A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding the Treasurer's travel expense claims, specifically focusing on a falsely lodged claim and the Treasurer's communication with the Premier and the media. The parliamentary secretary's response avoids answering the questions directly.

AnsweredQoN 1254Legislative Council
Asked
1 December 2009
Portfolio
parliamentary secretary representing the Treasurer

QuestionView source ↗

TREASURER — ALLOWANCES CLAIM
I refer to the forced repayment of an incorrect travel claim from July 2009 and the Treasurer’s claim at the time that an internal audit by the Parliament’s finance department had cleared him of any further erroneous claims. (1) When did the Treasurer first advise the Premier of the Clerk’s decision not to review the travel accounts and of the second error on his travel claim? (2) When did the Treasurer first advise the Premier of the second error involving a claim falsely lodged for Monday, 24 August? (3) Did the Treasurer receive advice from the Premier to correct the parliamentary record and repay the money falsely claimed for Monday, 24 August? (4) On what basis did the Treasurer inform the media that no other errors had been found in his travel claim record? (5) Why has the Treasurer chosen not to repay the money claimed for the night of Monday, 24 August when he was clearly not entitled to it? (6) Will the Treasurer now repay the money; and, if not, why not? Hon HELEN MORTON

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The matter of the member for Vasse’s metropolitan expenses claim arises in his capacity as a member of the Legislative Assembly and not as a minister. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! Members, I do not want anything about you being in this present position to rub off in terms of your behaviour!
(1) When did the Treasurer first advise the Premier of the Clerk’s decision not to review the travel accounts and of the second error on his travel claim? (2) When did the Treasurer first advise the Premier of the second error involving a claim falsely lodged for Monday, 24 August? (3) Did the Treasurer receive advice from the Premier to correct the parliamentary record and repay the money falsely claimed for Monday, 24 August? (4) On what basis did the Treasurer inform the media that no other errors had been found in his travel claim record? (5) Why has the Treasurer chosen not to repay the money claimed for the night of Monday, 24 August when he was clearly not entitled to it? (6) Will the Treasurer now repay the money; and, if not, why not? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The matter of the member for Vasse’s metropolitan expenses claim arises in his capacity as a member of the Legislative Assembly and not as a minister. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! Members, I do not want anything about you being in this present position to rub off in terms of your behaviour!
(2) When did the Treasurer first advise the Premier of the second error involving a claim falsely lodged for Monday, 24 August? (3) Did the Treasurer receive advice from the Premier to correct the parliamentary record and repay the money falsely claimed for Monday, 24 August? (4) On what basis did the Treasurer inform the media that no other errors had been found in his travel claim record? (5) Why has the Treasurer chosen not to repay the money claimed for the night of Monday, 24 August when he was clearly not entitled to it? (6) Will the Treasurer now repay the money; and, if not, why not? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The matter of the member for Vasse’s metropolitan expenses claim arises in his capacity as a member of the Legislative Assembly and not as a minister. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! Members, I do not want anything about you being in this present position to rub off in terms of your behaviour!
(3) Did the Treasurer receive advice from the Premier to correct the parliamentary record and repay the money falsely claimed for Monday, 24 August? (4) On what basis did the Treasurer inform the media that no other errors had been found in his travel claim record? (5) Why has the Treasurer chosen not to repay the money claimed for the night of Monday, 24 August when he was clearly not entitled to it? (6) Will the Treasurer now repay the money; and, if not, why not? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The matter of the member for Vasse’s metropolitan expenses claim arises in his capacity as a member of the Legislative Assembly and not as a minister. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! Members, I do not want anything about you being in this present position to rub off in terms of your behaviour!
(4) On what basis did the Treasurer inform the media that no other errors had been found in his travel claim record? (5) Why has the Treasurer chosen not to repay the money claimed for the night of Monday, 24 August when he was clearly not entitled to it? (6) Will the Treasurer now repay the money; and, if not, why not? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The matter of the member for Vasse’s metropolitan expenses claim arises in his capacity as a member of the Legislative Assembly and not as a minister. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! Members, I do not want anything about you being in this present position to rub off in terms of your behaviour!
(5) Why has the Treasurer chosen not to repay the money claimed for the night of Monday, 24 August when he was clearly not entitled to it? (6) Will the Treasurer now repay the money; and, if not, why not? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The matter of the member for Vasse’s metropolitan expenses claim arises in his capacity as a member of the Legislative Assembly and not as a minister. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! Members, I do not want anything about you being in this present position to rub off in terms of your behaviour!
(6) Will the Treasurer now repay the money; and, if not, why not? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The matter of the member for Vasse’s metropolitan expenses claim arises in his capacity as a member of the Legislative Assembly and not as a minister. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! Members, I do not want anything about you being in this present position to rub off in terms of your behaviour!
Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The matter of the member for Vasse’s metropolitan expenses claim arises in his capacity as a member of the Legislative Assembly and not as a minister. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! Members, I do not want anything about you being in this present position to rub off in terms of your behaviour!
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The matter of the member for Vasse’s metropolitan expenses claim arises in his capacity as a member of the Legislative Assembly and not as a minister. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! Members, I do not want anything about you being in this present position to rub off in terms of your behaviour!
The matter of the member for Vasse’s metropolitan expenses claim arises in his capacity as a member of the Legislative Assembly and not as a minister. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! Members, I do not want anything about you being in this present position to rub off in terms of your behaviour!
Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! Members, I do not want anything about you being in this present position to rub off in terms of your behaviour!
The PRESIDENT : Order! Members, I do not want anything about you being in this present position to rub off in terms of your behaviour!

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