❓ Mr. Wyatt questions Minister Harvey's justification for dismissing a Community Development and Justice Standing Committee report regarding a road traffic incident involving the former Member for Vasse. The Minister's response is evasive and focuses on defending the police investigation.
AnsweredQoN 132Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FORMER MEMBER FOR VASSE — ROAD TRAFFIC
INCIDENT — CORRUPTION AND CRIME COMMISSION REPORT — COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT AND JUSTICE STANDING COMMITTEE REPORT
132. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Minister for
Police:
I have a supplementary question. In that case, I refer to the minister's
letter to the Chair of the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee
in respect of that committee's report, where the minister stated in her
letter dated 14 August 2014 that —
�
the Government considers that the majority report has no credibility and should
be disregarded.
I note that it is closer to the fact and the findings of the CCC
report. How does the minister justify that statement in that letter?
INCIDENT — CORRUPTION AND CRIME COMMISSION REPORT — COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT AND JUSTICE STANDING COMMITTEE REPORT
132. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Minister for
Police:
I have a supplementary question. In that case, I refer to the minister's
letter to the Chair of the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee
in respect of that committee's report, where the minister stated in her
letter dated 14 August 2014 that —
�
the Government considers that the majority report has no credibility and should
be disregarded.
I note that it is closer to the fact and the findings of the CCC
report. How does the minister justify that statement in that letter?
AnswerView source ↗
As I recall at the time —
Several members interjected.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : No, as I recall at the time, there was a lot of conjecture and
some innuendo that there was some kind of cover-up by police in this
investigation. There was not. There had been some reports about erratic driving
behaviour, there had been —
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : Mr Speaker, this is an important point. The
minister is saying that this letter that she wrote was apparently in response
to innuendo when clearly it was in response to the recommendations and the
findings of a report.
The SPEAKER : That is not really a point of order. I just want to say something: we
are not making much progress here. I want a very succinct answer to address
what has been asked and then let us try to move on.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I am flattered that the member for Victoria
Park thinks that I am going to be able to remember the entire contents of a letter
that was sent a long time ago. What I do recall about the actions of the
Community Development and Justice Standing Committee at the time was that there
did seem to be a theme running that there was some kind of cover-up by police
with respect to this investigation. There was not. It was explained ad nauseam
at the time that there were reports of erratic driving behaviour. There was a check
done on Mr Buswell's residence, which was where a vehicle had been seen
to enter a driveway and, as I recall, had hit the fence on the way through.
Police were called away to another incident that was of a higher priority in
the CBD, as I recall. In the context of all of that, my responsibility as
Minister for Police was to answer for the actions of police with respect to
that investigation. There were some criticisms levelled at police at that time
that I was unhappy with. Quite frankly, if police were called away to a higher
priority incident where there were officers at risk, that is where they needed
to go. I am happy to go back —
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Point of order, Mr Speaker.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : Oh, for God's sake!
Point of Order
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The minister's answer to the
supplementary has nothing to do with the question that was asked. Can I suggest
that if the minister is not answering the question, she sit down so that we can
move on with the next question.
The SPEAKER : Minister, through the Chair. Wind it up, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : Just before another point of order was
raised —
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! I just want to say something now: we are getting nowhere. I want
a quick answer through the Chair and no interjections. Just address what was asked.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : If the member for Victoria Park takes issue
with a letter that I wrote well over a year ago, I suggest that he put it in
writing to me and we can discuss it.
Several members interjected.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : No, as I recall at the time, there was a lot of conjecture and
some innuendo that there was some kind of cover-up by police in this
investigation. There was not. There had been some reports about erratic driving
behaviour, there had been —
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : Mr Speaker, this is an important point. The
minister is saying that this letter that she wrote was apparently in response
to innuendo when clearly it was in response to the recommendations and the
findings of a report.
The SPEAKER : That is not really a point of order. I just want to say something: we
are not making much progress here. I want a very succinct answer to address
what has been asked and then let us try to move on.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I am flattered that the member for Victoria
Park thinks that I am going to be able to remember the entire contents of a letter
that was sent a long time ago. What I do recall about the actions of the
Community Development and Justice Standing Committee at the time was that there
did seem to be a theme running that there was some kind of cover-up by police
with respect to this investigation. There was not. It was explained ad nauseam
at the time that there were reports of erratic driving behaviour. There was a check
done on Mr Buswell's residence, which was where a vehicle had been seen
to enter a driveway and, as I recall, had hit the fence on the way through.
Police were called away to another incident that was of a higher priority in
the CBD, as I recall. In the context of all of that, my responsibility as
Minister for Police was to answer for the actions of police with respect to
that investigation. There were some criticisms levelled at police at that time
that I was unhappy with. Quite frankly, if police were called away to a higher
priority incident where there were officers at risk, that is where they needed
to go. I am happy to go back —
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Point of order, Mr Speaker.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : Oh, for God's sake!
Point of Order
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The minister's answer to the
supplementary has nothing to do with the question that was asked. Can I suggest
that if the minister is not answering the question, she sit down so that we can
move on with the next question.
The SPEAKER : Minister, through the Chair. Wind it up, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : Just before another point of order was
raised —
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! I just want to say something now: we are getting nowhere. I want
a quick answer through the Chair and no interjections. Just address what was asked.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : If the member for Victoria Park takes issue
with a letter that I wrote well over a year ago, I suggest that he put it in
writing to me and we can discuss it.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.