❓ Mrs Roberts questions the Minister for Road Safety on the appointment of a public servant as Road Safety Council chair, resignations from the council, and justification for the current structure. The Minister defends the appointment and outlines the council's activities, acknowledging resignations and addressing concerns about governance and spending.
AnsweredQoN 856Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROAD
SAFETY COUNCIL
856. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the
Minister for Road Safety:
It is over a year
since former Road Safety Council chair Murray Lampard resigned.
(1) What justification can the minister give
for having a public servant continue to chair the Road Safety Council?
(2) Why has the
Department of Health representative resigned from the Road Safety Council?
(3) Have any other
members resigned from the Road Safety Council?
SAFETY COUNCIL
856. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the
Minister for Road Safety:
It is over a year
since former Road Safety Council chair Murray Lampard resigned.
(1) What justification can the minister give
for having a public servant continue to chair the Road Safety Council?
(2) Why has the
Department of Health representative resigned from the Road Safety Council?
(3) Have any other
members resigned from the Road Safety Council?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for this question.
(1)–(3) I do not know what the member
for Midland has against our first Road Safety Commissioner, Kim Papalia, but it
seems to be that between the member for Midland and the member for Hillarys,
they have taken some kind of offence at the appointment of Mr Papalia.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : That is enough. Let the minister answer.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : Mr Papalia is the first Road Safety
Commissioner the state has ever had.
Mr R.F. Johnson interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Hillarys, I call you to order for the first time. Let the
minister answer.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : Mr Kim Papalia, a very honourable
individual, is the very first Road Safety Commissioner the state has had and he
is the chair of the Road Safety Council, as well as being responsible for the
Road Safety Commission. I have canvassed in this place many times the outcomes
of the Browne review of road safety governance. We have beefed up the
governance structure; and, yes, I have made some considerable changes because
they needed to be made. The spend of the Road Safety Commission went from $14 million
when Labor was in government to over $150 million this year. When that happens
we need to change the structure —
Point of Order
Mrs
M.H. ROBERTS : The minister
is not actually addressing the questions that I asked, which are: what is her
justification for having a public servant in the role; and why has the health
department representative resigned and has anyone else resigned from the Road
Safety Council?
The
SPEAKER : Let us hear from
the minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : If the member for Midland attacks public
servants, that is up to her, but Mr Papalia is doing a fantastic job chairing
those Road Safety Council meetings; and, in fact, he had a meeting last week.
Several members
interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : There have been two resignations from the
Road Safety Council. One was Professor Weeramanthri from the Department of
Health; he has stepped down from the Road Safety Council. He had some reasons
for that that I believe were misunderstandings. He took umbrage. There was a section
13 report filed by the Road Safety Council and then there was the annual report
filed by the Road Safety Commission. Professor Weeramanthri took umbrage at
that process. There was nothing inappropriate in the process and Professor Weeramanthri
has resigned. And, still, the RAC representative has also resigned, and the RAC
is currently looking for another representative to sit on our Road Safety
Council. At present the Road Safety Council is moving towards providing me, as
the minister, and the Road Safety Commissioner, Mr Kim Papalia, with advice
with respect to how we are progressing with our Towards Zero strategy and where
are the areas of priority that it feels the government should be focused on,
and it is ensuring that we are addressing the recommendations of the Browne
review into road safety. It is reviewing the results of my wheatbelt highway
safety review to make sure that we are looking after the recommendations of
that review to improve motorcycle safety and safety in the wheatbelt. It is
reviewing the recommendations of our motorcycle safety review. Just last week
we formed a vulnerable road users advisory group that is being chaired and
managed by Kim Papalia, our Road Safety Commissioner, and that is looking at improving
outcomes for our vulnerable road users—pedestrians, motorcyclists,
cyclists et cetera. The Road Safety Council is doing very valuable work under
the chairmanship of Mr Papalia, and I commend the job that Kim Papalia is doing
on behalf of the citizens of Western Australia for road safety.
(1)–(3) I do not know what the member
for Midland has against our first Road Safety Commissioner, Kim Papalia, but it
seems to be that between the member for Midland and the member for Hillarys,
they have taken some kind of offence at the appointment of Mr Papalia.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : That is enough. Let the minister answer.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : Mr Papalia is the first Road Safety
Commissioner the state has ever had.
Mr R.F. Johnson interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Hillarys, I call you to order for the first time. Let the
minister answer.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : Mr Kim Papalia, a very honourable
individual, is the very first Road Safety Commissioner the state has had and he
is the chair of the Road Safety Council, as well as being responsible for the
Road Safety Commission. I have canvassed in this place many times the outcomes
of the Browne review of road safety governance. We have beefed up the
governance structure; and, yes, I have made some considerable changes because
they needed to be made. The spend of the Road Safety Commission went from $14 million
when Labor was in government to over $150 million this year. When that happens
we need to change the structure —
Point of Order
Mrs
M.H. ROBERTS : The minister
is not actually addressing the questions that I asked, which are: what is her
justification for having a public servant in the role; and why has the health
department representative resigned and has anyone else resigned from the Road
Safety Council?
The
SPEAKER : Let us hear from
the minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : If the member for Midland attacks public
servants, that is up to her, but Mr Papalia is doing a fantastic job chairing
those Road Safety Council meetings; and, in fact, he had a meeting last week.
Several members
interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : There have been two resignations from the
Road Safety Council. One was Professor Weeramanthri from the Department of
Health; he has stepped down from the Road Safety Council. He had some reasons
for that that I believe were misunderstandings. He took umbrage. There was a section
13 report filed by the Road Safety Council and then there was the annual report
filed by the Road Safety Commission. Professor Weeramanthri took umbrage at
that process. There was nothing inappropriate in the process and Professor Weeramanthri
has resigned. And, still, the RAC representative has also resigned, and the RAC
is currently looking for another representative to sit on our Road Safety
Council. At present the Road Safety Council is moving towards providing me, as
the minister, and the Road Safety Commissioner, Mr Kim Papalia, with advice
with respect to how we are progressing with our Towards Zero strategy and where
are the areas of priority that it feels the government should be focused on,
and it is ensuring that we are addressing the recommendations of the Browne
review into road safety. It is reviewing the results of my wheatbelt highway
safety review to make sure that we are looking after the recommendations of
that review to improve motorcycle safety and safety in the wheatbelt. It is
reviewing the recommendations of our motorcycle safety review. Just last week
we formed a vulnerable road users advisory group that is being chaired and
managed by Kim Papalia, our Road Safety Commissioner, and that is looking at improving
outcomes for our vulnerable road users—pedestrians, motorcyclists,
cyclists et cetera. The Road Safety Council is doing very valuable work under
the chairmanship of Mr Papalia, and I commend the job that Kim Papalia is doing
on behalf of the citizens of Western Australia for road safety.
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