❓ Mr. Barnett questions the Premier regarding a Minister's access to confidential cabinet documents without consent, alleging a breach of convention and code of conduct. The Premier defends the Minister, citing obligations to third parties and accusing the opposition of hypocrisy.
AnsweredQoN 465Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CABINET DOCUMENTS, ACCESS 465. Mr BARNETT to the Premier: I refer the Premier to the Western Australian Government Cabinet Handbook and quote - Long standing convention is that access to the Cabinet documents of a previous administration is generally granted only if consent to such access is given by the current leader of the party which created the records whilst in office. (1) Is the Premier aware that access to the confidential cabinet decision sheet, tabled by his Minister for Planning and Infrastructure yesterday, was neither requested nor granted? (2) Does the Premier condone his minister’s use of such confidential documents in contravention of longstanding government convention? (3) What action has the Premier taken to investigate the actions of, and/or discipline his minister for such a flagrant breach of not only established government convention, but also the Premier’s own ministerial code of conduct, which states - Ministers will maintain the confidentiality of information committed to their secrecy . . . in Cabinet or otherwise in accordance with their duties. Dr GALLOP
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) This is the Leader of the Opposition who was in Parliament last Wednesday discussing what was happening in the coalition cabinet with regard to the land in North Fremantle occupied by Apace Western Australia. He comes into this Parliament talking about cabinet confidentiality and cabinet documents when last week he was talking about the divisions within the Cabinet in which there was a person on this side and a person on that side. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure had to address certain issues and she requested of her department knowledge of the decisions that were made so that she could do the right thing by her contractual obligations to third parties in this State. The minister has told me that the department delivered that decision sheet to her as part of the process of ensuring that she knew what the proper decisions were. That is how it happened. The Leader of the Opposition has not done his homework. Let us refer to the cabinet code on this issue and access to cabinet records. It states - Frequently, Cabinet submissions and decisions will be placed on open departmental files to which access is not necessarily restricted. However, it is generally expected that any requests for access to such documents would be referred to the Cabinet Services Branch for verification and access to. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure was presented with this decision as a result of her request to find out what the cabinet decision was. When the Government of Western Australia is engaged in contractual obligations with third parties, one has to know what those decisions were and what the case was. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr GALLOP: The minister has also indicated that she has written to the director general of the ministry requesting cabinet submissions and decision sheets about a range of matters. Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
CABINET DOCUMENTS, ACCESS
I refer the Premier to the Western Australian Government Cabinet Handbook and quote - Long standing convention is that access to the Cabinet documents of a previous administration is generally granted only if consent to such access is given by the current leader of the party which created the records whilst in office. (1) Is the Premier aware that access to the confidential cabinet decision sheet, tabled by his Minister for Planning and Infrastructure yesterday, was neither requested nor granted? (2) Does the Premier condone his minister’s use of such confidential documents in contravention of longstanding government convention? (3) What action has the Premier taken to investigate the actions of, and/or discipline his minister for such a flagrant breach of not only established government convention, but also the Premier’s own ministerial code of conduct, which states - Ministers will maintain the confidentiality of information committed to their secrecy . . . in Cabinet or otherwise in accordance with their duties. Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(3) This is the Leader of the Opposition who was in Parliament last Wednesday discussing what was happening in the coalition cabinet with regard to the land in North Fremantle occupied by Apace Western Australia. He comes into this Parliament talking about cabinet confidentiality and cabinet documents when last week he was talking about the divisions within the Cabinet in which there was a person on this side and a person on that side. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure had to address certain issues and she requested of her department knowledge of the decisions that were made so that she could do the right thing by her contractual obligations to third parties in this State. The minister has told me that the department delivered that decision sheet to her as part of the process of ensuring that she knew what the proper decisions were. That is how it happened. The Leader of the Opposition has not done his homework. Let us refer to the cabinet code on this issue and access to cabinet records. It states - Frequently, Cabinet submissions and decisions will be placed on open departmental files to which access is not necessarily restricted. However, it is generally expected that any requests for access to such documents would be referred to the Cabinet Services Branch for verification and access to. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure was presented with this decision as a result of her request to find out what the cabinet decision was. When the Government of Western Australia is engaged in contractual obligations with third parties, one has to know what those decisions were and what the case was. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr GALLOP: The minister has also indicated that she has written to the director general of the ministry requesting cabinet submissions and decision sheets about a range of matters. Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
