❓ Hon Bruce Donaldson questions the Minister for Agriculture and Food regarding the Western Australian Rural Counselling Association's unsuccessful application for continued service provision, seeking assurance of fairness despite primarily federal funding. The Minister acknowledges the concerns and clarifies the Australian government's role in the process.
AnsweredQoN 499Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RURAL COUNSELLING ASSOCIATION
(1) Is the minister aware that the Western Australian Rural Counselling Association’s application to continue to provide the service from July 2008 to 2011 was unsuccessful? (2) Does the minister know who will now be the service provider in Western Australia? (3) Is the minister aware that the panel appointed to determine the service provider departed from the normal process and did not use the service audit of August 2007, giving the reason that it could disadvantage other applicants? (4) Although 90 per cent is federal funding and 10 per cent is state funding, what involvement will the minister undertake to ensure that the Western Australian Rural Counselling Association’s application is treated with both fairness and equity? Hon KIM CHANCE
(1) Is the minister aware that the Western Australian Rural Counselling Association’s application to continue to provide the service from July 2008 to 2011 was unsuccessful? (2) Does the minister know who will now be the service provider in Western Australia? (3) Is the minister aware that the panel appointed to determine the service provider departed from the normal process and did not use the service audit of August 2007, giving the reason that it could disadvantage other applicants? (4) Although 90 per cent is federal funding and 10 per cent is state funding, what involvement will the minister undertake to ensure that the Western Australian Rural Counselling Association’s application is treated with both fairness and equity? Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for providing some notice of the question. (1) Yes, my office has been made aware by the Rural Financial Counselling Service WA that it believes this to be the case. (2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(2) Does the minister know who will now be the service provider in Western Australia? (3) Is the minister aware that the panel appointed to determine the service provider departed from the normal process and did not use the service audit of August 2007, giving the reason that it could disadvantage other applicants? (4) Although 90 per cent is federal funding and 10 per cent is state funding, what involvement will the minister undertake to ensure that the Western Australian Rural Counselling Association’s application is treated with both fairness and equity? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for providing some notice of the question. (1) Yes, my office has been made aware by the Rural Financial Counselling Service WA that it believes this to be the case. (2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(3) Is the minister aware that the panel appointed to determine the service provider departed from the normal process and did not use the service audit of August 2007, giving the reason that it could disadvantage other applicants? (4) Although 90 per cent is federal funding and 10 per cent is state funding, what involvement will the minister undertake to ensure that the Western Australian Rural Counselling Association’s application is treated with both fairness and equity? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for providing some notice of the question. (1) Yes, my office has been made aware by the Rural Financial Counselling Service WA that it believes this to be the case. (2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(4) Although 90 per cent is federal funding and 10 per cent is state funding, what involvement will the minister undertake to ensure that the Western Australian Rural Counselling Association’s application is treated with both fairness and equity? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for providing some notice of the question. (1) Yes, my office has been made aware by the Rural Financial Counselling Service WA that it believes this to be the case. (2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for providing some notice of the question. (1) Yes, my office has been made aware by the Rural Financial Counselling Service WA that it believes this to be the case. (2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for providing some notice of the question. (1) Yes, my office has been made aware by the Rural Financial Counselling Service WA that it believes this to be the case. (2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(1) Yes, my office has been made aware by the Rural Financial Counselling Service WA that it believes this to be the case. (2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(2) Does the minister know who will now be the service provider in Western Australia? (3) Is the minister aware that the panel appointed to determine the service provider departed from the normal process and did not use the service audit of August 2007, giving the reason that it could disadvantage other applicants? (4) Although 90 per cent is federal funding and 10 per cent is state funding, what involvement will the minister undertake to ensure that the Western Australian Rural Counselling Association’s application is treated with both fairness and equity? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for providing some notice of the question. (1) Yes, my office has been made aware by the Rural Financial Counselling Service WA that it believes this to be the case. (2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(3) Is the minister aware that the panel appointed to determine the service provider departed from the normal process and did not use the service audit of August 2007, giving the reason that it could disadvantage other applicants? (4) Although 90 per cent is federal funding and 10 per cent is state funding, what involvement will the minister undertake to ensure that the Western Australian Rural Counselling Association’s application is treated with both fairness and equity? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for providing some notice of the question. (1) Yes, my office has been made aware by the Rural Financial Counselling Service WA that it believes this to be the case. (2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(4) Although 90 per cent is federal funding and 10 per cent is state funding, what involvement will the minister undertake to ensure that the Western Australian Rural Counselling Association’s application is treated with both fairness and equity? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for providing some notice of the question. (1) Yes, my office has been made aware by the Rural Financial Counselling Service WA that it believes this to be the case. (2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for providing some notice of the question. (1) Yes, my office has been made aware by the Rural Financial Counselling Service WA that it believes this to be the case. (2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
I thank Hon Bruce Donaldson for providing some notice of the question. (1) Yes, my office has been made aware by the Rural Financial Counselling Service WA that it believes this to be the case. (2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(1) Yes, my office has been made aware by the Rural Financial Counselling Service WA that it believes this to be the case. (2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(2) The Rural Financial Counselling Service program is an Australian government program administered by the commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian government has made no announcements about successful applicants at this stage. (3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(3) No, I am not aware of the detail, as the process has been run entirely by the Australian government. (4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
(4) This process has been run by the Australian government. However, the matters raised by the association about the fairness and equity of the selection process were brought to the attention of the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by my own department once these matters were brought to the attention of my office.
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