❓ Mrs Roberts questions the Premier about an allegedly inappropriate email sent by a senior staff member to a journalist. The Premier acknowledges the email was inappropriate, states the staff member apologised, and clarifies it was initially sent to another staff member in error.
AnsweredQoN 994Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PREMIER'S
OFFICE — EMAILS — JOURNALISTS
994. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the
Premier:
I refer to the troubling allegations of inappropriate emails
to journalists from within the office of Premier and cabinet.
(1) Can the
Premier confirm that a senior member of his staff sent an inappropriate,
abusive and bullying email containing the term ''sanctimonious moll''
to the ABC following a story by Jessica Strutt on Monday night?
(2) Was there a response from the ABC to this email?
(3) Is the
Premier happy to employ someone who uses language that denigrates women, or are
these the kinds of standards that the Premier promotes in his office?
OFFICE — EMAILS — JOURNALISTS
994. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the
Premier:
I refer to the troubling allegations of inappropriate emails
to journalists from within the office of Premier and cabinet.
(1) Can the
Premier confirm that a senior member of his staff sent an inappropriate,
abusive and bullying email containing the term ''sanctimonious moll''
to the ABC following a story by Jessica Strutt on Monday night?
(2) Was there a response from the ABC to this email?
(3) Is the
Premier happy to employ someone who uses language that denigrates women, or are
these the kinds of standards that the Premier promotes in his office?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I do not monitor
emails from my staff. I have confidence —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I am answering the member's question. The member's
last comment implied that the email was from a male to a female.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
No, it did not.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Yes, it did. For the record, it was not. It is inappropriate for the member for
Midland to name people as she did.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Who
has been named?
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
She named a journalist.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order,
members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
What the member has done is pretty sleazy, but —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order, members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
However, I do not think it is appropriate. What the member just did is not
something that I would do in this Parliament.
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I would not, and I would not call people racist either.
However, the member of staff who had sent an email, which was inappropriate,
came to me yesterday and made that clear. That member of staff has also
apologised for that and I accept it. It was an inappropriate —
Mr
M. McGowan interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : It was an inappropriate email. I am not defending it; it was
inappropriate. I set standards. Look at the history of this government.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : It was inappropriate. The member of staff who sent that did
it in a casual way —
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Are members opposite going to listen or not? The email was
sent to a fellow staff member in error. I am not excusing it; it was
inappropriate. It was sent to a fellow staff member and then, inadvertently, by
the person in question, sent to a journalist outside and became public.
Mr J.R. Quigley interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
No, I am not saying that it is all right at all, member for Butler; I am saying
that it is inappropriate. The member of staff apologised for that —
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany, I call you to order for the first time. Let us bring this to
a close.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
It was inappropriate. The member of staff apologised, and that is it.
emails from my staff. I have confidence —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I am answering the member's question. The member's
last comment implied that the email was from a male to a female.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
No, it did not.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Yes, it did. For the record, it was not. It is inappropriate for the member for
Midland to name people as she did.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Who
has been named?
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
She named a journalist.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order,
members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
What the member has done is pretty sleazy, but —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order, members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
However, I do not think it is appropriate. What the member just did is not
something that I would do in this Parliament.
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I would not, and I would not call people racist either.
However, the member of staff who had sent an email, which was inappropriate,
came to me yesterday and made that clear. That member of staff has also
apologised for that and I accept it. It was an inappropriate —
Mr
M. McGowan interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : It was an inappropriate email. I am not defending it; it was
inappropriate. I set standards. Look at the history of this government.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : It was inappropriate. The member of staff who sent that did
it in a casual way —
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Are members opposite going to listen or not? The email was
sent to a fellow staff member in error. I am not excusing it; it was
inappropriate. It was sent to a fellow staff member and then, inadvertently, by
the person in question, sent to a journalist outside and became public.
Mr J.R. Quigley interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
No, I am not saying that it is all right at all, member for Butler; I am saying
that it is inappropriate. The member of staff apologised for that —
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany, I call you to order for the first time. Let us bring this to
a close.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
It was inappropriate. The member of staff apologised, and that is it.
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