(2) Does the Premier condone his minister’s use of such confidential documents in contravention of longstanding government convention? (3) What action has the Premier taken to investigate the actions of, and/or discipline his minister for such a flagrant breach of not only established government convention, but also the Premier’s own ministerial code of conduct, which states - Ministers will maintain the confidentiality of information committed to their secrecy . . . in Cabinet or otherwise in accordance with their duties. Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(3) This is the Leader of the Opposition who was in Parliament last Wednesday discussing what was happening in the coalition cabinet with regard to the land in North Fremantle occupied by Apace Western Australia. He comes into this Parliament talking about cabinet confidentiality and cabinet documents when last week he was talking about the divisions within the Cabinet in which there was a person on this side and a person on that side. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure had to address certain issues and she requested of her department knowledge of the decisions that were made so that she could do the right thing by her contractual obligations to third parties in this State. The minister has told me that the department delivered that decision sheet to her as part of the process of ensuring that she knew what the proper decisions were. That is how it happened. The Leader of the Opposition has not done his homework. Let us refer to the cabinet code on this issue and access to cabinet records. It states - Frequently, Cabinet submissions and decisions will be placed on open departmental files to which access is not necessarily restricted. However, it is generally expected that any requests for access to such documents would be referred to the Cabinet Services Branch for verification and access to. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure was presented with this decision as a result of her request to find out what the cabinet decision was. When the Government of Western Australia is engaged in contractual obligations with third parties, one has to know what those decisions were and what the case was. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr GALLOP: The minister has also indicated that she has written to the director general of the ministry requesting cabinet submissions and decision sheets about a range of matters. Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
(3) What action has the Premier taken to investigate the actions of, and/or discipline his minister for such a flagrant breach of not only established government convention, but also the Premier’s own ministerial code of conduct, which states - Ministers will maintain the confidentiality of information committed to their secrecy . . . in Cabinet or otherwise in accordance with their duties. Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(3) This is the Leader of the Opposition who was in Parliament last Wednesday discussing what was happening in the coalition cabinet with regard to the land in North Fremantle occupied by Apace Western Australia. He comes into this Parliament talking about cabinet confidentiality and cabinet documents when last week he was talking about the divisions within the Cabinet in which there was a person on this side and a person on that side. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure had to address certain issues and she requested of her department knowledge of the decisions that were made so that she could do the right thing by her contractual obligations to third parties in this State. The minister has told me that the department delivered that decision sheet to her as part of the process of ensuring that she knew what the proper decisions were. That is how it happened. The Leader of the Opposition has not done his homework. Let us refer to the cabinet code on this issue and access to cabinet records. It states - Frequently, Cabinet submissions and decisions will be placed on open departmental files to which access is not necessarily restricted. However, it is generally expected that any requests for access to such documents would be referred to the Cabinet Services Branch for verification and access to. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure was presented with this decision as a result of her request to find out what the cabinet decision was. When the Government of Western Australia is engaged in contractual obligations with third parties, one has to know what those decisions were and what the case was. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr GALLOP: The minister has also indicated that she has written to the director general of the ministry requesting cabinet submissions and decision sheets about a range of matters. Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
(1)-(3) This is the Leader of the Opposition who was in Parliament last Wednesday discussing what was happening in the coalition cabinet with regard to the land in North Fremantle occupied by Apace Western Australia. He comes into this Parliament talking about cabinet confidentiality and cabinet documents when last week he was talking about the divisions within the Cabinet in which there was a person on this side and a person on that side. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure had to address certain issues and she requested of her department knowledge of the decisions that were made so that she could do the right thing by her contractual obligations to third parties in this State. The minister has told me that the department delivered that decision sheet to her as part of the process of ensuring that she knew what the proper decisions were. That is how it happened. The Leader of the Opposition has not done his homework. Let us refer to the cabinet code on this issue and access to cabinet records. It states - Frequently, Cabinet submissions and decisions will be placed on open departmental files to which access is not necessarily restricted. However, it is generally expected that any requests for access to such documents would be referred to the Cabinet Services Branch for verification and access to. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure was presented with this decision as a result of her request to find out what the cabinet decision was. When the Government of Western Australia is engaged in contractual obligations with third parties, one has to know what those decisions were and what the case was. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr GALLOP: The minister has also indicated that she has written to the director general of the ministry requesting cabinet submissions and decision sheets about a range of matters. Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr GALLOP: The minister has also indicated that she has written to the director general of the ministry requesting cabinet submissions and decision sheets about a range of matters. Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Dr GALLOP: The minister has also indicated that she has written to the director general of the ministry requesting cabinet submissions and decision sheets about a range of matters. Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
