❓ Opposition MP Kirkup questions the Premier on why the Treasurer, despite knowing about Mr. Whyte's issues in 2016, didn't prevent alleged corruption. The Premier deflects, highlighting actions taken by the current government to uncover the corruption and criticising the previous government's inaction and alleged involvement.
AnsweredQoN 1092Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITIES
— PAUL WHYTE
1092. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
Given the Treasurer's
comments in this place regarding corruption plaguing his government —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Start again.
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Water, you do not have to comment on everything.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : Given the
Treasurer's comments in this place regarding corruption plaguing the
government, can the Premier explain to the house why the Treasurer, as deputy
chair of the investigating parliamentary committee, who had grave issues about
Mr Whyte back in 2016, did absolutely nothing to prevent corruption in the past
three years?
— PAUL WHYTE
1092. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
Given the Treasurer's
comments in this place regarding corruption plaguing his government —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Start again.
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Water, you do not have to comment on everything.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : Given the
Treasurer's comments in this place regarding corruption plaguing the
government, can the Premier explain to the house why the Treasurer, as deputy
chair of the investigating parliamentary committee, who had grave issues about
Mr Whyte back in 2016, did absolutely nothing to prevent corruption in the past
three years?
AnswerView source ↗
A
few things we have done. We uncovered the alleged corruption. We sacked the
individual involved. We stopped his pay. We put in place measures that allowed for
his alleged corruption to be uncovered. The machinery-of-government changes actually meant that his alleged corruption was uncovered. The
Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre laws we passed actually
meant that his transactions were uncovered. The changes we made to the
Corruption and Crime Commission Act actually meant that his assets could be
frozen. We did all those things. Meanwhile, for eight and a half years, when
the former government was in office, the alleged corruption was flourishing!
Week in, week out, it was all flourishing when the former government was in
office. It got a report back in 2011 called the ''value for money''
report that may well have meant, had it been implemented, that his actions
would have been uncovered and what he did would not have taken place at least
from 2011 onwards. What did the former government do? It buried the report, and
the current opposition refuses to release it now. From beyond the political
grave, the opposition is still allowing Mr Whyte's activities not to be
fully revealed. That is what is going on.
The fact that members opposite
would even come in here and ask us a question about this shows what a weak and
useless opposition it is. We heard just now from the Treasurer that the Leader
of the Opposition has not even read the review that she received last week—the
value for money review that the opposition should be releasing. The value for
money review examined the commercial activities of the then Department of
Housing and made further recommendations, we are advised, about changing that.
What did the former government do? I am advised that, on the advice of Mr Whyte,
members of the last government decided not to implement it. I am advised that
ministers of the last government wanted to promote Mr Whyte to head up, for
instance, the Department of Regional Development. I am advised that members of
the last government were very close to Mr Whyte. So, rather than come in here
and raise these allegations, members of the last government should be hanging
their heads in shame.
few things we have done. We uncovered the alleged corruption. We sacked the
individual involved. We stopped his pay. We put in place measures that allowed for
his alleged corruption to be uncovered. The machinery-of-government changes actually meant that his alleged corruption was uncovered. The
Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre laws we passed actually
meant that his transactions were uncovered. The changes we made to the
Corruption and Crime Commission Act actually meant that his assets could be
frozen. We did all those things. Meanwhile, for eight and a half years, when
the former government was in office, the alleged corruption was flourishing!
Week in, week out, it was all flourishing when the former government was in
office. It got a report back in 2011 called the ''value for money''
report that may well have meant, had it been implemented, that his actions
would have been uncovered and what he did would not have taken place at least
from 2011 onwards. What did the former government do? It buried the report, and
the current opposition refuses to release it now. From beyond the political
grave, the opposition is still allowing Mr Whyte's activities not to be
fully revealed. That is what is going on.
The fact that members opposite
would even come in here and ask us a question about this shows what a weak and
useless opposition it is. We heard just now from the Treasurer that the Leader
of the Opposition has not even read the review that she received last week—the
value for money review that the opposition should be releasing. The value for
money review examined the commercial activities of the then Department of
Housing and made further recommendations, we are advised, about changing that.
What did the former government do? I am advised that, on the advice of Mr Whyte,
members of the last government decided not to implement it. I am advised that
ministers of the last government wanted to promote Mr Whyte to head up, for
instance, the Department of Regional Development. I am advised that members of
the last government were very close to Mr Whyte. So, rather than come in here
and raise these allegations, members of the last government should be hanging
their heads in shame.
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