❓ A WA MP questions the Premier about the use of taxpayer money in a High Court action regarding federal industrial relations laws, accusing the government of hypocrisy. The Premier defends the intervention, citing the need to ensure proper federal spending and protect WA's parliamentary powers.
AnsweredQoN 366Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the highly political joint High Court action involving the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the federal Labor Party, which are opposing the federal government’s advertising campaign to explain the federal industrial relations laws, and to the fact that the Attorney General now intends to formally intervene in this case. (1) Given that the Attorney General confirmed in a media report on 12 August that he is intervening on behalf of the ACTU and the Labor Party, can the Premier confirm that no taxpayers’ money will be spent on this deliberately political court action; and, if not, will he undertake to table in this house the full costing details? (2) Given that this government spent $256 000 of Western Australian taxpayers’ money on its own advertising campaign opposing these IR changes, does the Premier agree that the Attorney General’s intervention in this case represents breathtaking hypocrisy of the highest order? Dr G.I. GALLOP
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) I will answer the last question first: no. In relation to this question, important principles are involved. We want to make sure that when the federal government spends our money, it spends it with proper authority. Of course, we have an interest in that, as every taxpayer in Western Australia has an interest in that, and that is why we will be party to that action in the High Court. The second point I make is that the state of Western Australia has a responsibility to protect its institutions. The most important institution we have a responsibility to protect is the Parliament of Western Australia and its ability to pass laws to protect the wages and conditions of workers throughout this state.
(1) Given that the Attorney General confirmed in a media report on 12 August that he is intervening on behalf of the ACTU and the Labor Party, can the Premier confirm that no taxpayers’ money will be spent on this deliberately political court action; and, if not, will he undertake to table in this house the full costing details? (2) Given that this government spent $256 000 of Western Australian taxpayers’ money on its own advertising campaign opposing these IR changes, does the Premier agree that the Attorney General’s intervention in this case represents breathtaking hypocrisy of the highest order? Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I will answer the last question first: no. In relation to this question, important principles are involved. We want to make sure that when the federal government spends our money, it spends it with proper authority. Of course, we have an interest in that, as every taxpayer in Western Australia has an interest in that, and that is why we will be party to that action in the High Court. The second point I make is that the state of Western Australia has a responsibility to protect its institutions. The most important institution we have a responsibility to protect is the Parliament of Western Australia and its ability to pass laws to protect the wages and conditions of workers throughout this state.
(2) Given that this government spent $256 000 of Western Australian taxpayers’ money on its own advertising campaign opposing these IR changes, does the Premier agree that the Attorney General’s intervention in this case represents breathtaking hypocrisy of the highest order? Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I will answer the last question first: no. In relation to this question, important principles are involved. We want to make sure that when the federal government spends our money, it spends it with proper authority. Of course, we have an interest in that, as every taxpayer in Western Australia has an interest in that, and that is why we will be party to that action in the High Court. The second point I make is that the state of Western Australia has a responsibility to protect its institutions. The most important institution we have a responsibility to protect is the Parliament of Western Australia and its ability to pass laws to protect the wages and conditions of workers throughout this state.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I will answer the last question first: no. In relation to this question, important principles are involved. We want to make sure that when the federal government spends our money, it spends it with proper authority. Of course, we have an interest in that, as every taxpayer in Western Australia has an interest in that, and that is why we will be party to that action in the High Court. The second point I make is that the state of Western Australia has a responsibility to protect its institutions. The most important institution we have a responsibility to protect is the Parliament of Western Australia and its ability to pass laws to protect the wages and conditions of workers throughout this state.
(1)-(2) I will answer the last question first: no. In relation to this question, important principles are involved. We want to make sure that when the federal government spends our money, it spends it with proper authority. Of course, we have an interest in that, as every taxpayer in Western Australia has an interest in that, and that is why we will be party to that action in the High Court. The second point I make is that the state of Western Australia has a responsibility to protect its institutions. The most important institution we have a responsibility to protect is the Parliament of Western Australia and its ability to pass laws to protect the wages and conditions of workers throughout this state.
In relation to this question, important principles are involved. We want to make sure that when the federal government spends our money, it spends it with proper authority. Of course, we have an interest in that, as every taxpayer in Western Australia has an interest in that, and that is why we will be party to that action in the High Court. The second point I make is that the state of Western Australia has a responsibility to protect its institutions. The most important institution we have a responsibility to protect is the Parliament of Western Australia and its ability to pass laws to protect the wages and conditions of workers throughout this state.
(1) Given that the Attorney General confirmed in a media report on 12 August that he is intervening on behalf of the ACTU and the Labor Party, can the Premier confirm that no taxpayers’ money will be spent on this deliberately political court action; and, if not, will he undertake to table in this house the full costing details? (2) Given that this government spent $256 000 of Western Australian taxpayers’ money on its own advertising campaign opposing these IR changes, does the Premier agree that the Attorney General’s intervention in this case represents breathtaking hypocrisy of the highest order? Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I will answer the last question first: no. In relation to this question, important principles are involved. We want to make sure that when the federal government spends our money, it spends it with proper authority. Of course, we have an interest in that, as every taxpayer in Western Australia has an interest in that, and that is why we will be party to that action in the High Court. The second point I make is that the state of Western Australia has a responsibility to protect its institutions. The most important institution we have a responsibility to protect is the Parliament of Western Australia and its ability to pass laws to protect the wages and conditions of workers throughout this state.
(2) Given that this government spent $256 000 of Western Australian taxpayers’ money on its own advertising campaign opposing these IR changes, does the Premier agree that the Attorney General’s intervention in this case represents breathtaking hypocrisy of the highest order? Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I will answer the last question first: no. In relation to this question, important principles are involved. We want to make sure that when the federal government spends our money, it spends it with proper authority. Of course, we have an interest in that, as every taxpayer in Western Australia has an interest in that, and that is why we will be party to that action in the High Court. The second point I make is that the state of Western Australia has a responsibility to protect its institutions. The most important institution we have a responsibility to protect is the Parliament of Western Australia and its ability to pass laws to protect the wages and conditions of workers throughout this state.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I will answer the last question first: no. In relation to this question, important principles are involved. We want to make sure that when the federal government spends our money, it spends it with proper authority. Of course, we have an interest in that, as every taxpayer in Western Australia has an interest in that, and that is why we will be party to that action in the High Court. The second point I make is that the state of Western Australia has a responsibility to protect its institutions. The most important institution we have a responsibility to protect is the Parliament of Western Australia and its ability to pass laws to protect the wages and conditions of workers throughout this state.
(1)-(2) I will answer the last question first: no. In relation to this question, important principles are involved. We want to make sure that when the federal government spends our money, it spends it with proper authority. Of course, we have an interest in that, as every taxpayer in Western Australia has an interest in that, and that is why we will be party to that action in the High Court. The second point I make is that the state of Western Australia has a responsibility to protect its institutions. The most important institution we have a responsibility to protect is the Parliament of Western Australia and its ability to pass laws to protect the wages and conditions of workers throughout this state.
In relation to this question, important principles are involved. We want to make sure that when the federal government spends our money, it spends it with proper authority. Of course, we have an interest in that, as every taxpayer in Western Australia has an interest in that, and that is why we will be party to that action in the High Court. The second point I make is that the state of Western Australia has a responsibility to protect its institutions. The most important institution we have a responsibility to protect is the Parliament of Western Australia and its ability to pass laws to protect the wages and conditions of workers throughout this state.
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