❓ Mr. Love questions the Premier about an $86 million contract awarded to PersolKelly for the 2025 state election, alleging lack of executive awareness. The Premier defends the election process, announces an inquiry into its conduct, and emphasizes the independence of the WA Electoral Commission.
AnsweredQoN 4Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PersolKelly
4. Mr Shane Love to the Premier :
I would like to
congratulate all those members who have been elected for the first time—the
21 new members in this place—and also those who have returned. I also
add my condolences to the family of Arthur Leggett OAM and acknowledge his
passing this month, just before Anzac Day, which is, I think, very evocative.
Premier, I refer to
the conduct of the 2025 state election, with the writs being returned only six
days before Parliament's opening today.
(1) Can the Premier confirm for the house that neither
he nor his former Minister for Electoral Affairs, the former Minister for
Finance or the Treasurer were aware of the awarding of an $86 million contract
to PersolKelly for its involvement in the 2025 state election?
(2) How is it that $86
million of taxpayers' dollars can be doled out with no executive approval or
even awareness?
4. Mr Shane Love to the Premier :
I would like to
congratulate all those members who have been elected for the first time—the
21 new members in this place—and also those who have returned. I also
add my condolences to the family of Arthur Leggett OAM and acknowledge his
passing this month, just before Anzac Day, which is, I think, very evocative.
Premier, I refer to
the conduct of the 2025 state election, with the writs being returned only six
days before Parliament's opening today.
(1) Can the Premier confirm for the house that neither
he nor his former Minister for Electoral Affairs, the former Minister for
Finance or the Treasurer were aware of the awarding of an $86 million contract
to PersolKelly for its involvement in the 2025 state election?
(2) How is it that $86
million of taxpayers' dollars can be doled out with no executive approval or
even awareness?
AnswerView source ↗
Mr Speaker, firstly,
to the first point the member makes, there was no overly long delay in the
returning of the writs. In 2008, the writs were returned in 58 days; in 2013,
it was 59; in 2017, it was 79; and in 2021, it was 73 days. They were returned
in 55 days in the conduct of the 2025 election. The member is trying to create
a sense in the community and in this place that somehow the returning of the
writs were delayed. They were not.
I think it is
important that we all take the opportunity, particularly when we see what is
going on around the world, to provide confidence to the people of Western
Australia that their democracy is in safe hands. That is why I have, in
consultation with all major political parties in Western Australia, recently
initiated under the Public Sector Management Act a special inquiry that will be
headed by Hon Malcolm McCusker KC, former governor of this state, esteemed
lawyer and man of great respect in the community, to conduct an inquiry into the
conduct of the election. We have all heard the stories of people who were
inconvenienced and frustrated by the electoral process. Part and parcel of that
was some public commentary particularly on the outsourcing of elements of the
staffing in relation to the conduct of the election. I will put on the record that
it is not unusual at all for personnel companies or consultancies to be engaged
to provide staff for the election process. That happens at the state level and that
always happens at the national level. But we do not deny there are concerns about
the way that some of the polling booths were operated and in relation to a
range of anecdotes that people have heard both personally and at large. I very
much look forward to the electoral inquiry—
Mr Peter Rundle interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Roe.
Mr Roger Cook: I think we should all be very careful
of governments that seek to interfere in the democratic process. There is a
reason that we have the WA Electoral Commission and a reason we have a commissioner
who runs it with the appropriate level of independence—not from
oversight; it is not independence from oversight but independence from
interference from governments of the day. We continue to have confidence in the
work that the WA Electoral Commission does. It is very difficult work. Clearly,
on this occasion, there are opportunities for us to make an inquiry into the
conduct of the election.
to the first point the member makes, there was no overly long delay in the
returning of the writs. In 2008, the writs were returned in 58 days; in 2013,
it was 59; in 2017, it was 79; and in 2021, it was 73 days. They were returned
in 55 days in the conduct of the 2025 election. The member is trying to create
a sense in the community and in this place that somehow the returning of the
writs were delayed. They were not.
I think it is
important that we all take the opportunity, particularly when we see what is
going on around the world, to provide confidence to the people of Western
Australia that their democracy is in safe hands. That is why I have, in
consultation with all major political parties in Western Australia, recently
initiated under the Public Sector Management Act a special inquiry that will be
headed by Hon Malcolm McCusker KC, former governor of this state, esteemed
lawyer and man of great respect in the community, to conduct an inquiry into the
conduct of the election. We have all heard the stories of people who were
inconvenienced and frustrated by the electoral process. Part and parcel of that
was some public commentary particularly on the outsourcing of elements of the
staffing in relation to the conduct of the election. I will put on the record that
it is not unusual at all for personnel companies or consultancies to be engaged
to provide staff for the election process. That happens at the state level and that
always happens at the national level. But we do not deny there are concerns about
the way that some of the polling booths were operated and in relation to a
range of anecdotes that people have heard both personally and at large. I very
much look forward to the electoral inquiry—
Mr Peter Rundle interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Roe.
Mr Roger Cook: I think we should all be very careful
of governments that seek to interfere in the democratic process. There is a
reason that we have the WA Electoral Commission and a reason we have a commissioner
who runs it with the appropriate level of independence—not from
oversight; it is not independence from oversight but independence from
interference from governments of the day. We continue to have confidence in the
work that the WA Electoral Commission does. It is very difficult work. Clearly,
on this occasion, there are opportunities for us to make an inquiry into the
conduct of the election.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.