❓ Question regarding the importance of fair local government elections and awareness of candidate intimidation. The Minister responds by accusing a federal MP of bullying candidates over their stance on Roe 8/9.
AnsweredQoN 801Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
ELECTIONS
801. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Local
Government:
I refer to the upcoming local
government elections.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house why it is
important that these elections are held without any interference?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether he is aware of any attempts to intimidate any
candidate running to represent their community?
ELECTIONS
801. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Local
Government:
I refer to the upcoming local
government elections.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house why it is
important that these elections are held without any interference?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether he is aware of any attempts to intimidate any
candidate running to represent their community?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Bicton for
her very important question.
(1)–(2) It
is, of course, local government election season. As we know, nominations have
closed for candidates throughout the state. I want to congratulate those
elected members who have been elected unopposed, and there have been some of
those in various parts of the state. I also congratulate those people who have
put themselves forward to represent their communities and are now, indeed,
feverishly seeking support and endorsement from their community. I also want to
acknowledge some of the people who are retiring from local government now.
Mayor Henry Zelones from Armadale is retiring from local government. He has
been an outstanding leader.
The SPEAKER :
Through the Chair, minister.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : Mayor Sue
Doherty from South Perth is another long-term serving local government member
who is retiring. Again, I acknowledge her contribution.
It is disturbing that we hear news from the southern part of
the world—the southern part of the metropolitan area—that
federal members and a federal member in particular is deciding to get involved
in not only local government elections, but also actually I believe bullying
candidates. Some would call Hon Ben Morton, MP, the member for Tangney —
Dr D.J. Honey : A fine member
of Parliament.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I do not
know about that, not with his behaviour, member for South Perth.
Mr J.E. McGrath : I didn't
say anything.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member
said he was a very good —
The SPEAKER : It was the
member for Cottesloe.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : Whoever
said that will not think that when they hear about this. This is very
disturbing. The member for Tangney, of course, as we know, has been railing
against this government's commitment to ensure that we have an outer
harbour in the long term and that Roe 8 is not pursued.
The SPEAKER : Minister, can
you talk towards the Chair. Hansard has trouble picking up your comments.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : He took it
upon himself to write to candidates, particularly in the City of Melville. He
wrote to them not only demanding that they sign a pledge, which he would then
seek to advertise widely to the broader electorate, for which I hope he is not
going to use his appropriate parliamentary —
Mr F.M. Logan : He has.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : He has! Oh
my goodness; he has already. So, now he has done that. Apparently, he is using
full-page ads, wraparounds and all of those. Here is the pledge, not only does
he ask candidates to pledge; he writes the pledge for them. I have one here! It
has Roe 8 and 9 on it.
Several opposition members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my
left!
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : What is
wrong with members opposite? Does the member for Hillarys not like this? I hope
the member is not going to show a pattern of behaviour and bully candidates like
that outstanding candidate in, of course, the seat of Joondalup—the
former member for Hillarys. I hope the member is not getting on the phone! Do
not get on the phone! Do not get on the phone at night and start bullying him!
You bully, you! Do not get out there and start bullying him!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister, I have
said a couple of times to look towards the Chair; this is the Chair, not over
there.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I hope the
member does not go and do that.
Withdrawal of Remark
Mr Z.R.F.
KIRKUP : I think there was some imputation that the member for
Hillarys is somehow a bully. I ask that that is withdrawn.
Mr T.J. Healy : Only when he
is drunk at 3.00 am.
The SPEAKER : Member, you
withdraw that.
Mr T.J. Healy : I withdraw.
The SPEAKER : Members, the
member for Hillarys put the phone up to his ear, so I thought he did encourage
that, so it is not a point of order. Through the Chair, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I hope we
never see bullying like that. The pledge that he is demanding candidates sign
calls upon them to pledge that they will support the building of Roe 8 and 9;
that the candidate will actively call on the state government to access moneys
being made available, apparently, by the federal government; and that he will
campaign against the deletion of the Roe 8 road reserve by the state
government. Of course, he then says, ''Yours sincerely'', and he
has filled out the name of the candidate for them as well and requests that
they sign it by yesterday. If that is not bullying, I do not know what is! That
is appalling bullying.
