❓ Opposition questions the Premier regarding his deputy chief of staff being found in contempt of Parliament for providing false information related to a former member's road traffic incident. The Premier defends his staff, citing compassionate reasons for the omission.
AnsweredQoN 863Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FORMER MEMBER FOR VASSE — ROAD TRAFFIC INCIDENT —STANDING
COMMITTEE ON PROCEDURE AND PRIVILEGES REPORT
863. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Premier:
Before I ask my question, I acknowledge
the students from Dudley Park Primary School from the member for Mandurah's
electorate.
I refer to the Standing Committee on
Procedure and Privileges' report of the Legislative Council that found
the Premier's deputy chief of staff, Stephen Home, to be in contempt of
Parliament over providing false and misleading information.
(1) Has the Premier sought advice
from the Public Sector Commission about this report?
(2) What consequences will there be
from the parliamentary committee's finding?
(3) Will Mr Home be stood aside?
COMMITTEE ON PROCEDURE AND PRIVILEGES REPORT
863. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Premier:
Before I ask my question, I acknowledge
the students from Dudley Park Primary School from the member for Mandurah's
electorate.
I refer to the Standing Committee on
Procedure and Privileges' report of the Legislative Council that found
the Premier's deputy chief of staff, Stephen Home, to be in contempt of
Parliament over providing false and misleading information.
(1) Has the Premier sought advice
from the Public Sector Commission about this report?
(2) What consequences will there be
from the parliamentary committee's finding?
(3) Will Mr Home be stood aside?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I
am quite astounded that this gets the attention it seems to be getting. I find
it equally astounding that there would be a 177-page report on this matter.
Mr
M. McGowan : It was a Liberal committee.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I am just saying that I cannot understand it; I am not making
any political comment. However, as I stated yesterday —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough! Thank you.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Can I comment on it? As I said yesterday, in no way do I excuse
Troy Buswell's behaviour and in no way do I excuse the damage to
vehicles and the series of accidents that seemed to happen on that night.
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I am getting to the staff. Mr Speaker, maybe some people in
this chamber have been in a similar situation. Can members put themselves in a personal
situation—I am talking about Rachael Turnseck here, Troy Buswell's
chief of staff at the time —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : The question is about Mr Home.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Why does the member not want to hear what I am saying?
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : Why don't you answer the actual question about the
person you were asked about?
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I am treating it seriously and I am treating it with some
respect, which apparently some members opposite do not wish to do.
Can members put themselves in a personal
situation in which, in this case a minister and a chief of staff—people
who work closely together—could see what had happened.
Mr
J.R. Quigley interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : They could see that, in this case, Troy
Buswell was in a very bad way.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : He was then placed under the care of
medical staff —
Mr
J.R. Quigley interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Are members opposite going to listen?
Mr Speaker, can you put yourself in that situation —
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order
for the first time. We want a quick answer, through the Chair, thanks.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think this is a very important issue.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank you. Member for Girrawheen, I did
not hear the first comment but I hear shouting out.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was a life-threatening situation and a situation
in which a person was very emotionally involved. I made a full statement at the
time. Details of the events of that night did not come to my knowledge until
some two weeks later. The questions asked in the Legislative Council related to
who was advised. In due course, staff in my office and the director general
were advised. The damage to the car did not become known for quite some time.
In response to the question, it was answered as to who was advised of the
circumstance. Advice had been given by Rachael Turnseck to some members
of my staff, which was documented and made public; there is no secrecy there.
Advice of the situation was also made to Troy Buswell's electorate
officer. My staff and I were not aware of that and neither was Stephen Home.
But, advice of his condition had also been made to his mother—to his
mum—about the situation he was in. A judgement was made in my office by
Rachael Turnseck and Stephen Home to leave that detail out of the answer to
that question. It was done for the privacy of his mother. If a member is in a situation
in which their son is in a life-threatening situation, they might act the same
way.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : So, yes —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Legislative Council's
standing orders were breached in a technical sense but I do not blame—the
question related to Stephen Home—Stephen Home for deciding not
to include details of the advice given to Troy's mother. I think he did
the compassionate thing that he judged to be right. Members in this chamber,
now and in the past, have had personal problems of their own including issues
that relate to their children and their families. On this side of the house, we
have always respected that.
