❓ Opposition Leader Mark McGowan questions Premier Colin Barnett about a meeting with the Minister for Transport regarding a commissioned poll and the Premier's trust in the Minister. The Premier refuses to disclose details of the conversation but confirms the Minister denied involvement in the polling.
AnsweredQoN 596Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
REACHTEL POLL — MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT —
MEETING WITH PREMIER
596. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
Before I ask my question, I also
acknowledge the Saskatchewan delegation and Mr McGlashan. Also, on behalf of
the member for Mandurah, I acknowledge the principal, teachers and students
from Lakelands Primary School, who are in the public gallery today.
I refer to the Premier's
meeting with the Minister for Transport last Friday week regarding the minister's
possession of polling, and to the Premier's subsequent comments that
the Minister for Transport would need to regain his trust.
(1) What was
discussed at that meeting, and what agreements were made?
(2) What did the
Minister for Transport do that necessitates him having to regain the Premier's
trust?
MEETING WITH PREMIER
596. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
Before I ask my question, I also
acknowledge the Saskatchewan delegation and Mr McGlashan. Also, on behalf of
the member for Mandurah, I acknowledge the principal, teachers and students
from Lakelands Primary School, who are in the public gallery today.
I refer to the Premier's
meeting with the Minister for Transport last Friday week regarding the minister's
possession of polling, and to the Premier's subsequent comments that
the Minister for Transport would need to regain his trust.
(1) What was
discussed at that meeting, and what agreements were made?
(2) What did the
Minister for Transport do that necessitates him having to regain the Premier's
trust?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) What
an unusual question. As if I am going to talk about a conversation I had with a
senior minister—as if I am going to talk about that.
Mr
M. McGowan : You said it would be investigated by the Public Sector
Commission.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : No; I did not say that at all.
Given all the speculation over the
last week or so and the action of a group of businesspeople to commission their
own poll—for what motive I am not quite sure, but it would seem to me
to try to affect the leadership of the government, destabilise the government,
whatever it might be; I do not know what their motives were. It was not a cheap
exercise. It has been suggested that up to $100 000 was spent. I do not know
whether that figure is accurate or not. In that circumstance, I did sit down
with the Minister for Transport and we discussed at length the issues that have
been circulating and have been speculated on in the media. He assured me that
he was not involved in that polling exercise. I accepted that, and that was the
end of the conversation.
an unusual question. As if I am going to talk about a conversation I had with a
senior minister—as if I am going to talk about that.
Mr
M. McGowan : You said it would be investigated by the Public Sector
Commission.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : No; I did not say that at all.
Given all the speculation over the
last week or so and the action of a group of businesspeople to commission their
own poll—for what motive I am not quite sure, but it would seem to me
to try to affect the leadership of the government, destabilise the government,
whatever it might be; I do not know what their motives were. It was not a cheap
exercise. It has been suggested that up to $100 000 was spent. I do not know
whether that figure is accurate or not. In that circumstance, I did sit down
with the Minister for Transport and we discussed at length the issues that have
been circulating and have been speculated on in the media. He assured me that
he was not involved in that polling exercise. I accepted that, and that was the
end of the conversation.
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