❓ A parliamentary question seeks the names of councils for and against amalgamations, but the Minister declines to provide them, citing discrepancies between submissions and actual council positions.
AnsweredQoN 253Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS - AMALGAMATIONS
I ask this question on behalf of Hon Robyn McSweeney. I refer to question without notice 202 asked on 2 May. (1) Will the minister provide the names of the 62 councils who were in favour of amalgamations? (2) Will the minister provide the names of the 72 councils who were against amalgamations? Hon JON FORD
I ask this question on behalf of Hon Robyn McSweeney. I refer to question without notice 202 asked on 2 May. (1) Will the minister provide the names of the 62 councils who were in favour of amalgamations? (2) Will the minister provide the names of the 72 councils who were against amalgamations? Hon JON FORD
AnswerView source ↗
I thank Hon Simon O’Brien on behalf of Hon Robyn McSweeney for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) In response to question without notice 202, I indicated that of the 233 submissions received by the advisory board, 62 were in favour of amalgamation and 72 were against amalgamation. The number of submissions for or against amalgamation does not necessarily equate to the number of councils for or against amalgamation. By way of explanation, if the mayor of one council says that he or she is pro amalgamation, that does not mean that all other councillors support that position. My experience with councillors is now becoming very similar to my experience with fishermen: what they say in their peak bodies and forums - not all the time, but often - is completely different from what they say in the press. Unfortunately, it is unsafe to make that division.
(1) Will the minister provide the names of the 62 councils who were in favour of amalgamations? (2) Will the minister provide the names of the 72 councils who were against amalgamations? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Simon O’Brien on behalf of Hon Robyn McSweeney for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) In response to question without notice 202, I indicated that of the 233 submissions received by the advisory board, 62 were in favour of amalgamation and 72 were against amalgamation. The number of submissions for or against amalgamation does not necessarily equate to the number of councils for or against amalgamation. By way of explanation, if the mayor of one council says that he or she is pro amalgamation, that does not mean that all other councillors support that position. My experience with councillors is now becoming very similar to my experience with fishermen: what they say in their peak bodies and forums - not all the time, but often - is completely different from what they say in the press. Unfortunately, it is unsafe to make that division.
(2) Will the minister provide the names of the 72 councils who were against amalgamations? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Simon O’Brien on behalf of Hon Robyn McSweeney for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) In response to question without notice 202, I indicated that of the 233 submissions received by the advisory board, 62 were in favour of amalgamation and 72 were against amalgamation. The number of submissions for or against amalgamation does not necessarily equate to the number of councils for or against amalgamation. By way of explanation, if the mayor of one council says that he or she is pro amalgamation, that does not mean that all other councillors support that position. My experience with councillors is now becoming very similar to my experience with fishermen: what they say in their peak bodies and forums - not all the time, but often - is completely different from what they say in the press. Unfortunately, it is unsafe to make that division.
Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Simon O’Brien on behalf of Hon Robyn McSweeney for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) In response to question without notice 202, I indicated that of the 233 submissions received by the advisory board, 62 were in favour of amalgamation and 72 were against amalgamation. The number of submissions for or against amalgamation does not necessarily equate to the number of councils for or against amalgamation. By way of explanation, if the mayor of one council says that he or she is pro amalgamation, that does not mean that all other councillors support that position. My experience with councillors is now becoming very similar to my experience with fishermen: what they say in their peak bodies and forums - not all the time, but often - is completely different from what they say in the press. Unfortunately, it is unsafe to make that division.
I thank Hon Simon O’Brien on behalf of Hon Robyn McSweeney for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) In response to question without notice 202, I indicated that of the 233 submissions received by the advisory board, 62 were in favour of amalgamation and 72 were against amalgamation. The number of submissions for or against amalgamation does not necessarily equate to the number of councils for or against amalgamation. By way of explanation, if the mayor of one council says that he or she is pro amalgamation, that does not mean that all other councillors support that position. My experience with councillors is now becoming very similar to my experience with fishermen: what they say in their peak bodies and forums - not all the time, but often - is completely different from what they say in the press. Unfortunately, it is unsafe to make that division.
