❓ Opposition questions Premier Carpenter about alleged dealings with Brian Burke to secure the premiership and subsequent cabinet appointments. Carpenter denies the allegations and downplays the significance of any contact.
AnsweredQoN 1Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PREMIER - BRIAN BURKE CANDIDATE
I remind the Premier of his comments in this house on 21 November last year when asked whether any of his colleagues had negotiated a deal with Brian Burke to secure his position as Premier. He stated - What an outrageous suggestion of the great Australian Labor Party - the good men and women of the state Labor Party. What a shocking suggestion. . . . I do not have to ask my members those sorts of ridiculous conspiratorial questions. (1) Did the Premier read the transcripts from the Corruption and Crime Commission yesterday when the member for Murchison-Eyre, the Premier’s numbers man, revealed that he had contacted Brian Burke to secure Mr Burke’s support for his candidate for Premier? (2) Can the Premier confirm that he is that candidate? (3) Can the Premier confirm that, as part of his grubby little deal, the member for Murchison-Eyre was put in charge of the sensitive resources development portfolio, and the former member for Peel was put into the cabinet? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
I remind the Premier of his comments in this house on 21 November last year when asked whether any of his colleagues had negotiated a deal with Brian Burke to secure his position as Premier. He stated - What an outrageous suggestion of the great Australian Labor Party - the good men and women of the state Labor Party. What a shocking suggestion. . . . I do not have to ask my members those sorts of ridiculous conspiratorial questions. (1) Did the Premier read the transcripts from the Corruption and Crime Commission yesterday when the member for Murchison-Eyre, the Premier’s numbers man, revealed that he had contacted Brian Burke to secure Mr Burke’s support for his candidate for Premier? (2) Can the Premier confirm that he is that candidate? (3) Can the Premier confirm that, as part of his grubby little deal, the member for Murchison-Eyre was put in charge of the sensitive resources development portfolio, and the former member for Peel was put into the cabinet? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(3) I could not keep up. There were a lot of sub-parts to the question. On a basic run through them, the answer is “no” to all those propositions being put. Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
He stated - What an outrageous suggestion of the great Australian Labor Party - the good men and women of the state Labor Party. What a shocking suggestion. . . . I do not have to ask my members those sorts of ridiculous conspiratorial questions. (1) Did the Premier read the transcripts from the Corruption and Crime Commission yesterday when the member for Murchison-Eyre, the Premier’s numbers man, revealed that he had contacted Brian Burke to secure Mr Burke’s support for his candidate for Premier? (2) Can the Premier confirm that he is that candidate? (3) Can the Premier confirm that, as part of his grubby little deal, the member for Murchison-Eyre was put in charge of the sensitive resources development portfolio, and the former member for Peel was put into the cabinet? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(3) I could not keep up. There were a lot of sub-parts to the question. On a basic run through them, the answer is “no” to all those propositions being put. Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
. . . I do not have to ask my members those sorts of ridiculous conspiratorial questions.
I do not have to ask my members those sorts of ridiculous conspiratorial questions.
(2) Can the Premier confirm that he is that candidate? (3) Can the Premier confirm that, as part of his grubby little deal, the member for Murchison-Eyre was put in charge of the sensitive resources development portfolio, and the former member for Peel was put into the cabinet? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(3) I could not keep up. There were a lot of sub-parts to the question. On a basic run through them, the answer is “no” to all those propositions being put. Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
(3) Can the Premier confirm that, as part of his grubby little deal, the member for Murchison-Eyre was put in charge of the sensitive resources development portfolio, and the former member for Peel was put into the cabinet? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(3) I could not keep up. There were a lot of sub-parts to the question. On a basic run through them, the answer is “no” to all those propositions being put. Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(3) I could not keep up. There were a lot of sub-parts to the question. On a basic run through them, the answer is “no” to all those propositions being put. Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(3) I could not keep up. There were a lot of sub-parts to the question. On a basic run through them, the answer is “no” to all those propositions being put. Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
(1)-(3) I could not keep up. There were a lot of sub-parts to the question. On a basic run through them, the answer is “no” to all those propositions being put. Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
He stated - What an outrageous suggestion of the great Australian Labor Party - the good men and women of the state Labor Party. What a shocking suggestion. . . . I do not have to ask my members those sorts of ridiculous conspiratorial questions. (1) Did the Premier read the transcripts from the Corruption and Crime Commission yesterday when the member for Murchison-Eyre, the Premier’s numbers man, revealed that he had contacted Brian Burke to secure Mr Burke’s support for his candidate for Premier? (2) Can the Premier confirm that he is that candidate? (3) Can the Premier confirm that, as part of his grubby little deal, the member for Murchison-Eyre was put in charge of the sensitive resources development portfolio, and the former member for Peel was put into the cabinet? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(3) I could not keep up. There were a lot of sub-parts to the question. On a basic run through them, the answer is “no” to all those propositions being put. Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
. . . I do not have to ask my members those sorts of ridiculous conspiratorial questions.
I do not have to ask my members those sorts of ridiculous conspiratorial questions.
(2) Can the Premier confirm that he is that candidate? (3) Can the Premier confirm that, as part of his grubby little deal, the member for Murchison-Eyre was put in charge of the sensitive resources development portfolio, and the former member for Peel was put into the cabinet? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(3) I could not keep up. There were a lot of sub-parts to the question. On a basic run through them, the answer is “no” to all those propositions being put. Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
(3) Can the Premier confirm that, as part of his grubby little deal, the member for Murchison-Eyre was put in charge of the sensitive resources development portfolio, and the former member for Peel was put into the cabinet? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(3) I could not keep up. There were a lot of sub-parts to the question. On a basic run through them, the answer is “no” to all those propositions being put. Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(3) I could not keep up. There were a lot of sub-parts to the question. On a basic run through them, the answer is “no” to all those propositions being put. Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(3) I could not keep up. There were a lot of sub-parts to the question. On a basic run through them, the answer is “no” to all those propositions being put. Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
(1)-(3) I could not keep up. There were a lot of sub-parts to the question. On a basic run through them, the answer is “no” to all those propositions being put. Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr P.D. Omodei : So you didn’t read the transcripts of the - Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, I did read the transcripts, but the Leader of the Opposition’s questions were about who did what to whom and why. It is a flight of fancy. I am aware that some dates were mentioned in the transcript. My understanding - this is from my memory - is that the phone call, the e-mail or the message that was left was on 31 January. I was sworn in as the Premier on 25 January. It is a long time to say “thank you”, six days later. I think that there was the cabinet election for the - Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr T. Buswell : Who would Mr Burke’s candidate for cabinet have been? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question, though, is it? Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr T. Buswell : Who would it have been, though? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : That is not the point of the question. I had absolutely no contact with Brian Burke. I had one phone call from Brian Burke last year, and I think I have said that. Very surprisingly, about midyear, I received a call on my mobile phone and found that it was Brian Burke. I asked, “How did you get my number?” He said, “Don’t worry about that”, and then he complained about a story about his daughter in The West Australian newspaper, and seemed to be asserting that I had something to do with it. I immediately got a new phone with a different number.
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