❓ Opposition questions the timing of removing the Emergency Services portfolio from a minister during fire season. The Premier deflects, criticises the opposition's questions, and refuses to comment on cabinet structure.
AnsweredQoN 557Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BARNETT GOVERNMENT — CABINET — Minister for Emergency Services
As a supplementary question, how can it be responsible to remove the portfolio of emergency services from this minister during the fire season rather than before the fire season? Mr C.J. BARNETT
As a supplementary question, how can it be responsible to remove the portfolio of emergency services from this minister during the fire season rather than before the fire season? Mr C.J. BARNETT
AnswerView source ↗
As if I am going to comment on the structure of cabinet. I do not intend to make any wholesale changes. Mr M. McGowan : You just did. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am in dismay at the quality of the questions of members opposite. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: As if I am going to comment on the structure of cabinet. I do not intend to make any wholesale changes. Mr M. McGowan : You just did. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am in dismay at the quality of the questions of members opposite. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
As if I am going to comment on the structure of cabinet. I do not intend to make any wholesale changes. Mr M. McGowan : You just did. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am in dismay at the quality of the questions of members opposite. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
Mr M. McGowan : You just did. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am in dismay at the quality of the questions of members opposite. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am in dismay at the quality of the questions of members opposite. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: As if I am going to comment on the structure of cabinet. I do not intend to make any wholesale changes. Mr M. McGowan : You just did. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am in dismay at the quality of the questions of members opposite. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
As if I am going to comment on the structure of cabinet. I do not intend to make any wholesale changes. Mr M. McGowan : You just did. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am in dismay at the quality of the questions of members opposite. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
Mr M. McGowan : You just did. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am in dismay at the quality of the questions of members opposite. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am in dismay at the quality of the questions of members opposite. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
The SPEAKER : I give you the call back, Premier. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Imagine how members opposite would react if I were to stand in this place and spend the next 20 minutes discussing whether the member for Belmont, the member for Rockingham or the member for Victoria Park should be Leader of the Opposition—or, who knows, we may see the resurrection of Alannah! Is that what members opposite want me to do: spend the next half-hour discussing the strengths—that would not take long—or the weaknesses of members opposite? As if I would do that. I would not waste their time or our time.
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