❓ A parliamentary question regarding the termination of the City of Perth CEO, Mr. Martin Mileham, is met with a defensive and deflective response from the Minister for Local Government, who accuses the questioner of slander and inaction during their time in government.
AnsweredQoN 823Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CITY OF PERTH —
CEO — TERMINATION
823. Mr A. KRSTICEVIC to the Minister for Local Government:
I refer to the continuing chaos
engulfing the City of Perth, including the termination yesterday of the services
of chief executive officer Mr Martin Mileham.
(1) Why were Mr
Mileham's services terminated while he was on sick leave; and is this
an appropriate example for all employers?
(2) As stated by
Mr Mileham, why was he not told directly of his termination instead of the
deliberate decision to inform him via the media?
(3) Why are the
minister and his hand-picked commissioners refusing to be accountable to the
ratepayers of Perth and to fully explain the continued chaos at the City of
Perth?
CEO — TERMINATION
823. Mr A. KRSTICEVIC to the Minister for Local Government:
I refer to the continuing chaos
engulfing the City of Perth, including the termination yesterday of the services
of chief executive officer Mr Martin Mileham.
(1) Why were Mr
Mileham's services terminated while he was on sick leave; and is this
an appropriate example for all employers?
(2) As stated by
Mr Mileham, why was he not told directly of his termination instead of the
deliberate decision to inform him via the media?
(3) Why are the
minister and his hand-picked commissioners refusing to be accountable to the
ratepayers of Perth and to fully explain the continued chaos at the City of
Perth?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I
thank the member for his question, but I am concerned about his assertions on
the reputations of three people whom I actually have respect for. He has
obviously come into this place and attacked them and slandered them; that is
his choice. He can use this place to attack people. It is part of your habit,
mate— it is part of your habit. You have done it before.
Point of Order
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE :
The minister is not answering the question through the Chair.
The SPEAKER : Yes, he is. Oh,
through the Chair?
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : It is part
of the way you operate.
The SPEAKER : Minister,
through the Chair, please.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : You come
in here and have a go at individuals and throw out things, and then, when you
are queried, you say, ''I'm just asking questions.'' You
are wrong. The fact of the matter is this: whilst you were in government, you
sat on your hands and did nothing about the City of Perth.
Several members interjected.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : While the
City of Perth burned, you did nothing! You did nothing at all! Your cavalcade
of ministers did nothing at all, except to go out on an ill-fated amalgamation
process with councils in the state. So, you have no credibility. But the fact
of the matter is —
Point of Order
Mr A.
KRSTICEVIC : Mr Speaker, the question is about the termination of the
current CEO under the commissioners. I would like the minister to return to
that point.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Minister, you will get to the point.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : As I said,
I started my comments about ''the commissioners''. You have now
gone and attacked them. You obviously have no confidence in the commissioners—I
do.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I do, and
they were appointed because you and your government failed to address the
ongoing issues of the City of Perth. We took action. I appointed three
commissioners, and also initiated a panel inquiry, which is a legal process,
which will now meet and which must be seen to travel its course without
interruption by us. It is a judicial process. Now let me just say this about
the decisions: when a council is elected, it makes decisions and it is
accountable to voters. When commissioners are appointed, they are appointed to
make decisions. That is part of our democratic process. Sometimes those
councils and those commissioners will make decisions on behalf of ratepayers
that are controversial and include, in this case, the termination of an
employment contract. It is a contract that I am not privy to and I do not
oversee. That is part of their responsibility. So, these three appointed
commissioners, whom I have confidence in, have made a decision about the
employment of the CEO. I assume that is based upon a whole range of issues that
they have investigated —
Mr A. Krsticevic : Are you happy with that decision?
The SPEAKER : I am not happy
with you, member for Carine.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : —
and that has led them to that decision. They ultimately are accountable for
that decision. They need to make sure that they have followed due process as in
the Local Government Act. There is no evidence before me that they have not;
therefore, their decision has been made.
I have spoken to the commissioners
and I have said if there is any information that they are legally able to make
available to address some of the concerns that the media and others have
raised, I would ask them to do it. Can I direct them to do it? No, I cannot.
The member should know that, but, as he very often does in this place, he comes
in here and sprays out a whole range of issues that he seems to know very
little about. One needs to wonder: who is feeding him the information? Who is
behind the information that is feeding him? That is the big question that the
media probably should be asking.
I am confident that the City of
Perth is on track with the three commissioners. They are very aware that the
public and the ratepayers and the media will be looking at them closely while
they do that work. It is not easy, it is challenging, but they are doing the
job, and I support them.
thank the member for his question, but I am concerned about his assertions on
the reputations of three people whom I actually have respect for. He has
obviously come into this place and attacked them and slandered them; that is
his choice. He can use this place to attack people. It is part of your habit,
mate— it is part of your habit. You have done it before.
Point of Order
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE :
The minister is not answering the question through the Chair.
The SPEAKER : Yes, he is. Oh,
through the Chair?
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : It is part
of the way you operate.
The SPEAKER : Minister,
through the Chair, please.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : You come
in here and have a go at individuals and throw out things, and then, when you
are queried, you say, ''I'm just asking questions.'' You
are wrong. The fact of the matter is this: whilst you were in government, you
sat on your hands and did nothing about the City of Perth.
Several members interjected.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : While the
City of Perth burned, you did nothing! You did nothing at all! Your cavalcade
of ministers did nothing at all, except to go out on an ill-fated amalgamation
process with councils in the state. So, you have no credibility. But the fact
of the matter is —
Point of Order
Mr A.
KRSTICEVIC : Mr Speaker, the question is about the termination of the
current CEO under the commissioners. I would like the minister to return to
that point.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Minister, you will get to the point.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : As I said,
I started my comments about ''the commissioners''. You have now
gone and attacked them. You obviously have no confidence in the commissioners—I
do.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I do, and
they were appointed because you and your government failed to address the
ongoing issues of the City of Perth. We took action. I appointed three
commissioners, and also initiated a panel inquiry, which is a legal process,
which will now meet and which must be seen to travel its course without
interruption by us. It is a judicial process. Now let me just say this about
the decisions: when a council is elected, it makes decisions and it is
accountable to voters. When commissioners are appointed, they are appointed to
make decisions. That is part of our democratic process. Sometimes those
councils and those commissioners will make decisions on behalf of ratepayers
that are controversial and include, in this case, the termination of an
employment contract. It is a contract that I am not privy to and I do not
oversee. That is part of their responsibility. So, these three appointed
commissioners, whom I have confidence in, have made a decision about the
employment of the CEO. I assume that is based upon a whole range of issues that
they have investigated —
Mr A. Krsticevic : Are you happy with that decision?
The SPEAKER : I am not happy
with you, member for Carine.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : —
and that has led them to that decision. They ultimately are accountable for
that decision. They need to make sure that they have followed due process as in
the Local Government Act. There is no evidence before me that they have not;
therefore, their decision has been made.
I have spoken to the commissioners
and I have said if there is any information that they are legally able to make
available to address some of the concerns that the media and others have
raised, I would ask them to do it. Can I direct them to do it? No, I cannot.
The member should know that, but, as he very often does in this place, he comes
in here and sprays out a whole range of issues that he seems to know very
little about. One needs to wonder: who is feeding him the information? Who is
behind the information that is feeding him? That is the big question that the
media probably should be asking.
I am confident that the City of
Perth is on track with the three commissioners. They are very aware that the
public and the ratepayers and the media will be looking at them closely while
they do that work. It is not easy, it is challenging, but they are doing the
job, and I support them.
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