❓ Mrs Roberts questions the Minister for Tourism regarding Eventscorp's handling of the Kimberley Ultramarathon funding and risk management, alleging contracts were signed before cabinet approval and raising concerns about competitor numbers and health issues. The Minister deflects, citing an ongoing parliamentary inquiry and accusing Mrs Roberts of political maneuvering.
AnsweredQoN 163Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
KIMBERLEY
ULTRAMARATHON — GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT
163. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the Minister for Tourism:
The minister previously advised that government had agreed to
royalties for regions funding for the Kimberley Ultramarathon—namely,
one amount of funding for RacingThePlanet and another amount of funding for the
company Beyond Action.
(1) Given that
cabinet did not approve the funding for Beyond Action for the Kimberley
Ultramarathon until 22 August 2011, why did the minister's agency,
Eventscorp, sign the contract with Beyond Action on 9 August 2011, nearly two weeks
before cabinet approval?
(2) Is it
standard practice for the minister's agency, Eventscorp, to sign a
contract the day before an event, as it did with RacingThePlanet, and for
Eventscorp not even to sight a risk management plan, required as part of the
contract, until the day before the event?
(3) When did
the minister first become aware that there were to be only 41 competitors,
including Mary Gadams, and not over 100 competitors from over 30 countries as
the minister and Ministers Grylls and Waldron claimed in their press release of
26 August?
(4) Did the
Department of Health raise with the minister any concerns at all about the 2010
Kimberley Ultramarathon; and, if so, what were those concerns and when were
they raised?
ULTRAMARATHON — GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT
163. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the Minister for Tourism:
The minister previously advised that government had agreed to
royalties for regions funding for the Kimberley Ultramarathon—namely,
one amount of funding for RacingThePlanet and another amount of funding for the
company Beyond Action.
(1) Given that
cabinet did not approve the funding for Beyond Action for the Kimberley
Ultramarathon until 22 August 2011, why did the minister's agency,
Eventscorp, sign the contract with Beyond Action on 9 August 2011, nearly two weeks
before cabinet approval?
(2) Is it
standard practice for the minister's agency, Eventscorp, to sign a
contract the day before an event, as it did with RacingThePlanet, and for
Eventscorp not even to sight a risk management plan, required as part of the
contract, until the day before the event?
(3) When did
the minister first become aware that there were to be only 41 competitors,
including Mary Gadams, and not over 100 competitors from over 30 countries as
the minister and Ministers Grylls and Waldron claimed in their press release of
26 August?
(4) Did the
Department of Health raise with the minister any concerns at all about the 2010
Kimberley Ultramarathon; and, if so, what were those concerns and when were
they raised?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(4)
I just want to indicate my unhappiness with the member for Midland, who is part
of a parliamentary committee inquiring —
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
This is about your accountability.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Dr K.D. HAMES :
This is a member who is part of an inquiry, with the support of this
government, into a range of issues surrounding the ultra-marathon.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
You can't hide behind that.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : The committee is doing an inquiry and one of the points that we
made in supporting this member —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : This is about you and your accountability in this place.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I formally call you to order for the first
time today.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : One of the issues that we discussed during the debate on
whether there should be an inquiry, what form that inquiry would take and the
request by the shadow minister, who is not a member of that committee, to be
seconded onto that committee to allow her to participate, was that it was to be
in a fashion that was non-political; therefore, for her to take a non-political
stance —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : There is no information here that isn't available to
the public at the public hearing. I could have sat at the back and known this.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Therefore, it was for her to take a non-political stance in
doing a serious and thorough examination of what occurred in there. For the
member —
Mr
J.N. Hyde : You have just taken a political question from one of your own
members.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Perth! Can I suggest to all members in this place that
I think we should all be aware of what is going on in terms of this inquiry and
the public hearing? I will give the minister an opportunity to answer this. I
will not tolerate any interjections on this whatsoever. Member for Midland, if you
are not satisfied with what you hear from the minister, yes, I will enable you
to ask a supplementary question. If any other member chooses to interject, I
will formally call them to order.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
just think this is a tragic case —
Point of Order
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS :
My point of order, Mr Speaker, is that I understand that my question is in
order, that you have not ruled it out of order and that it is perfectly
acceptable for me to ask these questions. The answer that the minister is
giving is a statement that does not answer any of the questions I have asked.
