A parliamentary question regarding the release of documents related to the appointment of Neale Fong, given a Corruption and Crime Commission investigation. The Attorney General's response is vague, stating compliance with FOI law.

AnsweredQoN 608Legislative Assembly
Asked
23 October 2007
Portfolio
Attorney General

QuestionView source ↗

DR NEALE FONG - OPPOSITION FREEDOM OF INFORMATION APPLICATION
I would like to recognise in the public gallery today students from Penrhos College and Kent Street Senior High School. I welcome them to Parliament House. I refer to my office’s freedom of information application to uncover the process leading to the appointment of Australia’s highest paid bureaucrat, Neale Fong. Given the Corruption and Crime Commission investigation into Neale Fong, I ask - (1) Why has the Attorney General failed to release 36 of the 49 documents that were asked for? (2) Of the remaining documents, why has the Attorney General blacked out large amounts of those documents? (3) Does the Attorney General not believe that the people of Western Australia deserve to know the truth behind the appointment of Neale Fong; and, if not, what is he hiding from? Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What about the truth of the billion-dollar sale of Westrail? The SPEAKER : I was sure that the Attorney General was asked that question. Maybe he was not, but I am sure he stood up. I call the Attorney General. Mr J.A. McGINTY

AnswerView source ↗

(1)-(3) The information would have been provided in accordance with the relevant FOI law. What was required to be disclosed would have been disclosed. I am certain of that. I am sure that the public is very aware of all the circumstances surrounding Dr Fong’s appointment.
I refer to my office’s freedom of information application to uncover the process leading to the appointment of Australia’s highest paid bureaucrat, Neale Fong. Given the Corruption and Crime Commission investigation into Neale Fong, I ask - (1) Why has the Attorney General failed to release 36 of the 49 documents that were asked for? (2) Of the remaining documents, why has the Attorney General blacked out large amounts of those documents? (3) Does the Attorney General not believe that the people of Western Australia deserve to know the truth behind the appointment of Neale Fong; and, if not, what is he hiding from? Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What about the truth of the billion-dollar sale of Westrail? The SPEAKER : I was sure that the Attorney General was asked that question. Maybe he was not, but I am sure he stood up. I call the Attorney General. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) The information would have been provided in accordance with the relevant FOI law. What was required to be disclosed would have been disclosed. I am certain of that. I am sure that the public is very aware of all the circumstances surrounding Dr Fong’s appointment.
(1) Why has the Attorney General failed to release 36 of the 49 documents that were asked for? (2) Of the remaining documents, why has the Attorney General blacked out large amounts of those documents? (3) Does the Attorney General not believe that the people of Western Australia deserve to know the truth behind the appointment of Neale Fong; and, if not, what is he hiding from? Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What about the truth of the billion-dollar sale of Westrail? The SPEAKER : I was sure that the Attorney General was asked that question. Maybe he was not, but I am sure he stood up. I call the Attorney General. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) The information would have been provided in accordance with the relevant FOI law. What was required to be disclosed would have been disclosed. I am certain of that. I am sure that the public is very aware of all the circumstances surrounding Dr Fong’s appointment.
(2) Of the remaining documents, why has the Attorney General blacked out large amounts of those documents? (3) Does the Attorney General not believe that the people of Western Australia deserve to know the truth behind the appointment of Neale Fong; and, if not, what is he hiding from? Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What about the truth of the billion-dollar sale of Westrail? The SPEAKER : I was sure that the Attorney General was asked that question. Maybe he was not, but I am sure he stood up. I call the Attorney General. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) The information would have been provided in accordance with the relevant FOI law. What was required to be disclosed would have been disclosed. I am certain of that. I am sure that the public is very aware of all the circumstances surrounding Dr Fong’s appointment.
(3) Does the Attorney General not believe that the people of Western Australia deserve to know the truth behind the appointment of Neale Fong; and, if not, what is he hiding from? Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What about the truth of the billion-dollar sale of Westrail? The SPEAKER : I was sure that the Attorney General was asked that question. Maybe he was not, but I am sure he stood up. I call the Attorney General. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) The information would have been provided in accordance with the relevant FOI law. What was required to be disclosed would have been disclosed. I am certain of that. I am sure that the public is very aware of all the circumstances surrounding Dr Fong’s appointment.
Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What about the truth of the billion-dollar sale of Westrail? The SPEAKER : I was sure that the Attorney General was asked that question. Maybe he was not, but I am sure he stood up. I call the Attorney General. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) The information would have been provided in accordance with the relevant FOI law. What was required to be disclosed would have been disclosed. I am certain of that. I am sure that the public is very aware of all the circumstances surrounding Dr Fong’s appointment.
The SPEAKER : I was sure that the Attorney General was asked that question. Maybe he was not, but I am sure he stood up. I call the Attorney General. Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) The information would have been provided in accordance with the relevant FOI law. What was required to be disclosed would have been disclosed. I am certain of that. I am sure that the public is very aware of all the circumstances surrounding Dr Fong’s appointment.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) The information would have been provided in accordance with the relevant FOI law. What was required to be disclosed would have been disclosed. I am certain of that. I am sure that the public is very aware of all the circumstances surrounding Dr Fong’s appointment.
(1)-(3) The information would have been provided in accordance with the relevant FOI law. What was required to be disclosed would have been disclosed. I am certain of that. I am sure that the public is very aware of all the circumstances surrounding Dr Fong’s appointment.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more