepts the finding
and it accepts the opinion of corruption. No-one is taking issue with that
fact, despite people trying to undermine this finding of corruption in the
public media. We accept the fact, and no-one takes issue with the fact, that he
took over half a million dollars. No-one takes issue with the fact that he
wiped out the government car whilst drunk and was jailed, and then put in a false
invoice for an end-of-lease balloon payment to pay for the repairs. No-one
takes issue with that—that is corrupt. We take this very seriously. The
taxpayers of Western Australia are very, very fortunate to have elected Premier
Mark McGowan as the Premier who reorganised the lines of accountability that
caused a reconciliation to happen so that the defalcation was identified. The
Premier's department is also undertaking an audit because, as members
will see from the report, the defalcation so far concerns the last two years.
None of us know the extent of this. This Parliament, including the opposition,
have all been played for mugs by this man. The previous government fell asleep
at the wheel.
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