❓ The Leader of the Opposition questions the Acting Premier about a government advertisement that also promotes a Labor member, alleging it violates the ALP's accountability policy. The Acting Premier deflects, citing lack of notice and promising to investigate.
AnsweredQoN 164Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to an advertisement that appeared in south west newspapers regarding the Government’s community water forums and that includes an advertisement for Hon Adele Farina and her electorate office. (1) Does the Acting Premier admit that this advertisement, a copy of which I hand the Acting Premier, contravenes the Australian Labor Party’s accountability policy that states “Labor will . . . issue guidelines to prevent publicly funded advertising being used inappropriately for political partisan purposes”? (2) Who approved the use of public funds to run an advertisement promoting a Labor member of the Legislative Council as part of the Government’s community water forum program? (3) Does the Acting Premier agree that the advertisement for Hon Adele Farina is an appropriate use of taxpayers’ money for party political purposes? (4) In the interests of open and accountable government, will the Acting Premier join with the Liberal Opposition in supporting a full and independent inquiry by the Auditor General and the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards into this matter? Mr E.S. RIPPER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
(1) Does the Acting Premier admit that this advertisement, a copy of which I hand the Acting Premier, contravenes the Australian Labor Party’s accountability policy that states “Labor will . . . issue guidelines to prevent publicly funded advertising being used inappropriately for political partisan purposes”? (2) Who approved the use of public funds to run an advertisement promoting a Labor member of the Legislative Council as part of the Government’s community water forum program? (3) Does the Acting Premier agree that the advertisement for Hon Adele Farina is an appropriate use of taxpayers’ money for party political purposes? (4) In the interests of open and accountable government, will the Acting Premier join with the Liberal Opposition in supporting a full and independent inquiry by the Auditor General and the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards into this matter? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
(2) Who approved the use of public funds to run an advertisement promoting a Labor member of the Legislative Council as part of the Government’s community water forum program? (3) Does the Acting Premier agree that the advertisement for Hon Adele Farina is an appropriate use of taxpayers’ money for party political purposes? (4) In the interests of open and accountable government, will the Acting Premier join with the Liberal Opposition in supporting a full and independent inquiry by the Auditor General and the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards into this matter? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
(3) Does the Acting Premier agree that the advertisement for Hon Adele Farina is an appropriate use of taxpayers’ money for party political purposes? (4) In the interests of open and accountable government, will the Acting Premier join with the Liberal Opposition in supporting a full and independent inquiry by the Auditor General and the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards into this matter? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
(4) In the interests of open and accountable government, will the Acting Premier join with the Liberal Opposition in supporting a full and independent inquiry by the Auditor General and the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards into this matter? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
(1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
(1) Does the Acting Premier admit that this advertisement, a copy of which I hand the Acting Premier, contravenes the Australian Labor Party’s accountability policy that states “Labor will . . . issue guidelines to prevent publicly funded advertising being used inappropriately for political partisan purposes”? (2) Who approved the use of public funds to run an advertisement promoting a Labor member of the Legislative Council as part of the Government’s community water forum program? (3) Does the Acting Premier agree that the advertisement for Hon Adele Farina is an appropriate use of taxpayers’ money for party political purposes? (4) In the interests of open and accountable government, will the Acting Premier join with the Liberal Opposition in supporting a full and independent inquiry by the Auditor General and the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards into this matter? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
(2) Who approved the use of public funds to run an advertisement promoting a Labor member of the Legislative Council as part of the Government’s community water forum program? (3) Does the Acting Premier agree that the advertisement for Hon Adele Farina is an appropriate use of taxpayers’ money for party political purposes? (4) In the interests of open and accountable government, will the Acting Premier join with the Liberal Opposition in supporting a full and independent inquiry by the Auditor General and the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards into this matter? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
(3) Does the Acting Premier agree that the advertisement for Hon Adele Farina is an appropriate use of taxpayers’ money for party political purposes? (4) In the interests of open and accountable government, will the Acting Premier join with the Liberal Opposition in supporting a full and independent inquiry by the Auditor General and the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards into this matter? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
(4) In the interests of open and accountable government, will the Acting Premier join with the Liberal Opposition in supporting a full and independent inquiry by the Auditor General and the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards into this matter? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. (1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
(1)-(4) If the Leader of the Opposition wanted a proper answer to the question, it would have been advisable for him to have given some notice. How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who paid for it and under what conditions? How am I to tell from a copy of this advertisement who authorised the advertisement? To give the Opposition an example of what may occur, a water forum took place in Belmont. The Southern Gazette newspaper carried an advertisement featuring my photograph advertising the community water forum. Who paid for that advertisement? I did. I organised the forum and I advertised it. How am I to determine from the material that has been put before me whether it involves that sort of circumstance or another sort of circumstance? However, the situation has been put before us, and there is the possibility that a member’s advertising has, on the face of it, been mixed up with government advertising. Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
Mr C.J. Barnett: I do not think so. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not say it is the case, but the information has been put before me. I will seek advice from the respective agencies and the member as to the circumstances that gave rise to the advertisement.
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