❓ A member of parliament questions the Minister for Energy about a Western Power meeting regarding job cuts and the Minister's awareness and confidence in Western Power's governance. The Minister deflects, asserting non-interference and expressing confidence in Western Power's management.
AnsweredQoN 873Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WESTERN POWER — ERNST AND YOUNG MEETING
873. Mr W.J. JOHNSTON to the
Minister for Energy:
I refer the minister's answer to Legislative Council
question without notice 875 and to the meeting of Western Power executives at
the offices of Ernst and Young on 14 June to discuss job cuts, which was not
minuted or with any documented outcome.
(1) When did
the minister first become aware of this meeting?
(2) Was the
Western Power board aware of this meeting?
(3) Does the
minister continue to have full confidence in the corporate governance
standards, including accountability and transparency, of Western Power?
873. Mr W.J. JOHNSTON to the
Minister for Energy:
I refer the minister's answer to Legislative Council
question without notice 875 and to the meeting of Western Power executives at
the offices of Ernst and Young on 14 June to discuss job cuts, which was not
minuted or with any documented outcome.
(1) When did
the minister first become aware of this meeting?
(2) Was the
Western Power board aware of this meeting?
(3) Does the
minister continue to have full confidence in the corporate governance
standards, including accountability and transparency, of Western Power?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
I am the Minister for Energy. Western Power is a government trading enterprise
with a board and a highly paid and skilled staff. I do not get involved in
board decisions. I do not override the management or interfere with the
management of that organisation. That would be improper.
Western Power has gone through a
period of substantial cultural change from the organisation that was created at
the point of disaggregation in 2006. It has significantly improved its
operations on wood poles and other things. The board and the management have
been vested with managing that organisation, including the levels of staffing,
the type of staffing they need and how they organise their staff. I leave it to
them. I am sure that they are having discussions with all sorts of consultants
on all sorts of issues. I do not interfere with that as that would be improper.
We on this side do not do that and we do not intend to do it.
To answer the question about
whether I have confidence, yes, I do; Western Power is doing a great job. It is
fixing the mess that we inherited. Is Western Power going through a process of
change in the organisation? Yes, it is, and I encourage it to do so. But
Western Power is determinant and I am not. That is the way it should be.
I am the Minister for Energy. Western Power is a government trading enterprise
with a board and a highly paid and skilled staff. I do not get involved in
board decisions. I do not override the management or interfere with the
management of that organisation. That would be improper.
Western Power has gone through a
period of substantial cultural change from the organisation that was created at
the point of disaggregation in 2006. It has significantly improved its
operations on wood poles and other things. The board and the management have
been vested with managing that organisation, including the levels of staffing,
the type of staffing they need and how they organise their staff. I leave it to
them. I am sure that they are having discussions with all sorts of consultants
on all sorts of issues. I do not interfere with that as that would be improper.
We on this side do not do that and we do not intend to do it.
To answer the question about
whether I have confidence, yes, I do; Western Power is doing a great job. It is
fixing the mess that we inherited. Is Western Power going through a process of
change in the organisation? Yes, it is, and I encourage it to do so. But
Western Power is determinant and I am not. That is the way it should be.
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