❓ Question regarding action taken by the Attorney General's office after receiving a letter concerning alcohol, domestic violence, and sexual abuse in Indigenous communities. The Attorney General denies receiving the letter and outlines his standard procedure for handling allegations of impropriety.
AnsweredQoN 366Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ATTORNEY GENERAL - PERCY JOHNSON AND LIONEL QUARTERMAINE LETTERS
I refer to the letters received by the Attorney General’s office from Sue John on behalf of Percy Johnson and Lionel Quartermaine on 9 July 2004, calling for a meeting to address the specific concerns of alcohol, domestic violence and sexual abuse in Indigenous communities. (1) What action did the Attorney General take after receiving this request for a meeting? (2) Did the Attorney General refer the matters to the police or to the then Indigenous affairs minister? Mr J.A. McGINTY
I refer to the letters received by the Attorney General’s office from Sue John on behalf of Percy Johnson and Lionel Quartermaine on 9 July 2004, calling for a meeting to address the specific concerns of alcohol, domestic violence and sexual abuse in Indigenous communities. (1) What action did the Attorney General take after receiving this request for a meeting? (2) Did the Attorney General refer the matters to the police or to the then Indigenous affairs minister? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) I have known Percy Johnson by repute and personally for a very long time. He was an East Fremantle football legend when I was a kid. I then got to know him during the 1970s when, because of his very strong religious beliefs, he refused to stock contraceptives in his chemist shop and became the subject of some public commentary on that matter. I would like to acknowledge what I know to be the truth about Percy Johnson; that is, that he is a man who is passionately committed to the plight of Indigenous people, and to improving their lot, particularly on the matters that I have spoken to him about involving the Kimberley region and questions related to Aboriginal health, which relates back to his profession as a pharmacist. The member for Capel has referred to a letter. Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : From Sue John. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : To your office. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
(1) What action did the Attorney General take after receiving this request for a meeting? (2) Did the Attorney General refer the matters to the police or to the then Indigenous affairs minister? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I have known Percy Johnson by repute and personally for a very long time. He was an East Fremantle football legend when I was a kid. I then got to know him during the 1970s when, because of his very strong religious beliefs, he refused to stock contraceptives in his chemist shop and became the subject of some public commentary on that matter. I would like to acknowledge what I know to be the truth about Percy Johnson; that is, that he is a man who is passionately committed to the plight of Indigenous people, and to improving their lot, particularly on the matters that I have spoken to him about involving the Kimberley region and questions related to Aboriginal health, which relates back to his profession as a pharmacist. The member for Capel has referred to a letter. Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : From Sue John. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : To your office. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
(2) Did the Attorney General refer the matters to the police or to the then Indigenous affairs minister? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I have known Percy Johnson by repute and personally for a very long time. He was an East Fremantle football legend when I was a kid. I then got to know him during the 1970s when, because of his very strong religious beliefs, he refused to stock contraceptives in his chemist shop and became the subject of some public commentary on that matter. I would like to acknowledge what I know to be the truth about Percy Johnson; that is, that he is a man who is passionately committed to the plight of Indigenous people, and to improving their lot, particularly on the matters that I have spoken to him about involving the Kimberley region and questions related to Aboriginal health, which relates back to his profession as a pharmacist. The member for Capel has referred to a letter. Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : From Sue John. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : To your office. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I have known Percy Johnson by repute and personally for a very long time. He was an East Fremantle football legend when I was a kid. I then got to know him during the 1970s when, because of his very strong religious beliefs, he refused to stock contraceptives in his chemist shop and became the subject of some public commentary on that matter. I would like to acknowledge what I know to be the truth about Percy Johnson; that is, that he is a man who is passionately committed to the plight of Indigenous people, and to improving their lot, particularly on the matters that I have spoken to him about involving the Kimberley region and questions related to Aboriginal health, which relates back to his profession as a pharmacist. The member for Capel has referred to a letter. Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : From Sue John. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : To your office. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
(1)-(2) I have known Percy Johnson by repute and personally for a very long time. He was an East Fremantle football legend when I was a kid. I then got to know him during the 1970s when, because of his very strong religious beliefs, he refused to stock contraceptives in his chemist shop and became the subject of some public commentary on that matter. I would like to acknowledge what I know to be the truth about Percy Johnson; that is, that he is a man who is passionately committed to the plight of Indigenous people, and to improving their lot, particularly on the matters that I have spoken to him about involving the Kimberley region and questions related to Aboriginal health, which relates back to his profession as a pharmacist. The member for Capel has referred to a letter. Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : From Sue John. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : To your office. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : To your office. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Dr S.C. Thomas : To your office. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
(1) What action did the Attorney General take after receiving this request for a meeting? (2) Did the Attorney General refer the matters to the police or to the then Indigenous affairs minister? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I have known Percy Johnson by repute and personally for a very long time. He was an East Fremantle football legend when I was a kid. I then got to know him during the 1970s when, because of his very strong religious beliefs, he refused to stock contraceptives in his chemist shop and became the subject of some public commentary on that matter. I would like to acknowledge what I know to be the truth about Percy Johnson; that is, that he is a man who is passionately committed to the plight of Indigenous people, and to improving their lot, particularly on the matters that I have spoken to him about involving the Kimberley region and questions related to Aboriginal health, which relates back to his profession as a pharmacist. The member for Capel has referred to a letter. Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : From Sue John. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : To your office. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