We have been trying to highlight
that in local government we want quality people putting themselves forward and
they should not be bullied. We know that in previous campaigns we have seen
bullying of candidates and it is appalling. We are seeing it here by a federal
member of Parliament—Scomo's horse whisperer! There he is,
Scomo's horse whisperer. It appears that this is simple political
smearing by the member for Tangney. It is simply there for his own political
agenda and it is not in the best interests of the community. It is an attack
and a smear and a bullying technique. I hope the people of Melville and
Cockburn look very closely at the candidates with regard to this because it is
simply very, very poor behaviour by the federal member for Tangney.
her very important question.
(1)–(2) It
is, of course, local government election season. As we know, nominations have
closed for candidates throughout the state. I want to congratulate those
elected members who have been elected unopposed, and there have been some of
those in various parts of the state. I also congratulate those people who have
put themselves forward to represent their communities and are now, indeed,
feverishly seeking support and endorsement from their community. I also want to
acknowledge some of the people who are retiring from local government now.
Mayor Henry Zelones from Armadale is retiring from local government. He has
been an outstanding leader.
The SPEAKER :
Through the Chair, minister.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : Mayor Sue
Doherty from South Perth is another long-term serving local government member
who is retiring. Again, I acknowledge her contribution.
It is disturbing that we hear news from the southern part of
the world—the southern part of the metropolitan area—that
federal members and a federal member in particular is deciding to get involved
in not only local government elections, but also actually I believe bullying
candidates. Some would call Hon Ben Morton, MP, the member for Tangney —
Dr D.J. Honey : A fine member
of Parliament.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I do not
know about that, not with his behaviour, member for South Perth.
Mr J.E. McGrath : I didn't
say anything.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member
said he was a very good —
The SPEAKER : It was the
member for Cottesloe.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : Whoever
said that will not think that when they hear about this. This is very
disturbing. The member for Tangney, of course, as we know, has been railing
against this government's commitment to ensure that we have an outer
harbour in the long term and that Roe 8 is not pursued.
The SPEAKER : Minister, can
you talk towards the Chair. Hansard has trouble picking up your comments.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : He took it
upon himself to write to candidates, particularly in the City of Melville. He
wrote to them not only demanding that they sign a pledge, which he would then
seek to advertise widely to the broader electorate, for which I hope he is not
going to use his appropriate parliamentary —
Mr F.M. Logan : He has.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : He has! Oh
my goodness; he has already. So, now he has done that. Apparently, he is using
full-page ads, wraparounds and all of those. Here is the pledge, not only does
he ask candidates to pledge; he writes the pledge for them. I have one here! It
has Roe 8 and 9 on it.
Several opposition members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my
left!
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : What is
wrong with members opposite? Does the member for Hillarys not like this? I hope
the member is not going to show a pattern of behaviour and bully candidates like
that outstanding candidate in, of course, the seat of Joondalup—the
former member for Hillarys. I hope the member is not getting on the phone! Do
not get on the phone! Do not get on the phone at night and start bullying him!
You bully, you! Do not get out there and start bullying him!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister, I have
said a couple of times to look towards the Chair; this is the Chair, not over
there.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I hope the
member does not go and do that.
Withdrawal of Remark
Mr Z.R.F.
KIRKUP : I think there was some imputation that the member for
Hillarys is somehow a bully. I ask that that is withdrawn.
Mr T.J. Healy : Only when he
is drunk at 3.00 am.
The SPEAKER : Member, you
withdraw that.
Mr T.J. Healy : I withdraw.
The SPEAKER : Members, the
member for Hillarys put the phone up to his ear, so I thought he did encourage
that, so it is not a point of order. Through the Chair, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I hope we
never see bullying like that. The pledge that he is demanding candidates sign
calls upon them to pledge that they will support the building of Roe 8 and 9;
that the candidate will actively call on the state government to access moneys
being made available, apparently, by the federal government; and that he will
campaign against the deletion of the Roe 8 road reserve by the state
government. Of course, he then says, ''Yours sincerely'', and he
has filled out the name of the candidate for them as well and requests that
they sign it by yesterday. If that is not bullying, I do not know what is! That
is appalling bullying.
We have been trying to highlight
that in local government we want quality people putting themselves forward and
they should not be bullied. We know that in previous campaigns we have seen
bullying of candidates and it is appalling. We are seeing it here by a federal
member of Parliament—Scomo's horse whisperer! There he is,
Scomo's horse whisperer. It appears that this is simple political
smearing by the member for Tangney. It is simply there for his own political
agenda and it is not in the best interests of the community. It is an attack
and a smear and a bullying technique. I hope the people of Melville and
Cockburn look very closely at the candidates with regard to this because it is
simply very, very poor behaviour by the federal member for Tangney.
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.