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : We have respected it.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Several times in my career, I have become
aware of issues that relate to individuals, their families and their children.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I have been asked not to raise them and I have
assured members opposite that I would not go down that path; I would not raise
those issues. In my entire career, I have never done so.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Midland! Premier, can you wind
it up? You have 30 seconds.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Legislative Council has determined
that its standing orders were breached. I think Stephen Home accepts
that and he will no doubt apologise. However, I think we should also have a bit
of heart and think of the circumstances—think of the conditions and the
situations that people faced—because any one of us at any time can face
some sort of crisis in our family. The Parliament needs to have a little bit of
compassion.
am quite astounded that this gets the attention it seems to be getting. I find
it equally astounding that there would be a 177-page report on this matter.
Mr
M. McGowan : It was a Liberal committee.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I am just saying that I cannot understand it; I am not making
any political comment. However, as I stated yesterday —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough! Thank you.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Can I comment on it? As I said yesterday, in no way do I excuse
Troy Buswell's behaviour and in no way do I excuse the damage to
vehicles and the series of accidents that seemed to happen on that night.
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I am getting to the staff. Mr Speaker, maybe some people in
this chamber have been in a similar situation. Can members put themselves in a personal
situation—I am talking about Rachael Turnseck here, Troy Buswell's
chief of staff at the time —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : The question is about Mr Home.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Why does the member not want to hear what I am saying?
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : Why don't you answer the actual question about the
person you were asked about?
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I am treating it seriously and I am treating it with some
respect, which apparently some members opposite do not wish to do.
Can members put themselves in a personal
situation in which, in this case a minister and a chief of staff—people
who work closely together—could see what had happened.
Mr
J.R. Quigley interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : They could see that, in this case, Troy
Buswell was in a very bad way.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : He was then placed under the care of
medical staff —
Mr
J.R. Quigley interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Are members opposite going to listen?
Mr Speaker, can you put yourself in that situation —
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order
for the first time. We want a quick answer, through the Chair, thanks.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think this is a very important issue.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank you. Member for Girrawheen, I did
not hear the first comment but I hear shouting out.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was a life-threatening situation and a situation
in which a person was very emotionally involved. I made a full statement at the
time. Details of the events of that night did not come to my knowledge until
some two weeks later. The questions asked in the Legislative Council related to
who was advised. In due course, staff in my office and the director general
were advised. The damage to the car did not become known for quite some time.
In response to the question, it was answered as to who was advised of the
circumstance. Advice had been given by Rachael Turnseck to some members
of my staff, which was documented and made public; there is no secrecy there.
Advice of the situation was also made to Troy Buswell's electorate
officer. My staff and I were not aware of that and neither was Stephen Home.
But, advice of his condition had also been made to his mother—to his
mum—about the situation he was in. A judgement was made in my office by
Rachael Turnseck and Stephen Home to leave that detail out of the answer to
that question. It was done for the privacy of his mother. If a member is in a situation
in which their son is in a life-threatening situation, they might act the same
way.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : So, yes —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Legislative Council's
standing orders were breached in a technical sense but I do not blame—the
question related to Stephen Home—Stephen Home for deciding not
to include details of the advice given to Troy's mother. I think he did
the compassionate thing that he judged to be right. Members in this chamber,
now and in the past, have had personal problems of their own including issues
that relate to their children and their families. On this side of the house, we
have always respected that.
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : We have respected it.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Several times in my career, I have become
aware of issues that relate to individuals, their families and their children.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I have been asked not to raise them and I have
assured members opposite that I would not go down that path; I would not raise
those issues. In my entire career, I have never done so.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Midland! Premier, can you wind
it up? You have 30 seconds.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Legislative Council has determined
that its standing orders were breached. I think Stephen Home accepts
that and he will no doubt apologise. However, I think we should also have a bit
of heart and think of the circumstances—think of the conditions and the
situations that people faced—because any one of us at any time can face
some sort of crisis in our family. The Parliament needs to have a little bit of
compassion.
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