(2) Did the Attorney General refer the matters to the police or to the then Indigenous affairs minister? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I have known Percy Johnson by repute and personally for a very long time. He was an East Fremantle football legend when I was a kid. I then got to know him during the 1970s when, because of his very strong religious beliefs, he refused to stock contraceptives in his chemist shop and became the subject of some public commentary on that matter. I would like to acknowledge what I know to be the truth about Percy Johnson; that is, that he is a man who is passionately committed to the plight of Indigenous people, and to improving their lot, particularly on the matters that I have spoken to him about involving the Kimberley region and questions related to Aboriginal health, which relates back to his profession as a pharmacist. The member for Capel has referred to a letter. Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : From Sue John. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : To your office. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I have known Percy Johnson by repute and personally for a very long time. He was an East Fremantle football legend when I was a kid. I then got to know him during the 1970s when, because of his very strong religious beliefs, he refused to stock contraceptives in his chemist shop and became the subject of some public commentary on that matter. I would like to acknowledge what I know to be the truth about Percy Johnson; that is, that he is a man who is passionately committed to the plight of Indigenous people, and to improving their lot, particularly on the matters that I have spoken to him about involving the Kimberley region and questions related to Aboriginal health, which relates back to his profession as a pharmacist. The member for Capel has referred to a letter. Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : From Sue John. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : To your office. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
(1)-(2) I have known Percy Johnson by repute and personally for a very long time. He was an East Fremantle football legend when I was a kid. I then got to know him during the 1970s when, because of his very strong religious beliefs, he refused to stock contraceptives in his chemist shop and became the subject of some public commentary on that matter. I would like to acknowledge what I know to be the truth about Percy Johnson; that is, that he is a man who is passionately committed to the plight of Indigenous people, and to improving their lot, particularly on the matters that I have spoken to him about involving the Kimberley region and questions related to Aboriginal health, which relates back to his profession as a pharmacist. The member for Capel has referred to a letter. Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : From Sue John. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : To your office. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Who is it addressed to? Dr S.C. Thomas : To your office. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Dr S.C. Thomas : To your office. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Is it? Who is it addressed to? Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr P.D. Omodei : You have seen it, haven’t you? Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : No. When this matter was raised, I did a check. Members might be interested to know - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : - that since I have been a minister, in the past six and a half years I have received 65 000 items of correspondence. I suspect that that is considerably more items than most of my colleagues have received. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
The SPEAKER : Order, member for Dawesville! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Every one of those 65 000 items of correspondence is logged on my incoming correspondence register. There is no record of a letter addressed to me from Percy Johnson or Lionel Quartermaine. No record whatsoever. I can only presume that it was never sent, because I have not received it. If one does exist, I would certainly appreciate seeing it, but I am unaware of it. Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr P.D. Omodei : Is that not convenient? Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : It simply does not appear on the register with 65 000 items that do appear on the register. It was not even sent to me. I make this point: it is a letter that was not even sent to me, and the opposition wants to make a criticism about it. If I get a letter sent to me, I respond to it; I react to it. Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
The SPEAKER : I know that the member for Dawesville wants to comment on every question, but now he is reading out a letter. I do not know where that came from or what it has to do with anything. The member for Dawesville should not speak. Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : It now appears that no letter was sent to me. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
The SPEAKER : When I make a ruling, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept that ruling. The member for Dawesville has nothing to do with the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Let me make this point: a week does not go by when I do not receive an allegation of impropriety, corruption or criminality. I receive these allegations regularly and what I do on each occasion, which I do religiously, is refer that matter to the appropriate authorities, whether it be to the police to investigate an allegation of criminality or the Corruption and Crime Commission to investigate an allegation of corruption. The one exception to that practice is when it involves a vexatious matter by a person who is constantly writing in with no substance to the allegation and no evidence whatsoever. Obviously, in those cases I do not act on them because it would be a waste of everyone’s time. However, when somebody raises with me any allegation involving criminality or corruption, it is my absolute policy that it be referred to the appropriate authority to be investigated, in very much the same way the opposition is talking about action concerning child sexual abuse, particularly involving Indigenous communities. When the coroner reported on the death of Susan Taylor, then Premier Geoff Gallop and his entire cabinet set up the Gordon inquiry. They did enormous things to try to tackle this problem of Aboriginal child abuse in Western Australia in a way that it had never previously been tackled. Nobody had had the courage to do it previously. Not only did we set up the Gordon inquiry, which made a series of recommendations, but if my memory serves me correctly, in the order of $120 million has been or is committed to be spent in the next year or two in Western Australia to set up police stations in remote Aboriginal communities, provide child protection workers and a whole series of initiatives in Perth, the regions and the remote areas to deal with this matter. Child sex abuse is something that we regard as an absolute priority and I reject totally any suggestion that I would have been inactive in dealing with this matter. Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
Going back to Percy Johnson, the initial report in the newspaper on this issue suggested that I had refused to meet with him. I pointed out that I had met with him on a number of occasions to discuss Aboriginal issues in the Kimberley region. I stand subject to correction on this because Percy Johnson himself has admitted that he met with me, but my recollection is that there was a further meeting with Percy Johnson to discuss these issues. That is my recollection, so any suggestion that I have refused to meet at about this time is completely fallacious. However, the opposition is now trumpeting a letter that was not even addressed to me. I can work some miracles, but please!
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