❓ Mr. Love questions the motivations behind a cabinet reshuffle, suggesting favouritism and a deal influenced the appointments. The Premier defends the appointments based on merit and criticises the question's implications.
AnsweredQoN 13Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
M c GOWAN
MINISTRY — RECONSTITUTION
13. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I refer to the cabinet reshuffle
announced on 14 December. Was the promotion of the member for Wanneroo and
member for the South West Region a negotiated surrender by the member for
Bassendean so he would go quietly—that is to say, did the member for
Bassendean demand that he be replaced by a female member as a condition of his
resignation; and, was this the other reason the only working farmer on the ALP
benches was held back from being the next Minister for Agriculture and Food?
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Before
I give the call to the Premier, it is important that we can all hear the
questions clearly and without interruption. I do not need lots of commentary on
various elements of a question as it is asked. The question is asked of the
Premier, and the Premier will be responding.
MINISTRY — RECONSTITUTION
13. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I refer to the cabinet reshuffle
announced on 14 December. Was the promotion of the member for Wanneroo and
member for the South West Region a negotiated surrender by the member for
Bassendean so he would go quietly—that is to say, did the member for
Bassendean demand that he be replaced by a female member as a condition of his
resignation; and, was this the other reason the only working farmer on the ALP
benches was held back from being the next Minister for Agriculture and Food?
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Before
I give the call to the Premier, it is important that we can all hear the
questions clearly and without interruption. I do not need lots of commentary on
various elements of a question as it is asked. The question is asked of the
Premier, and the Premier will be responding.
AnswerView source ↗
Madam Speaker —
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for Aboriginal
Affairs, after I just asked people not to interject on the question, it is
really inappropriate to interject on the Premier.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It is a very
odd question. We have just been through three months of summer, with all sorts
of issues, and of everything the member could ask, and he asks a bizarre
question on his third attempt.
Can I firstly thank the member for
Bassendean for his service in the government over six years. Six years of
service as a minister is a gruelling thing, and he has a long list of
achievements of which he can be very proud. I know he will continue in public
life for some considerable period to come making further contributions. I also
thank former member for the South West Region Hon Alannah MacTiernan for all
her contributions. She has now left the Parliament
for the third time, but she has assured me that she is not coming back this
time; although, there is still the Senate, as I have told her, should she
really wish to be a sadomasochist! I thank them both for all their
contributions.
I congratulate the member for
Wanneroo on becoming a minister after six years in Parliament, and Hon Jackie
Jarvis, member for South West Region, who has also become a minister in
Parliament—both of whom got there on merit. I know that it might be
surprising to the Nationals WA that there is such a thing, but both members are
worthy occupants of the roles after their roles in both the community and the
Parliament over a long period. In the case of the member for Wanneroo, she is a
former teacher and former local government councillor. She has served as my
parliamentary secretary, and on various committees and so forth. She is a decent
human being who I am sure will do a good job in the roles. In the case of Hon
Jackie Jarvis, she runs a farm. She is from a farm. She is a vigneron, and
wineries are farms—just so the member is aware. She was actually
Telstra's rural woman of the year maybe five or six years ago, she has
worked for the Grains Council of Australia, and she has worked in senior roles
in agriculture, and she is now the Minister for Agriculture and Food. What is
wrong with that? I do not understand why the
member is asking these questions. It is very odd that he would ask these
questions—that somehow there is something wrong in this regard
and somehow there is something wrong in promoting senior women. What is wrong
with that?� Why would the member say that? The beauty of our side of politics
is that we have lots of people to choose from. It is the agony of choice
because there are so many people of talent. That is not an affliction that the
opposition suffers from.
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for Aboriginal
Affairs, after I just asked people not to interject on the question, it is
really inappropriate to interject on the Premier.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It is a very
odd question. We have just been through three months of summer, with all sorts
of issues, and of everything the member could ask, and he asks a bizarre
question on his third attempt.
Can I firstly thank the member for
Bassendean for his service in the government over six years. Six years of
service as a minister is a gruelling thing, and he has a long list of
achievements of which he can be very proud. I know he will continue in public
life for some considerable period to come making further contributions. I also
thank former member for the South West Region Hon Alannah MacTiernan for all
her contributions. She has now left the Parliament
for the third time, but she has assured me that she is not coming back this
time; although, there is still the Senate, as I have told her, should she
really wish to be a sadomasochist! I thank them both for all their
contributions.
I congratulate the member for
Wanneroo on becoming a minister after six years in Parliament, and Hon Jackie
Jarvis, member for South West Region, who has also become a minister in
Parliament—both of whom got there on merit. I know that it might be
surprising to the Nationals WA that there is such a thing, but both members are
worthy occupants of the roles after their roles in both the community and the
Parliament over a long period. In the case of the member for Wanneroo, she is a
former teacher and former local government councillor. She has served as my
parliamentary secretary, and on various committees and so forth. She is a decent
human being who I am sure will do a good job in the roles. In the case of Hon
Jackie Jarvis, she runs a farm. She is from a farm. She is a vigneron, and
wineries are farms—just so the member is aware. She was actually
Telstra's rural woman of the year maybe five or six years ago, she has
worked for the Grains Council of Australia, and she has worked in senior roles
in agriculture, and she is now the Minister for Agriculture and Food. What is
wrong with that? I do not understand why the
member is asking these questions. It is very odd that he would ask these
questions—that somehow there is something wrong in this regard
and somehow there is something wrong in promoting senior women. What is wrong
with that?� Why would the member say that? The beauty of our side of politics
is that we have lots of people to choose from. It is the agony of choice
because there are so many people of talent. That is not an affliction that the
opposition suffers from.
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