CABINET DOCUMENTS, ACCESS
I refer the Premier to the Western Australian Government Cabinet Handbook and quote - Long standing convention is that access to the Cabinet documents of a previous administration is generally granted only if consent to such access is given by the current leader of the party which created the records whilst in office. (1) Is the Premier aware that access to the confidential cabinet decision sheet, tabled by his Minister for Planning and Infrastructure yesterday, was neither requested nor granted? (2) Does the Premier condone his minister’s use of such confidential documents in contravention of longstanding government convention? (3) What action has the Premier taken to investigate the actions of, and/or discipline his minister for such a flagrant breach of not only established government convention, but also the Premier’s own ministerial code of conduct, which states - Ministers will maintain the confidentiality of information committed to their secrecy . . . in Cabinet or otherwise in accordance with their duties. Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(3) This is the Leader of the Opposition who was in Parliament last Wednesday discussing what was happening in the coalition cabinet with regard to the land in North Fremantle occupied by Apace Western Australia. He comes into this Parliament talking about cabinet confidentiality and cabinet documents when last week he was talking about the divisions within the Cabinet in which there was a person on this side and a person on that side. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure had to address certain issues and she requested of her department knowledge of the decisions that were made so that she could do the right thing by her contractual obligations to third parties in this State. The minister has told me that the department delivered that decision sheet to her as part of the process of ensuring that she knew what the proper decisions were. That is how it happened. The Leader of the Opposition has not done his homework. Let us refer to the cabinet code on this issue and access to cabinet records. It states - Frequently, Cabinet submissions and decisions will be placed on open departmental files to which access is not necessarily restricted. However, it is generally expected that any requests for access to such documents would be referred to the Cabinet Services Branch for verification and access to. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure was presented with this decision as a result of her request to find out what the cabinet decision was. When the Government of Western Australia is engaged in contractual obligations with third parties, one has to know what those decisions were and what the case was. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr GALLOP: The minister has also indicated that she has written to the director general of the ministry requesting cabinet submissions and decision sheets about a range of matters. Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
(2) Does the Premier condone his minister’s use of such confidential documents in contravention of longstanding government convention? (3) What action has the Premier taken to investigate the actions of, and/or discipline his minister for such a flagrant breach of not only established government convention, but also the Premier’s own ministerial code of conduct, which states - Ministers will maintain the confidentiality of information committed to their secrecy . . . in Cabinet or otherwise in accordance with their duties. Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(3) This is the Leader of the Opposition who was in Parliament last Wednesday discussing what was happening in the coalition cabinet with regard to the land in North Fremantle occupied by Apace Western Australia. He comes into this Parliament talking about cabinet confidentiality and cabinet documents when last week he was talking about the divisions within the Cabinet in which there was a person on this side and a person on that side. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure had to address certain issues and she requested of her department knowledge of the decisions that were made so that she could do the right thing by her contractual obligations to third parties in this State. The minister has told me that the department delivered that decision sheet to her as part of the process of ensuring that she knew what the proper decisions were. That is how it happened. The Leader of the Opposition has not done his homework. Let us refer to the cabinet code on this issue and access to cabinet records. It states - Frequently, Cabinet submissions and decisions will be placed on open departmental files to which access is not necessarily restricted. However, it is generally expected that any requests for access to such documents would be referred to the Cabinet Services Branch for verification and access to. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure was presented with this decision as a result of her request to find out what the cabinet decision was. When the Government of Western Australia is engaged in contractual obligations with third parties, one has to know what those decisions were and what the case was. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr GALLOP: The minister has also indicated that she has written to the director general of the ministry requesting cabinet submissions and decision sheets about a range of matters. Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
