❓ Mr. Love questions the Premier about funding the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) after the Premier expressed satisfaction with arrests related to a protest at Woodside CEO's home, given the EDO is representing the accused. The Premier's answer defends the funding by placing it in the context of overall legal assistance funding.
AnsweredQoN 970Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to
the three people who were arrested outside Woodside Chief Executive Meg
O’Neill’s home last August, and your comments at the time that, you were "pleased that people have been taken into
custody, and that arrests have been made."
Given your Government is funding the Environmental Defenders Office, the same
legal centre who represents the three accused in the WA
Magistrates Court, I ask: (a) How can you justify the $150,000 in taxpayer money this law firm received last financial year from your Government; and (b) Will your Government continue to provide taxpayer funds to this firm into the next financial year(s)?
the three people who were arrested outside Woodside Chief Executive Meg
O’Neill’s home last August, and your comments at the time that, you were "pleased that people have been taken into
custody, and that arrests have been made."
Given your Government is funding the Environmental Defenders Office, the same
legal centre who represents the three accused in the WA
Magistrates Court, I ask: (a) How can you justify the $150,000 in taxpayer money this law firm received last financial year from your Government; and (b) Will your Government continue to provide taxpayer funds to this firm into the next financial year(s)?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 March 2024
Response time
7 days
(a – b) In 2023-24, the State Government distributed more than $130 million to Western Australia’s legal assistance sector. This includes $17 million for the Aboriginal Legal Service, $31.5 million for Legal Aid WA and $20 million for Community Legal Centres. Of all Community Legal Centres receiving funding from Government in 2023-24, the Environmental Defenders Office received the lowest amount, less than one per cent of the total. Funding provided to the Environmental Defenders Office is due to expire in 2024-25.
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