❓ A WA parliamentary question where the Deputy Leader of the Opposition repeatedly asks the Minister to direct the Electoral Commissioner to advise Parliament on a matter of discretion. The Minister repeatedly refuses, citing the Commissioner's independence. The Speaker repeatedly calls the member for Perth to order.
AnsweredQoN 717Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I have a supplementary question. Will the minister ask the acting commissioner - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has the right to ask a supplementary question. Mr D.F. BARRON-SULLIVAN: Will the minister ask the acting commissioner whether he will use that discretion and advise Parliament accordingly today? Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: I call the member for Perth to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has the right to ask a supplementary question. Mr D.F. BARRON-SULLIVAN: Will the minister ask the acting commissioner whether he will use that discretion and advise Parliament accordingly today? Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: I call the member for Perth to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has the right to ask a supplementary question. Mr D.F. BARRON-SULLIVAN: Will the minister ask the acting commissioner whether he will use that discretion and advise Parliament accordingly today? Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: I call the member for Perth to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
Mr D.F. BARRON-SULLIVAN: Will the minister ask the acting commissioner whether he will use that discretion and advise Parliament accordingly today? Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: I call the member for Perth to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: I call the member for Perth to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
The SPEAKER: I call the member for Perth to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has the right to ask a supplementary question. Mr D.F. BARRON-SULLIVAN: Will the minister ask the acting commissioner whether he will use that discretion and advise Parliament accordingly today? Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: I call the member for Perth to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has the right to ask a supplementary question. Mr D.F. BARRON-SULLIVAN: Will the minister ask the acting commissioner whether he will use that discretion and advise Parliament accordingly today? Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: I call the member for Perth to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
Mr D.F. BARRON-SULLIVAN: Will the minister ask the acting commissioner whether he will use that discretion and advise Parliament accordingly today? Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: I call the member for Perth to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: I call the member for Perth to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
The SPEAKER: I call the member for Perth to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
One of the reasons we create independent statutory office holders such as the Electoral Commissioner is to ensure that they make decisions separate from the political process in the independent discharge of their office. We have a great number of them in Western Australia. One of them is the Electoral Commissioner. The legislation makes it abundantly clear that this is a matter for the independent exercise of discretion by the Electoral Commissioner. If the member cared to read the Act, he would realise the impropriety implicit in his question.
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