❓ Mrs. Harvey questions the necessity of excluding disputed matters related to Clive Palmer's arbitration from the FOI Act. Premier McGowan defends the exclusion as a measure to prevent Palmer from further legal action against WA, accusing him of litigious behaviour and threatening the state's finances.
AnsweredQoN 523Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
IRON ORE PROCESSING (MINERALOGY PTY. LTD.) AGREEMENT
AMENDMENT BILL 2020
523. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. I note
that a short joint select committee inquiry and support for the legislation are
not mutually exclusive topics. However, can the Premier explain why it is necessary
to exclude disputed matters relating to the arbitration of Mr Palmer and
Mineralogy from the Freedom of Information Act?
AMENDMENT BILL 2020
523. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. I note
that a short joint select committee inquiry and support for the legislation are
not mutually exclusive topics. However, can the Premier explain why it is necessary
to exclude disputed matters relating to the arbitration of Mr Palmer and
Mineralogy from the Freedom of Information Act?
AnswerView source ↗
As I am advised—as the
Leader of the Opposition advised people—it is not unusual for matters
to be excluded from the FOI act. It was passed in 1992 and it has a range of
exclusions. The reason we are doing this is to prevent Mr Palmer from having
another course of action against Western Australia. Mr Palmer is the most
litigious man in Australia and he uses his money to sue everyone all the time.
That is what he spends his time doing. He sits in his office and uses the $1 million
a day he gets from Western Australia from the state agreement with the Chinese
company to pursue legal action against people all over the country. He is
attempting in the High Court to bring down the hard borders and there will be
more to come on that very shortly. He is now also threatening to take these laws to the High Court so he can secure $30
billion from Western Australian taxpayers. The reality is and the reason that the Leader of the Opposition asked this question—I thought about
it while she was sitting there—is that she cannot control her upper
house colleagues. She has Nick Goiran and Michael Mischin —
Point of Order
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : Mr Speaker,
I draw your attention to the relevancy of the answer.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, I will
hear this in silence, please.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : The
supplementary question was in relation to the FOI act and I ask the Premier to
get back to that.
The SPEAKER : No, it is all
part of the original question.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : It is because
the Leader of the Opposition cannot control Nick Goiran and Michael Mischin.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : Is it?
Mr M. McGOWAN : Yes, it is,
because it is clear you cannot control them. The Leader of the Opposition
cannot exercise her authority in the Liberal Party room. Hence, she now has
this issue.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : What are you
afraid of?
Mr M. McGOWAN : What am I afraid
of? I will tell you what I am afraid of. I am afraid that Western Australia
will be bankrupted by Clive Palmer. That is what I am afraid of and the Leader
of the Opposition appears to be on Clive Palmer's side!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister, take a
deep breath.
Leader of the Opposition advised people—it is not unusual for matters
to be excluded from the FOI act. It was passed in 1992 and it has a range of
exclusions. The reason we are doing this is to prevent Mr Palmer from having
another course of action against Western Australia. Mr Palmer is the most
litigious man in Australia and he uses his money to sue everyone all the time.
That is what he spends his time doing. He sits in his office and uses the $1 million
a day he gets from Western Australia from the state agreement with the Chinese
company to pursue legal action against people all over the country. He is
attempting in the High Court to bring down the hard borders and there will be
more to come on that very shortly. He is now also threatening to take these laws to the High Court so he can secure $30
billion from Western Australian taxpayers. The reality is and the reason that the Leader of the Opposition asked this question—I thought about
it while she was sitting there—is that she cannot control her upper
house colleagues. She has Nick Goiran and Michael Mischin —
Point of Order
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : Mr Speaker,
I draw your attention to the relevancy of the answer.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, I will
hear this in silence, please.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : The
supplementary question was in relation to the FOI act and I ask the Premier to
get back to that.
The SPEAKER : No, it is all
part of the original question.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : It is because
the Leader of the Opposition cannot control Nick Goiran and Michael Mischin.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : Is it?
Mr M. McGOWAN : Yes, it is,
because it is clear you cannot control them. The Leader of the Opposition
cannot exercise her authority in the Liberal Party room. Hence, she now has
this issue.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : What are you
afraid of?
Mr M. McGOWAN : What am I afraid
of? I will tell you what I am afraid of. I am afraid that Western Australia
will be bankrupted by Clive Palmer. That is what I am afraid of and the Leader
of the Opposition appears to be on Clive Palmer's side!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister, take a
deep breath.
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