The SPEAKER : I
recognise your point of order, member for Midland. I will give the minister an
opportunity to answer.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Mr Speaker, in responding to the question, my understanding of
standing orders is that it is up to me to respond in a way that I think is
appropriate to the question and up to you to direct whether you feel that
answer is appropriate. In trying to get my answer out I have had constant
interjections, which has made it extremely difficult to get to say anything,
let alone answer the question. In answering the question, although I am obliged
to address the question that the member for Midland has raised, I am not
obliged to respond specifically to the things she says, if I believe, as I do,
that question is totally inappropriate. It may well be —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen, I only want to hear from one person at this
point; I do not want to hear from anyone else in this place. Member for
Girrawheen, I formally call you to order for the first time today. Minister, I
think I understand what you are saying to the member for Midland. If you have
nothing further to add at this point, I will give the call to the member for
Midland if she seeks a supplementary question. If there are other specifics
that you want to answer at this point, minister, this is the opportunity.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Just to conclude, I believe that if the member wants to ask
details of issues that are raised during the course of a parliamentary
committee inquiry, she should step down from that committee and ask the
question as a shadow minister, not masquerade as a member of an impartial
parliamentary committee doing a serious inquiry and try to pretend —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Mandurah, I formally call you to order for the third
time today. Member for Albany, I formally call you to order for the second time
today. I stood on my feet in this house all but two minutes ago and I said that
I did not want to enter into any interjections on this issue, and that the only
thing I would tolerate would be a further question from the member for Midland.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : The purpose of this inquiry is to have a very serious look at
the issues surrounding what happened; to evaluate all the evidence that is put
forward; to look at the role of state government, particularly Tourism WA, and
at my role to see what that role should be; and to make criticisms of
government or of me if that is what the committee so chooses.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
Dr K.D. HAMES : If
the other committee members do not support the issues that the member is
raising, she is perfectly free to do a minority report. The reality is that she
has the power of this Parliament —
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
So why did you ask Minister MacTiernan questions when you were on the Esperance
inquiry?
The
SPEAKER : I think I understand what you are saying, minister. I hope
everybody else in this place understands. They might not necessarily agree. I
am going to give the call to the member for Midland to ask a supplementary
question.
I just want to indicate my unhappiness with the member for Midland, who is part
of a parliamentary committee inquiring —
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
This is about your accountability.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Dr K.D. HAMES :
This is a member who is part of an inquiry, with the support of this
government, into a range of issues surrounding the ultra-marathon.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
You can't hide behind that.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : The committee is doing an inquiry and one of the points that we
made in supporting this member —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : This is about you and your accountability in this place.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I formally call you to order for the first
time today.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : One of the issues that we discussed during the debate on
whether there should be an inquiry, what form that inquiry would take and the
request by the shadow minister, who is not a member of that committee, to be
seconded onto that committee to allow her to participate, was that it was to be
in a fashion that was non-political; therefore, for her to take a non-political
stance —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : There is no information here that isn't available to
the public at the public hearing. I could have sat at the back and known this.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Therefore, it was for her to take a non-political stance in
doing a serious and thorough examination of what occurred in there. For the
member —
Mr
J.N. Hyde : You have just taken a political question from one of your own
members.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Perth! Can I suggest to all members in this place that
I think we should all be aware of what is going on in terms of this inquiry and
the public hearing? I will give the minister an opportunity to answer this. I
will not tolerate any interjections on this whatsoever. Member for Midland, if you
are not satisfied with what you hear from the minister, yes, I will enable you
to ask a supplementary question. If any other member chooses to interject, I
will formally call them to order.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
just think this is a tragic case —
Point of Order
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS :
My point of order, Mr Speaker, is that I understand that my question is in
order, that you have not ruled it out of order and that it is perfectly
acceptable for me to ask these questions. The answer that the minister is
giving is a statement that does not answer any of the questions I have asked.
The SPEAKER : I
recognise your point of order, member for Midland. I will give the minister an
opportunity to answer.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Mr Speaker, in responding to the question, my understanding of
standing orders is that it is up to me to respond in a way that I think is
appropriate to the question and up to you to direct whether you feel that
answer is appropriate. In trying to get my answer out I have had constant
interjections, which has made it extremely difficult to get to say anything,
let alone answer the question. In answering the question, although I am obliged
to address the question that the member for Midland has raised, I am not
obliged to respond specifically to the things she says, if I believe, as I do,
that question is totally inappropriate. It may well be —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen, I only want to hear from one person at this
point; I do not want to hear from anyone else in this place. Member for
Girrawheen, I formally call you to order for the first time today. Minister, I
think I understand what you are saying to the member for Midland. If you have
nothing further to add at this point, I will give the call to the member for
Midland if she seeks a supplementary question. If there are other specifics
that you want to answer at this point, minister, this is the opportunity.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Just to conclude, I believe that if the member wants to ask
details of issues that are raised during the course of a parliamentary
committee inquiry, she should step down from that committee and ask the
question as a shadow minister, not masquerade as a member of an impartial
parliamentary committee doing a serious inquiry and try to pretend —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Mandurah, I formally call you to order for the third
time today. Member for Albany, I formally call you to order for the second time
today. I stood on my feet in this house all but two minutes ago and I said that
I did not want to enter into any interjections on this issue, and that the only
thing I would tolerate would be a further question from the member for Midland.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : The purpose of this inquiry is to have a very serious look at
the issues surrounding what happened; to evaluate all the evidence that is put
forward; to look at the role of state government, particularly Tourism WA, and
at my role to see what that role should be; and to make criticisms of
government or of me if that is what the committee so chooses.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
Dr K.D. HAMES : If
the other committee members do not support the issues that the member is
raising, she is perfectly free to do a minority report. The reality is that she
has the power of this Parliament —
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
So why did you ask Minister MacTiernan questions when you were on the Esperance
inquiry?
The
SPEAKER : I think I understand what you are saying, minister. I hope
everybody else in this place understands. They might not necessarily agree. I
am going to give the call to the member for Midland to ask a supplementary
question.
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