❓ Mr. McGowan asks the Premier for a timeframe on the local government reform process aiming to reduce councils to 16. The Premier emphasizes the importance of the reform but avoids giving a specific timeline, leading to interruptions and a point of order.
AnsweredQoN 842Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT REFORM — MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S COMMENTS
842. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. The
Premier just indicated to the house that we will end up with 16 local councils.
The Premier indicated that it would not take another five years. When will this
process be concluded and we will have 16 councils?
GOVERNMENT REFORM — MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S COMMENTS
842. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. The
Premier just indicated to the house that we will end up with 16 local councils.
The Premier indicated that it would not take another five years. When will this
process be concluded and we will have 16 councils?
AnswerView source ↗
As I have said—I said this
this morning to the local government representatives—this is important
reform.
Mr
M. McGowan : I'm talking about a time frame.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I am telling the member. It is important reform; ''important''
implies a timeliness. For a hundred years people have been talking about
reform, particularly in the post-war period. Is this the government's
number one issue? No, it is not; it is a long way off it.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Mr Speaker —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Mr Speaker, I am trying to address the Chair.
This is not our number one issue but it is important after a
hundred years that we get sensible reform in local government, in this case
working on Perth.
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro! I call you to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
We have got to the stage of having a clear policy of reducing the number of
local governments from 30 to 16. Bear in mind that the cabinet of Western
Australia has endorsed this policy. It has been passed, I have signed off —
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
No, the cabinet has signed off. I have signed off as Premier.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
No. I want to explain this point because perhaps members opposite do not
understand. The cabinet has made the decision and I have signed off as Premier.
This policy now applies to every agency of government across the board.
The SPEAKER : The
member for Kalgoorlie.
Point of Order
Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr
Speaker, I was going to take a point of order on relevance. Is the Premier not
going to answer when it will be concluded? It is a point of relevance, Mr
Speaker. Has the Premier finished his answer?
Mr C.J. Barnett : I
have finished.
The SPEAKER : The
member for Kalgoorlie.
this morning to the local government representatives—this is important
reform.
Mr
M. McGowan : I'm talking about a time frame.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I am telling the member. It is important reform; ''important''
implies a timeliness. For a hundred years people have been talking about
reform, particularly in the post-war period. Is this the government's
number one issue? No, it is not; it is a long way off it.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Mr Speaker —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Mr Speaker, I am trying to address the Chair.
This is not our number one issue but it is important after a
hundred years that we get sensible reform in local government, in this case
working on Perth.
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro! I call you to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
We have got to the stage of having a clear policy of reducing the number of
local governments from 30 to 16. Bear in mind that the cabinet of Western
Australia has endorsed this policy. It has been passed, I have signed off —
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
No, the cabinet has signed off. I have signed off as Premier.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
No. I want to explain this point because perhaps members opposite do not
understand. The cabinet has made the decision and I have signed off as Premier.
This policy now applies to every agency of government across the board.
The SPEAKER : The
member for Kalgoorlie.
Point of Order
Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr
Speaker, I was going to take a point of order on relevance. Is the Premier not
going to answer when it will be concluded? It is a point of relevance, Mr
Speaker. Has the Premier finished his answer?
Mr C.J. Barnett : I
have finished.
The SPEAKER : The
member for Kalgoorlie.
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