❓ Mr. Kirkup questions the Treasurer about actions taken after 2017 to address concerns raised in 2016 regarding Paul Whyte and Craig Dale's services to the Warmun Community. The Treasurer details machinery-of-government changes and past scrutiny of Whyte's conduct.
AnsweredQoN 1086Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PAUL WHYTE–CRAIG DALE — WARMUN
COMMUNITY PROJECT —MEMBER FOR VICTORIA PARK'S COMMENTS
Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY : Mr
Speaker.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : Mr Speaker.
The SPEAKER : Oh—you
were a bit slow, member for Dawesville.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : I was
thrown by the Premier, Mr Speaker.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Dawesville.
1086. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Treasurer:
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I refer to
recent corruption allegations against senior public servant Paul Whyte —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I do not know
who said that, but if I catch them next time, they will get two.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : I am sure
it was the member for Bunbury.
I refer to recent corruption
allegations against senior public servant Paul Whyte and others.
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for Water,
I call you to order for the first time.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : I refer to
recent corruption allegations against senior public servant Paul Whyte and
others, and note that the Treasurer raised issues of concern in 2016 against Mr
Whyte and Mr Dale about services being delivered to the Warmun Community, known
as the Warmun project. What steps did the government take upon winning
government in March 2017 to address those concerns?
COMMUNITY PROJECT —MEMBER FOR VICTORIA PARK'S COMMENTS
Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY : Mr
Speaker.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : Mr Speaker.
The SPEAKER : Oh—you
were a bit slow, member for Dawesville.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : I was
thrown by the Premier, Mr Speaker.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Dawesville.
1086. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Treasurer:
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I refer to
recent corruption allegations against senior public servant Paul Whyte —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I do not know
who said that, but if I catch them next time, they will get two.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : I am sure
it was the member for Bunbury.
I refer to recent corruption
allegations against senior public servant Paul Whyte and others.
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for Water,
I call you to order for the first time.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : I refer to
recent corruption allegations against senior public servant Paul Whyte and
others, and note that the Treasurer raised issues of concern in 2016 against Mr
Whyte and Mr Dale about services being delivered to the Warmun Community, known
as the Warmun project. What steps did the government take upon winning
government in March 2017 to address those concerns?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Dawesville
for finally raising this issue in Parliament.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
B.S. WYATT : It is striking that
it has taken all this time for this issue to be raised. I will deal with some
comments made by the Leader of the Opposition complaining about her
frustration about this issue being raised in light of the fact that she will
not raise it herself in this chamber. Member for Dawesville—good
question. I will raise a couple of points. I
will deal with the back end of the question first, and then deal with the front
end. Essentially, we had significant machinery-of-government change. A couple
of things happened within that: obviously, there was our commitment to reduce the number of government departments,
but also to respond to some of the recommendations from the Langoulant
inquiry on governance. We made those changes, and in my view it is fundamental
as to why we had a different management structure in the Housing Authority and
Mr Whyte's activities were uncovered. Indeed, it is exactly the same
scenario as Mr Peacock in Japan and the North Metropolitan Health Service
corruption scandal. When I caught up with the Auditor General recently, she
made the point that changing lines of management and inquiry are fundamental to
exposing corruption. That is certainly what that did.
Now, going back a step, I note the
former member for Belmont Glenys Godfrey. I was on the Public Accounts
Committee with her. I think it was chaired at the time by Kim Hames, but it may
have been the member for Churchlands. I cannot remember who was chairing at the
time. In an annual report inquiry, it became very clear very quickly for all
members of the committee that the response from Mr Whyte at the Housing
Authority was not sufficient. At the time, we were inquiring into the contract
one of the seven Ministers for Housing in the former government—I think
it may have been Mr Buswell—made with the Transfield Services contract.
