❓ Hon Peter Foss questions Hon Tom Stephens regarding allegations that individuals in Port Hedland are trying to bankrupt the Town Council, demanding substance and names, and accusing the Minister of defamation. The Minister declines to answer directly, citing ongoing efforts to work with the Town of Port Hedland.
AnsweredQoN 511Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I am very pleased to see the minister here today. I refer to the minister’s allegations that some people in the Port Hedland community are seeking to send the Port Hedland Town Council broke. (1) If there is some substance to those allegations and they are not merely gossip and innuendo, will he - (a) state the substance of those allegations; and (b) provide the names of those people he says are seeking to send the council broke? (2) If he will not do so, why not? (3) Does the minister appreciate that he has defamed all members of the council by his remarks and that he at least owes those he did not intend to defame clarification of their position? Hon TOM STEPHENS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question. I am pleased to see him as well! Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no need to provide the level of volume that is missing from the member’s speech just because it is normal. Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
(1) If there is some substance to those allegations and they are not merely gossip and innuendo, will he - (a) state the substance of those allegations; and (b) provide the names of those people he says are seeking to send the council broke? (2) If he will not do so, why not? (3) Does the minister appreciate that he has defamed all members of the council by his remarks and that he at least owes those he did not intend to defame clarification of their position? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: I thank the member for his question. I am pleased to see him as well! Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no need to provide the level of volume that is missing from the member’s speech just because it is normal. Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
(b) provide the names of those people he says are seeking to send the council broke?
(3) Does the minister appreciate that he has defamed all members of the council by his remarks and that he at least owes those he did not intend to defame clarification of their position? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: I thank the member for his question. I am pleased to see him as well! Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no need to provide the level of volume that is missing from the member’s speech just because it is normal. Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: I thank the member for his question. I am pleased to see him as well! Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no need to provide the level of volume that is missing from the member’s speech just because it is normal. Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
I thank the member for his question. I am pleased to see him as well! Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no need to provide the level of volume that is missing from the member’s speech just because it is normal. Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no need to provide the level of volume that is missing from the member’s speech just because it is normal. Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no need to provide the level of volume that is missing from the member’s speech just because it is normal. Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
(1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
(1) If there is some substance to those allegations and they are not merely gossip and innuendo, will he - (a) state the substance of those allegations; and (b) provide the names of those people he says are seeking to send the council broke? (2) If he will not do so, why not? (3) Does the minister appreciate that he has defamed all members of the council by his remarks and that he at least owes those he did not intend to defame clarification of their position? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: I thank the member for his question. I am pleased to see him as well! Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no need to provide the level of volume that is missing from the member’s speech just because it is normal. Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
(b) provide the names of those people he says are seeking to send the council broke?
(3) Does the minister appreciate that he has defamed all members of the council by his remarks and that he at least owes those he did not intend to defame clarification of their position? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: I thank the member for his question. I am pleased to see him as well! Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no need to provide the level of volume that is missing from the member’s speech just because it is normal. Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: I thank the member for his question. I am pleased to see him as well! Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no need to provide the level of volume that is missing from the member’s speech just because it is normal. Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
I thank the member for his question. I am pleased to see him as well! Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no need to provide the level of volume that is missing from the member’s speech just because it is normal. Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no need to provide the level of volume that is missing from the member’s speech just because it is normal. Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no need to provide the level of volume that is missing from the member’s speech just because it is normal. Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
Hon TOM STEPHENS: (1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
(1)-(3) The same answer applies to this question as to the one I gave Hon George Cash; that is, in view of the request from the Town of Port Hedland that I endeavour to work with it in its efforts to respond to the request from the director general of my department, I will refrain, as far as possible, from canvassing the issues that have been the subject of recent dispute. Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
Hon Peter Foss: Maybe you should have done that before you went on radio and defamed everybody. Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
Hon TOM STEPHENS: It is important for people to realise that the Local Government Act binds me and local councils also.
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