❓ Question regarding bullying allegations within the Labor Party, with the Premier responding by referencing past bullying allegations made by a former member of parliament.
AnsweredQoN 688Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LABOR PARTY —
BULLYING ALLEGATIONS
688. Mrs A.K. HAYDEN to the Minister for Public Sector
Management:
I have a supplementary question.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Minister for Transport,
I call you to order for the first time. Can you ask your supplementary question ,
please.
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Will the
Premier ask the Public Sector Commissioner to undertake an immediate
investigation into these serious allegations of bullying and intimidation
against staff?
BULLYING ALLEGATIONS
688. Mrs A.K. HAYDEN to the Minister for Public Sector
Management:
I have a supplementary question.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Minister for Transport,
I call you to order for the first time. Can you ask your supplementary question ,
please.
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Will the
Premier ask the Public Sector Commissioner to undertake an immediate
investigation into these serious allegations of bullying and intimidation
against staff?
AnswerView source ↗
I am aware of allegations of
bullying. They were by Helen Morton. Members might recall Helen Morton, who was
a member of the upper house. She made allegations of bullying against another
member of Parliament, who was a female member of the upper house, who blocked
her in the corridor. That is what Helen Morton had to say. The allegation made
by Hon Helen Morton was that she blocked her in the corridor and threatened
her.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : The member for
Darling Range has asked about bullying; the Premier is talking about bullying.
Point of Order
Mrs A.K.
HAYDEN : I would like the Premier to provide information.
The SPEAKER : Sit down.
Several members interjected.
Questions without Notice Resumed
The SPEAKER : Premier, have
you finished?
Mr
M. McGOWAN : No, I am not
finished. There is no substance to whatever scuttlebutt the member has
indicated there.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range, I call you to order.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I am aware, as
I said, of allegations of bullying. I want to read out what Hon Helen Morton
had to say. I think people in this house might want to answer a few questions
about it.
Point of Order
The SPEAKER : Members, I have
already ruled on the relevance of this.
Mrs L.M.
HARVEY : Mr Speaker, under standing order 92, ''Imputations
and personal reflections'' —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, there
is a point of order. I will hear it in silence.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : Standing
order 92 states —
Imputations of improper motives and
personal reflections on the Sovereign, the Governor, a judicial officer or
members of the Assembly or the Council are disorderly other than by substantive
motion.
If the Premier has an issue that he
needs to raise about a member, it must be by way of substantive motion.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Premier, I have been advised that you have to be very careful about making
allegations against members of the upper house.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : Thank you, Mr Speaker.
I think my allegation is not against a member of the upper house.
According
to my notes, Hon Helen Morton said on ABC radio on 20 September 2018, ''The
worst bullying I experienced was by a woman.''
Point of Order
Mr Z.R.F.
KIRKUP : Point of order, Mr Speaker.
Dr A.D. Buti : You shouldn't
throw stones!
The SPEAKER : I will throw you
onto the called-to-order list, member for Armadale. Yes.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : The
supplementary question from the member for Darling Range was about allegations
of bullying of staff. I believe that the answer from the Premier must be
relevant to that supplementary question.
The SPEAKER : It is relevant.
If the member had not brought up bullying, the Premier could not have brought
it up. Premier, finish this off, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : According to
my notes, on ABC radio on 20 September 2018, Hon Helen Morton said —
''The worst bullying I experienced
was by a woman. And I'm informed that this woman perpetrated bullying
against male colleagues �
The most serious bullying that I experienced
in the Parliament was perpetrated by a woman, that person was obviously
carrying out a mission or undertaking the business, of that preselection, being
made safe for her.
In my case I've been blocked
from walking down a passageway to get to my office and I was quite literally
shirtfronted by this person, as I shifted from one way to the other, pass, the
member deliberately would block me, making physical contact with me, in quite a
threatening manner, I was literally disgusted and appalled that this was
happening, by a member of parliament, in the parliament of western Australia,
and in view of the public. It was just appalling to me that it could happen. I did
ask for an apology, but that was not forthcoming, and the reason I was given
was because fear of admission would lead to some sort of prosecution for
assault.''
Member for Darling Range, that is
what Hon Helen Morton had to say about one of her colleagues. It might be
appropriate for the member for Darling Range to explain that matter to the
house.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
bullying. They were by Helen Morton. Members might recall Helen Morton, who was
a member of the upper house. She made allegations of bullying against another
member of Parliament, who was a female member of the upper house, who blocked
her in the corridor. That is what Helen Morton had to say. The allegation made
by Hon Helen Morton was that she blocked her in the corridor and threatened
her.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : The member for
Darling Range has asked about bullying; the Premier is talking about bullying.
Point of Order
Mrs A.K.
HAYDEN : I would like the Premier to provide information.
The SPEAKER : Sit down.
Several members interjected.
Questions without Notice Resumed
The SPEAKER : Premier, have
you finished?
Mr
M. McGOWAN : No, I am not
finished. There is no substance to whatever scuttlebutt the member has
indicated there.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range, I call you to order.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I am aware, as
I said, of allegations of bullying. I want to read out what Hon Helen Morton
had to say. I think people in this house might want to answer a few questions
about it.
Point of Order
The SPEAKER : Members, I have
already ruled on the relevance of this.
Mrs L.M.
HARVEY : Mr Speaker, under standing order 92, ''Imputations
and personal reflections'' —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, there
is a point of order. I will hear it in silence.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : Standing
order 92 states —
Imputations of improper motives and
personal reflections on the Sovereign, the Governor, a judicial officer or
members of the Assembly or the Council are disorderly other than by substantive
motion.
If the Premier has an issue that he
needs to raise about a member, it must be by way of substantive motion.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Premier, I have been advised that you have to be very careful about making
allegations against members of the upper house.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : Thank you, Mr Speaker.
I think my allegation is not against a member of the upper house.
According
to my notes, Hon Helen Morton said on ABC radio on 20 September 2018, ''The
worst bullying I experienced was by a woman.''
Point of Order
Mr Z.R.F.
KIRKUP : Point of order, Mr Speaker.
Dr A.D. Buti : You shouldn't
throw stones!
The SPEAKER : I will throw you
onto the called-to-order list, member for Armadale. Yes.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : The
supplementary question from the member for Darling Range was about allegations
of bullying of staff. I believe that the answer from the Premier must be
relevant to that supplementary question.
The SPEAKER : It is relevant.
If the member had not brought up bullying, the Premier could not have brought
it up. Premier, finish this off, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : According to
my notes, on ABC radio on 20 September 2018, Hon Helen Morton said —
''The worst bullying I experienced
was by a woman. And I'm informed that this woman perpetrated bullying
against male colleagues �
The most serious bullying that I experienced
in the Parliament was perpetrated by a woman, that person was obviously
carrying out a mission or undertaking the business, of that preselection, being
made safe for her.
In my case I've been blocked
from walking down a passageway to get to my office and I was quite literally
shirtfronted by this person, as I shifted from one way to the other, pass, the
member deliberately would block me, making physical contact with me, in quite a
threatening manner, I was literally disgusted and appalled that this was
happening, by a member of parliament, in the parliament of western Australia,
and in view of the public. It was just appalling to me that it could happen. I did
ask for an apology, but that was not forthcoming, and the reason I was given
was because fear of admission would lead to some sort of prosecution for
assault.''
Member for Darling Range, that is
what Hon Helen Morton had to say about one of her colleagues. It might be
appropriate for the member for Darling Range to explain that matter to the
house.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
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