❓ Mr Rundle questions the Premier about filling the Legislative Council vacancy left by Hon Alannah MacTiernan, implying a potential reduction of regional representation. The Premier outlines the Electoral Commission's process and criticises the National Party's questioning.
AnsweredQoN 17Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — MEMBERSHIP — VACANCY
17. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Will the Premier advise the Electoral Commissioner to fill the vacancy, or does
he intend to get a jump start on cutting regional voices from Parliament?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members! I am not 100 per cent sure that that question is in order because what
the member is asking is not necessarily within the Premier's domain,
even as leader. Premier, you may respond if you like.
17. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Will the Premier advise the Electoral Commissioner to fill the vacancy, or does
he intend to get a jump start on cutting regional voices from Parliament?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members! I am not 100 per cent sure that that question is in order because what
the member is asking is not necessarily within the Premier's domain,
even as leader. Premier, you may respond if you like.
AnswerView source ↗
I think I could have a team of
professors from Harvard trying to interpret that and they would not be able to
work out what the member was trying to get at. All I will say about it is this:
the former member for South West Region Hon Alannah MacTiernan has decided to
exit Parliament. There is a process, as I understand it, conducted via the Western
Australian Electoral Commission. Once notice is given by the President of the
upper house, which will start the process of
replacing her, the process then goes down the ticket in terms of eligibility,
and people are invited to apply. That
process has not concluded. That will take place over the course of the next 10
days or two weeks, as I understand it. At the conclusion of that, there
will be an analysis by the Electoral Commission about who is the eligible person to fulfil the vacancy provided by
the former member for South West Region Hon Alannah MacTiernan who left.
Obviously, someone will fill the vacancy in accordance with the law and that
person will no doubt have been on the South West Region ticket. If I were you,
National Party, in light of Hon James Hayward, I would not be asking these
questions.
The SPEAKER : Members, that concludes question time.
professors from Harvard trying to interpret that and they would not be able to
work out what the member was trying to get at. All I will say about it is this:
the former member for South West Region Hon Alannah MacTiernan has decided to
exit Parliament. There is a process, as I understand it, conducted via the Western
Australian Electoral Commission. Once notice is given by the President of the
upper house, which will start the process of
replacing her, the process then goes down the ticket in terms of eligibility,
and people are invited to apply. That
process has not concluded. That will take place over the course of the next 10
days or two weeks, as I understand it. At the conclusion of that, there
will be an analysis by the Electoral Commission about who is the eligible person to fulfil the vacancy provided by
the former member for South West Region Hon Alannah MacTiernan who left.
Obviously, someone will fill the vacancy in accordance with the law and that
person will no doubt have been on the South West Region ticket. If I were you,
National Party, in light of Hon James Hayward, I would not be asking these
questions.
The SPEAKER : Members, that concludes question time.
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