(3) What action has the Premier taken to investigate the actions of, and/or discipline his minister for such a flagrant breach of not only established government convention, but also the Premier’s own ministerial code of conduct, which states - Ministers will maintain the confidentiality of information committed to their secrecy . . . in Cabinet or otherwise in accordance with their duties. Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(3) This is the Leader of the Opposition who was in Parliament last Wednesday discussing what was happening in the coalition cabinet with regard to the land in North Fremantle occupied by Apace Western Australia. He comes into this Parliament talking about cabinet confidentiality and cabinet documents when last week he was talking about the divisions within the Cabinet in which there was a person on this side and a person on that side. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure had to address certain issues and she requested of her department knowledge of the decisions that were made so that she could do the right thing by her contractual obligations to third parties in this State. The minister has told me that the department delivered that decision sheet to her as part of the process of ensuring that she knew what the proper decisions were. That is how it happened. The Leader of the Opposition has not done his homework. Let us refer to the cabinet code on this issue and access to cabinet records. It states - Frequently, Cabinet submissions and decisions will be placed on open departmental files to which access is not necessarily restricted. However, it is generally expected that any requests for access to such documents would be referred to the Cabinet Services Branch for verification and access to. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure was presented with this decision as a result of her request to find out what the cabinet decision was. When the Government of Western Australia is engaged in contractual obligations with third parties, one has to know what those decisions were and what the case was. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr GALLOP: The minister has also indicated that she has written to the director general of the ministry requesting cabinet submissions and decision sheets about a range of matters. Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
(1)-(3) This is the Leader of the Opposition who was in Parliament last Wednesday discussing what was happening in the coalition cabinet with regard to the land in North Fremantle occupied by Apace Western Australia. He comes into this Parliament talking about cabinet confidentiality and cabinet documents when last week he was talking about the divisions within the Cabinet in which there was a person on this side and a person on that side. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure had to address certain issues and she requested of her department knowledge of the decisions that were made so that she could do the right thing by her contractual obligations to third parties in this State. The minister has told me that the department delivered that decision sheet to her as part of the process of ensuring that she knew what the proper decisions were. That is how it happened. The Leader of the Opposition has not done his homework. Let us refer to the cabinet code on this issue and access to cabinet records. It states - Frequently, Cabinet submissions and decisions will be placed on open departmental files to which access is not necessarily restricted. However, it is generally expected that any requests for access to such documents would be referred to the Cabinet Services Branch for verification and access to. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure was presented with this decision as a result of her request to find out what the cabinet decision was. When the Government of Western Australia is engaged in contractual obligations with third parties, one has to know what those decisions were and what the case was. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr GALLOP: The minister has also indicated that she has written to the director general of the ministry requesting cabinet submissions and decision sheets about a range of matters. Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr GALLOP: The minister has also indicated that she has written to the director general of the ministry requesting cabinet submissions and decision sheets about a range of matters. Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Dr GALLOP: The minister has also indicated that she has written to the director general of the ministry requesting cabinet submissions and decision sheets about a range of matters. Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Mr Barnett: It is not his decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Dr GALLOP: That is right. He will consult with the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Mr Barnett: It is my decision. Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Dr GALLOP: That is right. Has he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition? Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Mr Barnett: The minister did not consult with me before. She had access to other information and she did not consult with me or seek permission. Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Dr GALLOP: That is about other matters and it shows the credentials of the minister. There has been no response on that request yet - Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Mr Barnett: She did not seek permission. Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Dr GALLOP: This is pathetic. I remember in 1993-94 when there was a change of Government in this State. The then coalition party came into this Parliament using all sorts of submissions to the Cabinet about an issue; it was flashing them all over the Table of this Parliament. Last week in this Parliament the Leader of the Opposition spoke about his relationship in the Cabinet with Hon Graham Kierath. He hates Graham Kierath! Did the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, ever leak from his Cabinet? Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Mr Barnett: It is your code of conduct; you must take action. Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
Dr GALLOP: The Leader of the Opposition will not answer the question. Did he ever leak from his Cabinet? If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
If this is the best that the Opposition can do about cabinet standards in this State, then it is a pretty pathetic opposition. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure must know what the decisions were in order to carry out her duties because there are obligations to third parties. It is as simple as that. The Leader of the Opposition is off the ball on this issue. All backbenchers on the Liberal side should take note because one day, we might tell those members what this Leader of the Opposition used to say about them when they were on the government side.
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