Invoices under $500 did not require anything
for them to be paid. Trying to get to the bottom of that was very, very
difficult. Mrs Godfrey, to her credit, wanted to get Mr Whyte back in,
and we got him back in. Mr Whyte and Mr Dale had been on my radar due to the
rebuild of Turkey Creek—the Warmun Aboriginal community that we had to
rebuild after the flood. From memory, most of that was funded by the
commonwealth, but, of course, it is up to the state to do it. Many a report was
made to me about moneys not hitting the ground. That is where he came onto my radar.
We saw in this place a fairly robust critique of Mr Whyte and Mr Dale by both
myself and the then member for Belmont,
Glenys Godfrey. I would have thought that in light of the fact that the Housing
Authority had two qualified audits between 2011 and that Public Accounts
Committee, the then government might have had a look at that. Who did the then
government get to respond, because the government of the day has to respond to
Public Accounts Committee reports? It got Mr Whyte to respond. Is it any surprise
it has been so difficult to find this guy? We came into government, we made the
changes that we committed to and he was discovered. I dare say that as more
evidence is presented to the court, this will go back some way—I
suspect as late as 2008. But if it were not for the reforms announced by the Premier and the Langoulant inquiry that changed
governance structures, he would probably still be there doing what he
had been doing.
for finally raising this issue in Parliament.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
B.S. WYATT : It is striking that
it has taken all this time for this issue to be raised. I will deal with some
comments made by the Leader of the Opposition complaining about her
frustration about this issue being raised in light of the fact that she will
not raise it herself in this chamber. Member for Dawesville—good
question. I will raise a couple of points. I
will deal with the back end of the question first, and then deal with the front
end. Essentially, we had significant machinery-of-government change. A couple
of things happened within that: obviously, there was our commitment to reduce the number of government departments,
but also to respond to some of the recommendations from the Langoulant
inquiry on governance. We made those changes, and in my view it is fundamental
as to why we had a different management structure in the Housing Authority and
Mr Whyte's activities were uncovered. Indeed, it is exactly the same
scenario as Mr Peacock in Japan and the North Metropolitan Health Service
corruption scandal. When I caught up with the Auditor General recently, she
made the point that changing lines of management and inquiry are fundamental to
exposing corruption. That is certainly what that did.
Now, going back a step, I note the
former member for Belmont Glenys Godfrey. I was on the Public Accounts
Committee with her. I think it was chaired at the time by Kim Hames, but it may
have been the member for Churchlands. I cannot remember who was chairing at the
time. In an annual report inquiry, it became very clear very quickly for all
members of the committee that the response from Mr Whyte at the Housing
Authority was not sufficient. At the time, we were inquiring into the contract
one of the seven Ministers for Housing in the former government—I think
it may have been Mr Buswell—made with the Transfield Services contract.
Invoices under $500 did not require anything
for them to be paid. Trying to get to the bottom of that was very, very
difficult. Mrs Godfrey, to her credit, wanted to get Mr Whyte back in,
and we got him back in. Mr Whyte and Mr Dale had been on my radar due to the
rebuild of Turkey Creek—the Warmun Aboriginal community that we had to
rebuild after the flood. From memory, most of that was funded by the
commonwealth, but, of course, it is up to the state to do it. Many a report was
made to me about moneys not hitting the ground. That is where he came onto my radar.
We saw in this place a fairly robust critique of Mr Whyte and Mr Dale by both
myself and the then member for Belmont,
Glenys Godfrey. I would have thought that in light of the fact that the Housing
Authority had two qualified audits between 2011 and that Public Accounts
Committee, the then government might have had a look at that. Who did the then
government get to respond, because the government of the day has to respond to
Public Accounts Committee reports? It got Mr Whyte to respond. Is it any surprise
it has been so difficult to find this guy? We came into government, we made the
changes that we committed to and he was discovered. I dare say that as more
evidence is presented to the court, this will go back some way—I
suspect as late as 2008. But if it were not for the reforms announced by the Premier and the Langoulant inquiry that changed
governance structures, he would probably still be there doing what he
had been doing.
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