❓ Hon. Ken Travers questions Hon. Jim Chown's roles as Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and member for Agricultural Region, raising potential conflicts of interest. The President initially rules part of the question out of order.
AnsweredQoN 23Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
HON JIM CHOWN — ROLES
23. Hon KEN TRAVERS to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Transport:
Thank you, Mr President. I am not that brave and I do not
expect you to be!
I congratulate the parliamentary secretary on his
appointment.
(1) Can he
tell us what he does as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport?
(2) What is
the difference between comments he makes as the parliamentary secretary and
comments he makes as the member for Agricultural Region?
(3) If he
believes there is a difference, how does he intend to deal with any conflicts
between the two roles?
The
PRESIDENT : I do not think sections of that question are in order.
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order! I want to make sure I
get this right. Standing order 103 reads in part —
Questions may be asked
of —
(a) a Minister or Parliamentary Secretary
relating to public affairs with which the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary
is connected, to proceedings in the Council, or to any matter of administration
for which the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary is responsible;
The parts of the question relating to the member's
role as a member for Agricultural Region are out of order, but the parts of the
question relating to the parliamentary secretary's role in relation to
public affairs and his representative role are in order.
Point of Order
Hon
SUE ELLERY : Mr President, will
you give consideration to perhaps making a ruling on what you have just advised
the house. It seems to me that that part of the question that asked—I
am paraphrasing—what is the difference between Hon Jim Chown's
role as the member for Agricultural Region and his role as the parliamentary
secretary indeed go to his role as parliamentary secretary. I wonder if in fact
that can be ruled out of order.
Hon Ken Travers : I am asking whether it is a
conflict.
The PRESIDENT : I will take that point of order and make a
statement at some later stage.
Hon SUE
ELLERY :
Thank you.
Questions without Notice Resumed
23. Hon KEN TRAVERS to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Transport:
Thank you, Mr President. I am not that brave and I do not
expect you to be!
I congratulate the parliamentary secretary on his
appointment.
(1) Can he
tell us what he does as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport?
(2) What is
the difference between comments he makes as the parliamentary secretary and
comments he makes as the member for Agricultural Region?
(3) If he
believes there is a difference, how does he intend to deal with any conflicts
between the two roles?
The
PRESIDENT : I do not think sections of that question are in order.
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order! I want to make sure I
get this right. Standing order 103 reads in part —
Questions may be asked
of —
(a) a Minister or Parliamentary Secretary
relating to public affairs with which the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary
is connected, to proceedings in the Council, or to any matter of administration
for which the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary is responsible;
The parts of the question relating to the member's
role as a member for Agricultural Region are out of order, but the parts of the
question relating to the parliamentary secretary's role in relation to
public affairs and his representative role are in order.
Point of Order
Hon
SUE ELLERY : Mr President, will
you give consideration to perhaps making a ruling on what you have just advised
the house. It seems to me that that part of the question that asked—I
am paraphrasing—what is the difference between Hon Jim Chown's
role as the member for Agricultural Region and his role as the parliamentary
secretary indeed go to his role as parliamentary secretary. I wonder if in fact
that can be ruled out of order.
Hon Ken Travers : I am asking whether it is a
conflict.
The PRESIDENT : I will take that point of order and make a
statement at some later stage.
Hon SUE
ELLERY :
Thank you.
Questions without Notice Resumed
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you, Mr
President, and I thank the honourable member for the question without notice.
(1)–(3)
I consider my role as parliamentary secretary to be at the behest of my
minister and I will do anything he wishes me to do with regard to fulfilling
the requirements of a parliamentary secretary, including answering questions in
this house and putting forward any appropriate pieces of legislation on his
behalf.
Several members interjected.
President, and I thank the honourable member for the question without notice.
(1)–(3)
I consider my role as parliamentary secretary to be at the behest of my
minister and I will do anything he wishes me to do with regard to fulfilling
the requirements of a parliamentary secretary, including answering questions in
this house and putting forward any appropriate pieces of legislation on his
behalf.
Several members interjected.
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