A parliamentary question probes Minister Shave about a meeting with his former father-in-law, Don Turton, regarding a failed loan and the Minister's prior knowledge of Turton's finance broking issues. The Minister deflects, referencing his testimony to the Gunning inquiry and a meeting with Mr. Fidge.

AnsweredQoN 44Legislative Assembly
Asked
15 August 2000
Member
Portfolio
Fair Trading

QuestionView source ↗

(1) Will the minister describe in detail his meeting with his former father-in-law, Don Turton, over his failed loan with Blackburne and Dixon, including when and where it was held? (2) In particular, what did the minister mean when he said Mr Turton had spoken to no-one else about his loan? (3) Why did the minister tell Mr Turton that he wished he had come and seen him sooner, when the minister knew about his finance broking problems three and a half months earlier? Mr SHAVE

AnswerView source ↗

(1)-(3) I thought the member for Fremantle had read the evidence I gave to the Gunning inquiry. This is laid out in chapter and verse. Mr Fidge came to see me. He had made an appointment and said he had a problem with a finance broker. I arranged for two of my staff to come to the meeting because they were handling that matter on a day-to-day basis. Mr Fidge said that one of my relatives was involved and used the name Don, or referred to my former father-in-law or father-in-law. He did not use Mr Turton’s surname. I have read what Mr Fidge is alleged to have said about me. This issue involved a sick man who had had a stroke, and it is inconceivable that I would have said the words Fidge has put to the Gunning inquiry, which I quoted to the Parliament, that in effect, I am not interested and he can go jump in the lake. If that was my feeling towards Mr Turton at the time, because of whatever had happened between me and his daughter, my former wife, it is inconceivable that I would have said that knowing Denise Brailey was there. She had used the member for Armadale day after day to peddle comment after comment in this place. My evidence is that Brailey hijacked the meeting. She knew that I knew she was not coming to the meeting, but I said she could come if Fidge wanted that. Would any member of Parliament, knowing all those people had lost their money, have been silly enough to tell Fidge that if they had lost their money in investments like that, they deserved to lose it? The more people try to twist this issue, the more ludicrous it becomes.
(2) In particular, what did the minister mean when he said Mr Turton had spoken to no-one else about his loan? (3) Why did the minister tell Mr Turton that he wished he had come and seen him sooner, when the minister knew about his finance broking problems three and a half months earlier? Mr SHAVE replied: (1)-(3) I thought the member for Fremantle had read the evidence I gave to the Gunning inquiry. This is laid out in chapter and verse. Mr Fidge came to see me. He had made an appointment and said he had a problem with a finance broker. I arranged for two of my staff to come to the meeting because they were handling that matter on a day-to-day basis. Mr Fidge said that one of my relatives was involved and used the name Don, or referred to my former father-in-law or father-in-law. He did not use Mr Turton’s surname. I have read what Mr Fidge is alleged to have said about me. This issue involved a sick man who had had a stroke, and it is inconceivable that I would have said the words Fidge has put to the Gunning inquiry, which I quoted to the Parliament, that in effect, I am not interested and he can go jump in the lake. If that was my feeling towards Mr Turton at the time, because of whatever had happened between me and his daughter, my former wife, it is inconceivable that I would have said that knowing Denise Brailey was there. She had used the member for Armadale day after day to peddle comment after comment in this place. My evidence is that Brailey hijacked the meeting. She knew that I knew she was not coming to the meeting, but I said she could come if Fidge wanted that. Would any member of Parliament, knowing all those people had lost their money, have been silly enough to tell Fidge that if they had lost their money in investments like that, they deserved to lose it? The more people try to twist this issue, the more ludicrous it becomes.
(3) Why did the minister tell Mr Turton that he wished he had come and seen him sooner, when the minister knew about his finance broking problems three and a half months earlier? Mr SHAVE replied: (1)-(3) I thought the member for Fremantle had read the evidence I gave to the Gunning inquiry. This is laid out in chapter and verse. Mr Fidge came to see me. He had made an appointment and said he had a problem with a finance broker. I arranged for two of my staff to come to the meeting because they were handling that matter on a day-to-day basis. Mr Fidge said that one of my relatives was involved and used the name Don, or referred to my former father-in-law or father-in-law. He did not use Mr Turton’s surname. I have read what Mr Fidge is alleged to have said about me. This issue involved a sick man who had had a stroke, and it is inconceivable that I would have said the words Fidge has put to the Gunning inquiry, which I quoted to the Parliament, that in effect, I am not interested and he can go jump in the lake. If that was my feeling towards Mr Turton at the time, because of whatever had happened between me and his daughter, my former wife, it is inconceivable that I would have said that knowing Denise Brailey was there. She had used the member for Armadale day after day to peddle comment after comment in this place. My evidence is that Brailey hijacked the meeting. She knew that I knew she was not coming to the meeting, but I said she could come if Fidge wanted that. Would any member of Parliament, knowing all those people had lost their money, have been silly enough to tell Fidge that if they had lost their money in investments like that, they deserved to lose it? The more people try to twist this issue, the more ludicrous it becomes.
Mr SHAVE replied: (1)-(3) I thought the member for Fremantle had read the evidence I gave to the Gunning inquiry. This is laid out in chapter and verse. Mr Fidge came to see me. He had made an appointment and said he had a problem with a finance broker. I arranged for two of my staff to come to the meeting because they were handling that matter on a day-to-day basis. Mr Fidge said that one of my relatives was involved and used the name Don, or referred to my former father-in-law or father-in-law. He did not use Mr Turton’s surname. I have read what Mr Fidge is alleged to have said about me. This issue involved a sick man who had had a stroke, and it is inconceivable that I would have said the words Fidge has put to the Gunning inquiry, which I quoted to the Parliament, that in effect, I am not interested and he can go jump in the lake. If that was my feeling towards Mr Turton at the time, because of whatever had happened between me and his daughter, my former wife, it is inconceivable that I would have said that knowing Denise Brailey was there. She had used the member for Armadale day after day to peddle comment after comment in this place. My evidence is that Brailey hijacked the meeting. She knew that I knew she was not coming to the meeting, but I said she could come if Fidge wanted that. Would any member of Parliament, knowing all those people had lost their money, have been silly enough to tell Fidge that if they had lost their money in investments like that, they deserved to lose it? The more people try to twist this issue, the more ludicrous it becomes.
(1)-(3) I thought the member for Fremantle had read the evidence I gave to the Gunning inquiry. This is laid out in chapter and verse. Mr Fidge came to see me. He had made an appointment and said he had a problem with a finance broker. I arranged for two of my staff to come to the meeting because they were handling that matter on a day-to-day basis. Mr Fidge said that one of my relatives was involved and used the name Don, or referred to my former father-in-law or father-in-law. He did not use Mr Turton’s surname. I have read what Mr Fidge is alleged to have said about me. This issue involved a sick man who had had a stroke, and it is inconceivable that I would have said the words Fidge has put to the Gunning inquiry, which I quoted to the Parliament, that in effect, I am not interested and he can go jump in the lake. If that was my feeling towards Mr Turton at the time, because of whatever had happened between me and his daughter, my former wife, it is inconceivable that I would have said that knowing Denise Brailey was there. She had used the member for Armadale day after day to peddle comment after comment in this place. My evidence is that Brailey hijacked the meeting. She knew that I knew she was not coming to the meeting, but I said she could come if Fidge wanted that. Would any member of Parliament, knowing all those people had lost their money, have been silly enough to tell Fidge that if they had lost their money in investments like that, they deserved to lose it? The more people try to twist this issue, the more ludicrous it becomes.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more