(1)-(2) In response to question without notice 202, I indicated that of the 233 submissions received by the advisory board, 62 were in favour of amalgamation and 72 were against amalgamation. The number of submissions for or against amalgamation does not necessarily equate to the number of councils for or against amalgamation. By way of explanation, if the mayor of one council says that he or she is pro amalgamation, that does not mean that all other councillors support that position. My experience with councillors is now becoming very similar to my experience with fishermen: what they say in their peak bodies and forums - not all the time, but often - is completely different from what they say in the press. Unfortunately, it is unsafe to make that division.
(1) Will the minister provide the names of the 62 councils who were in favour of amalgamations? (2) Will the minister provide the names of the 72 councils who were against amalgamations? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Simon O’Brien on behalf of Hon Robyn McSweeney for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) In response to question without notice 202, I indicated that of the 233 submissions received by the advisory board, 62 were in favour of amalgamation and 72 were against amalgamation. The number of submissions for or against amalgamation does not necessarily equate to the number of councils for or against amalgamation. By way of explanation, if the mayor of one council says that he or she is pro amalgamation, that does not mean that all other councillors support that position. My experience with councillors is now becoming very similar to my experience with fishermen: what they say in their peak bodies and forums - not all the time, but often - is completely different from what they say in the press. Unfortunately, it is unsafe to make that division.
(2) Will the minister provide the names of the 72 councils who were against amalgamations? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Simon O’Brien on behalf of Hon Robyn McSweeney for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) In response to question without notice 202, I indicated that of the 233 submissions received by the advisory board, 62 were in favour of amalgamation and 72 were against amalgamation. The number of submissions for or against amalgamation does not necessarily equate to the number of councils for or against amalgamation. By way of explanation, if the mayor of one council says that he or she is pro amalgamation, that does not mean that all other councillors support that position. My experience with councillors is now becoming very similar to my experience with fishermen: what they say in their peak bodies and forums - not all the time, but often - is completely different from what they say in the press. Unfortunately, it is unsafe to make that division.
Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Simon O’Brien on behalf of Hon Robyn McSweeney for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) In response to question without notice 202, I indicated that of the 233 submissions received by the advisory board, 62 were in favour of amalgamation and 72 were against amalgamation. The number of submissions for or against amalgamation does not necessarily equate to the number of councils for or against amalgamation. By way of explanation, if the mayor of one council says that he or she is pro amalgamation, that does not mean that all other councillors support that position. My experience with councillors is now becoming very similar to my experience with fishermen: what they say in their peak bodies and forums - not all the time, but often - is completely different from what they say in the press. Unfortunately, it is unsafe to make that division.
I thank Hon Simon O’Brien on behalf of Hon Robyn McSweeney for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) In response to question without notice 202, I indicated that of the 233 submissions received by the advisory board, 62 were in favour of amalgamation and 72 were against amalgamation. The number of submissions for or against amalgamation does not necessarily equate to the number of councils for or against amalgamation. By way of explanation, if the mayor of one council says that he or she is pro amalgamation, that does not mean that all other councillors support that position. My experience with councillors is now becoming very similar to my experience with fishermen: what they say in their peak bodies and forums - not all the time, but often - is completely different from what they say in the press. Unfortunately, it is unsafe to make that division.
(1)-(2) In response to question without notice 202, I indicated that of the 233 submissions received by the advisory board, 62 were in favour of amalgamation and 72 were against amalgamation. The number of submissions for or against amalgamation does not necessarily equate to the number of councils for or against amalgamation. By way of explanation, if the mayor of one council says that he or she is pro amalgamation, that does not mean that all other councillors support that position. My experience with councillors is now becoming very similar to my experience with fishermen: what they say in their peak bodies and forums - not all the time, but often - is completely different from what they say in the press. Unfortunately, it is unsafe to make that division.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.