❓ Opposition Leader Barnett questions Premier Gallop on the alleged misuse of government funds for party-political purposes via the Government Media Office. The Premier deflects, questioning the Opposition's past practices.
AnsweredQoN 745Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I have a supplementary question. Is the Premier aware that the use of government funds for party-political purposes, such as the Government Media Office preparing material for Labor backbenchers to use in their electorates, is a clear misuse of taxpayers’ funds? Dr G.I. GALLOP
AnswerView source ↗
The Government of Western Australia has a responsibility to inform the people of Western Australia about what it is doing. Members of Parliament have that role in their electorates, as they are entitled to under our system of government. I remember when the former Premier flew over Perth in a helicopter to advertise the sewerage campaign. I will ask the Leader of the Opposition a question: can the Leader of the Opposition guarantee that when he was in government his office never assisted any local members of Parliament to communicate the policies and programs of his portfolio? He will not answer the question. He never does. He should answer the question. Mr C.J. Barnett: I will answer the question. We did not use the Government Media Office to provide material for backbench members. I ask the Premier to be accountable and to answer the question I asked him. Dr G.I. GALLOP: If I, as a member of Parliament, need information about this Government’s budget to distribute in my electorate, I will seek that information from the Government, from ministers’ offices and from the Government Media Office.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: The Government of Western Australia has a responsibility to inform the people of Western Australia about what it is doing. Members of Parliament have that role in their electorates, as they are entitled to under our system of government. I remember when the former Premier flew over Perth in a helicopter to advertise the sewerage campaign. I will ask the Leader of the Opposition a question: can the Leader of the Opposition guarantee that when he was in government his office never assisted any local members of Parliament to communicate the policies and programs of his portfolio? He will not answer the question. He never does. He should answer the question. Mr C.J. Barnett: I will answer the question. We did not use the Government Media Office to provide material for backbench members. I ask the Premier to be accountable and to answer the question I asked him. Dr G.I. GALLOP: If I, as a member of Parliament, need information about this Government’s budget to distribute in my electorate, I will seek that information from the Government, from ministers’ offices and from the Government Media Office.
The Government of Western Australia has a responsibility to inform the people of Western Australia about what it is doing. Members of Parliament have that role in their electorates, as they are entitled to under our system of government. I remember when the former Premier flew over Perth in a helicopter to advertise the sewerage campaign. I will ask the Leader of the Opposition a question: can the Leader of the Opposition guarantee that when he was in government his office never assisted any local members of Parliament to communicate the policies and programs of his portfolio? He will not answer the question. He never does. He should answer the question. Mr C.J. Barnett: I will answer the question. We did not use the Government Media Office to provide material for backbench members. I ask the Premier to be accountable and to answer the question I asked him. Dr G.I. GALLOP: If I, as a member of Parliament, need information about this Government’s budget to distribute in my electorate, I will seek that information from the Government, from ministers’ offices and from the Government Media Office.
Mr C.J. Barnett: I will answer the question. We did not use the Government Media Office to provide material for backbench members. I ask the Premier to be accountable and to answer the question I asked him. Dr G.I. GALLOP: If I, as a member of Parliament, need information about this Government’s budget to distribute in my electorate, I will seek that information from the Government, from ministers’ offices and from the Government Media Office.
Dr G.I. GALLOP: If I, as a member of Parliament, need information about this Government’s budget to distribute in my electorate, I will seek that information from the Government, from ministers’ offices and from the Government Media Office.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: The Government of Western Australia has a responsibility to inform the people of Western Australia about what it is doing. Members of Parliament have that role in their electorates, as they are entitled to under our system of government. I remember when the former Premier flew over Perth in a helicopter to advertise the sewerage campaign. I will ask the Leader of the Opposition a question: can the Leader of the Opposition guarantee that when he was in government his office never assisted any local members of Parliament to communicate the policies and programs of his portfolio? He will not answer the question. He never does. He should answer the question. Mr C.J. Barnett: I will answer the question. We did not use the Government Media Office to provide material for backbench members. I ask the Premier to be accountable and to answer the question I asked him. Dr G.I. GALLOP: If I, as a member of Parliament, need information about this Government’s budget to distribute in my electorate, I will seek that information from the Government, from ministers’ offices and from the Government Media Office.
The Government of Western Australia has a responsibility to inform the people of Western Australia about what it is doing. Members of Parliament have that role in their electorates, as they are entitled to under our system of government. I remember when the former Premier flew over Perth in a helicopter to advertise the sewerage campaign. I will ask the Leader of the Opposition a question: can the Leader of the Opposition guarantee that when he was in government his office never assisted any local members of Parliament to communicate the policies and programs of his portfolio? He will not answer the question. He never does. He should answer the question. Mr C.J. Barnett: I will answer the question. We did not use the Government Media Office to provide material for backbench members. I ask the Premier to be accountable and to answer the question I asked him. Dr G.I. GALLOP: If I, as a member of Parliament, need information about this Government’s budget to distribute in my electorate, I will seek that information from the Government, from ministers’ offices and from the Government Media Office.
Mr C.J. Barnett: I will answer the question. We did not use the Government Media Office to provide material for backbench members. I ask the Premier to be accountable and to answer the question I asked him. Dr G.I. GALLOP: If I, as a member of Parliament, need information about this Government’s budget to distribute in my electorate, I will seek that information from the Government, from ministers’ offices and from the Government Media Office.
Dr G.I. GALLOP: If I, as a member of Parliament, need information about this Government’s budget to distribute in my electorate, I will seek that information from the Government, from ministers’ offices and from the Government Media Office.
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.