❓ Minister Carpenter addresses allegations of nepotism in appointments within the Department of Education, defending the process and criticising the source of the allegations, the member for Kingsley.
AnsweredQoN 863Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Will the minister advise the House as to the status of the inquiry into allegations surrounding the appointments of Mr Kevin O’Keefe and Mr Ed Harken to the Department of Education? Mr CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
Today I received a letter from the Director General of Education, Dr Paul Albert, about this matter. Given that this has been a longer running serial in this Parliament than Blue Hills, and has been the subject of innumerable questions on notice and without notice, I thought that, following my commitment to the member for Darling Range, I would report to the House as soon as I could on the advice I have now received from the director general in his letter entitled “Anonymous allegations referred by the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards”. As I explained to the House, we all know who provided those anonymous allegations - the member for Kingsley. I will come back to her in a moment. Several members interjected. Mr CARPENTER: The member for Kingsley provided those anonymous allegations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr CARPENTER replied: Today I received a letter from the Director General of Education, Dr Paul Albert, about this matter. Given that this has been a longer running serial in this Parliament than Blue Hills, and has been the subject of innumerable questions on notice and without notice, I thought that, following my commitment to the member for Darling Range, I would report to the House as soon as I could on the advice I have now received from the director general in his letter entitled “Anonymous allegations referred by the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards”. As I explained to the House, we all know who provided those anonymous allegations - the member for Kingsley. I will come back to her in a moment. Several members interjected. Mr CARPENTER: The member for Kingsley provided those anonymous allegations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Today I received a letter from the Director General of Education, Dr Paul Albert, about this matter. Given that this has been a longer running serial in this Parliament than Blue Hills, and has been the subject of innumerable questions on notice and without notice, I thought that, following my commitment to the member for Darling Range, I would report to the House as soon as I could on the advice I have now received from the director general in his letter entitled “Anonymous allegations referred by the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards”. As I explained to the House, we all know who provided those anonymous allegations - the member for Kingsley. I will come back to her in a moment. Several members interjected. Mr CARPENTER: The member for Kingsley provided those anonymous allegations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Several members interjected. Mr CARPENTER: The member for Kingsley provided those anonymous allegations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr CARPENTER: The member for Kingsley provided those anonymous allegations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
The SPEAKER: Members! Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments.
Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
[See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr CARPENTER replied: Today I received a letter from the Director General of Education, Dr Paul Albert, about this matter. Given that this has been a longer running serial in this Parliament than Blue Hills, and has been the subject of innumerable questions on notice and without notice, I thought that, following my commitment to the member for Darling Range, I would report to the House as soon as I could on the advice I have now received from the director general in his letter entitled “Anonymous allegations referred by the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards”. As I explained to the House, we all know who provided those anonymous allegations - the member for Kingsley. I will come back to her in a moment. Several members interjected. Mr CARPENTER: The member for Kingsley provided those anonymous allegations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Today I received a letter from the Director General of Education, Dr Paul Albert, about this matter. Given that this has been a longer running serial in this Parliament than Blue Hills, and has been the subject of innumerable questions on notice and without notice, I thought that, following my commitment to the member for Darling Range, I would report to the House as soon as I could on the advice I have now received from the director general in his letter entitled “Anonymous allegations referred by the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards”. As I explained to the House, we all know who provided those anonymous allegations - the member for Kingsley. I will come back to her in a moment. Several members interjected. Mr CARPENTER: The member for Kingsley provided those anonymous allegations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Several members interjected. Mr CARPENTER: The member for Kingsley provided those anonymous allegations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr CARPENTER: The member for Kingsley provided those anonymous allegations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
The SPEAKER: Members! Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr CARPENTER: I will quote from the letter - The allegations are essentially that senior officer positions filled as a consequence of the Department restructure were done so on the basis of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation . . . The Chief Executive Officer . . . at the time was Mr Ron Mance, and he states emphatically that he was responsible for the appointment of staff to senior positions . . . According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments. In relation to Mr Harken, Mr Albert reports that - . . . the significance attributed his role by the anonymous author/s is not warranted. He further states - The assertion, that as former senior members of the State School Teachers’ Union, Mr Harken and Mr O’Keefe should not have been appointed to senior administrative positions within the Department has no foundation. I will finish the quote with this paragraph - Whilst there may be a perception by the author/s of the anonymous document that decisions taken on the appointment of staff to senior positions were not without influence, there is no evidence to support this perception nor is there any evidence to support the claims of nepotism, patronage or political affiliation. I will provide the member with a copy of that letter. Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
According to Mr Mance, he acted independently in determining whether to make appointments even though the Taskforce may have made the recommendation about the structure. Mr Mance’s statement clearly refutes the implication that the Minister’s office was involved in the appointments.
Mr Day: Will you table a copy of the report? Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr CARPENTER: The member will have to ask the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards about that. I understand it is his report. I will table this letter. If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
If opposition members wish to make allegations about Paul Albert now, they can go ahead. I understand that the member for Kingsley has already lodged a complaint about the appointment of Paul Albert, and another about the Commissioner for Health, Mike Daube. The member for Kingsley is a serial vexatious complainant, and whether or not she understands it, she is undermining the integrity of good people who work in the education and health systems. Given the history the member emerged from, I suggest the member put a stop to that sort of complaint. I am quite happy to get up in this Parliament every day I receive a question from the member and remind the House about the money that was stuffed into the hands of the leader of the Vietnamese community in Balcatta in 1991, about the lack of information provided by the person alleged to have put that money into that person’s hand, and about all implications of the action. I can talk about all the people who were present when that happened, about Wade Smith, Dr Bradshaw and others. The member for Kingsley, or someone who advises her, has set out deliberately to blacken the names and besmirch the reputations of perfectly good, professional people in the public service. I offer the member for Kingsley the opportunity, in the light of the outcome of this inquiry, to publicly apologise to the people she has attacked. Point of Order Mr DAY: The minister appears to have been quoting from a document, and I ask that he table it. The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
The SPEAKER: That paper will be tabled. [See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
[See paper No 1343.] Questions without Notice Resumed
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