❓ Hon. Tjorn Sibma questions the Minister for Community Services regarding concerns about Paul Whyte's appointment as acting director general, given prior concerns raised by the Treasurer. The Minister deflects, citing the former director general's discretion.
AnsweredQoN 1478Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITIES
— PAUL WHYTE
1478. Hon TJORN SIBMA to the Leader of the House representing the
Minister for Community Services:
I thought we may have entered the
troppo zone just a bit too early then!
I refer to the minister's
recent answers concerning Mr Paul Whyte, the allegedly corrupt former senior
public servant at the Department of Communities, who acted as director general
in the minister's department, and the concerns the current Treasurer
had about Mr Whyte back in 2016.
(1) Did the
minister raise with Mr Searle any concerns she had about Mr Whyte's
appointment as the acting director general, Department of Communities?
(2) If yes to (1), when?
(3) If no to (1), why not?
(4) As Minister
for Communities, did she at any time raise concerns with any person about any
probity or non-probity concerns she had about Mr Paul Whyte?
(5) If yes to (4), when and with
whom?
(6) If no to (4), why not?
— PAUL WHYTE
1478. Hon TJORN SIBMA to the Leader of the House representing the
Minister for Community Services:
I thought we may have entered the
troppo zone just a bit too early then!
I refer to the minister's
recent answers concerning Mr Paul Whyte, the allegedly corrupt former senior
public servant at the Department of Communities, who acted as director general
in the minister's department, and the concerns the current Treasurer
had about Mr Whyte back in 2016.
(1) Did the
minister raise with Mr Searle any concerns she had about Mr Whyte's
appointment as the acting director general, Department of Communities?
(2) If yes to (1), when?
(3) If no to (1), why not?
(4) As Minister
for Communities, did she at any time raise concerns with any person about any
probity or non-probity concerns she had about Mr Paul Whyte?
(5) If yes to (4), when and with
whom?
(6) If no to (4), why not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(6) Under
the Public Sector Management Act 1994, the former director general, Mr Grahame
Searle, delegated his duties to Mr Paul Whyte at his discretion. I accepted Mr
Searle's advice on this occasion, given
Mr Whyte's various periods of acting as director general for the
Department of Regional Development and the Housing Authority between
2014 and 2017.
some notice of the question.
(1)–(6) Under
the Public Sector Management Act 1994, the former director general, Mr Grahame
Searle, delegated his duties to Mr Paul Whyte at his discretion. I accepted Mr
Searle's advice on this occasion, given
Mr Whyte's various periods of acting as director general for the
Department of Regional Development and the Housing Authority between
2014 and 2017.
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