❓ Opposition MP Rita Saffioti questions Minister for Sport and Recreation Mia Davies regarding statements made about the Auditor General's report on the Perth Stadium's Westadium contract, specifically concerning the release of information. Saffioti accuses Davies of misleading the house, while Davies defends her statements as accurate.
AnsweredQoN 708Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH STADIUM — WESTADIUM CONTRACT — AUDITOR GENERAL'S
REPORT
708. Ms R. SAFFIOTI to the
Minister for Sport and Recreation:
I refer to the
minister's answer in this place yesterday about disclosure of
information about Perth Stadium to the Auditor General, when the minister said
that the Auditor General had said that ''we had made a reasonable
decision''. I also refer to comments on radio in which the minister said
that, overall, the Auditor General has found that we have made reasonable
decisions in relation to the release of information.
(1) Can the minister confirm that the Auditor
General's report stated, and I quote, ''I am unable to form an
opinion whether those decisions were reasonable and appropriate''?
(2) Why did the
minister mislead the house yesterday on this very important issue?
(3) Will the minister now apologise to the
public and this house for misleading on the Auditor General's view on
this matter?
REPORT
708. Ms R. SAFFIOTI to the
Minister for Sport and Recreation:
I refer to the
minister's answer in this place yesterday about disclosure of
information about Perth Stadium to the Auditor General, when the minister said
that the Auditor General had said that ''we had made a reasonable
decision''. I also refer to comments on radio in which the minister said
that, overall, the Auditor General has found that we have made reasonable
decisions in relation to the release of information.
(1) Can the minister confirm that the Auditor
General's report stated, and I quote, ''I am unable to form an
opinion whether those decisions were reasonable and appropriate''?
(2) Why did the
minister mislead the house yesterday on this very important issue?
(3) Will the minister now apologise to the
public and this house for misleading on the Auditor General's view on
this matter?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) The member opposite should
apologise to the house for misleading the house on the information that I provided
yesterday, which was entirely accurate. I said that there were four occasions
when I and the previous Minister for Sport and Recreation made the decision to
not release information on the grounds of commercial-in-confidence. The Auditor
General measured those four occasions against four criteria. On three of those
occasions we were found to have made reasonable decisions in the eyes of the
Auditor General. On the fourth, bearing in mind that there are four criteria
that we need to meet, we met three of the four. On the final criterion he said
that he could not form an opinion, which is what I said yesterday—could
not form an opinion.
Mr W.J. Johnston : That is not what you said.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : It is exactly what I said consistently,
outside this house and on this floor; that he could not form an opinion because
he could not access legal information that had been provided to us. So,
overall, that report did find that we had been making reasonable decisions to
withhold commercial-in-confidence information.
Mr W.J. Johnston : It did not.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Ms M.J. DAVIES : Read the report, member!
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Cannington, I call you to order for the second time.
apologise to the house for misleading the house on the information that I provided
yesterday, which was entirely accurate. I said that there were four occasions
when I and the previous Minister for Sport and Recreation made the decision to
not release information on the grounds of commercial-in-confidence. The Auditor
General measured those four occasions against four criteria. On three of those
occasions we were found to have made reasonable decisions in the eyes of the
Auditor General. On the fourth, bearing in mind that there are four criteria
that we need to meet, we met three of the four. On the final criterion he said
that he could not form an opinion, which is what I said yesterday—could
not form an opinion.
Mr W.J. Johnston : That is not what you said.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : It is exactly what I said consistently,
outside this house and on this floor; that he could not form an opinion because
he could not access legal information that had been provided to us. So,
overall, that report did find that we had been making reasonable decisions to
withhold commercial-in-confidence information.
Mr W.J. Johnston : It did not.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Ms M.J. DAVIES : Read the report, member!
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Cannington, I call you to order for the second time.
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