❓ Opposition Leader McGowan questions Premier Barnett on the perceived inconsistency in holding ministers accountable, contrasting the dismissal of a deputy with the lack of consequences for Minister Collier's $1 billion loss. Barnett deflects by referencing past Labor government corruption.
AnsweredQoN 516Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MINISTER
FOR EDUCATION — PREMIER'S SUPPORT
516. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Why did the Premier sack his
deputy from one of his portfolios for a lesser offence than Mr Collier has
committed in losing $1 billion? Why does Mr Collier not suffer a consequence?
FOR EDUCATION — PREMIER'S SUPPORT
516. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Why did the Premier sack his
deputy from one of his portfolios for a lesser offence than Mr Collier has
committed in losing $1 billion? Why does Mr Collier not suffer a consequence?
AnswerView source ↗
What a short memory the opposition has!
Mr M. McGowan : You
sacked him!
The SPEAKER :
Leader of the Opposition!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
will again state the bleeding obvious, which is that when Labor was in power
under Burke, Dowding and Carmen Lawrence, it was a politically corrupt
government that cost this state $1.5 billion. In the second term of the Gallop–Carpenter
government, five ministers were sacked or forced to resign because of inquiries
by the Corruption and Crime Commission. Five ministers! A politically corrupted
government! Norm Marlborough was on his phone to Burke; there was a minister
going from cabinet meetings to brief Burke and Grill on what had gone on in
cabinet!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That is the truth!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members! Premier, answer the question, please.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That is the level of political corruption in two successive Labor governments.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
You wanted him!
Mr R.H. Cook : You
took him on!
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
You recruited him!
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : He walked from a Labor cabinet in which some members opposite
served, walked up the Terrace and divulged every decision made at cabinet!
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : And there were five ministers! So I am amazed that the Leader
of the Opposition, who sat there through all of it and who went and had little
meetings with Noel Crichton-Browne to get dirt on me—that was a charming
little episode, was it not? A charming little episode!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you. Premier.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That says something about character.
Mr M. McGowan :
Have a look at my record, my friend.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Oh, we know where you go, my friend—I would not speak up too much!
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
have changed ministers, and the Deputy Premier—the state's best
ever health minister, by a country mile —
Mr R.H. Cook : Then
why did you sack him, compared with an incompetent minister?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : We
agreed. We discussed it, and we agreed that he would step down from that
portfolio. We did. He made a mistake; we have been through that. There was no
dishonesty; he made a mistake and paid a high price, and we agreed on that
because of the standards this government sets for ministerial conduct.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Remember, the Labor Party had five ministers before the
Corruption and Crime Commission; it was the most disgraceful government in
Western Australia since the Burke government. Five ministers forced —
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the first time.
Premier, wind this up, please.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I think that as a Premier I have had criticism for being too
harsh on ministers. I have had criticism from some of my colleagues, and I
respect their point of view, for being too harsh on ministers. But the issues I
have had to deal with are mistakes, omissions and errors of judgement; I have
never had to deal with a minister under investigation through the Corruption
and Crime Commission, like the Labor Party did.
Mr M. McGowan : You
sacked him!
The SPEAKER :
Leader of the Opposition!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
will again state the bleeding obvious, which is that when Labor was in power
under Burke, Dowding and Carmen Lawrence, it was a politically corrupt
government that cost this state $1.5 billion. In the second term of the Gallop–Carpenter
government, five ministers were sacked or forced to resign because of inquiries
by the Corruption and Crime Commission. Five ministers! A politically corrupted
government! Norm Marlborough was on his phone to Burke; there was a minister
going from cabinet meetings to brief Burke and Grill on what had gone on in
cabinet!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That is the truth!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members! Premier, answer the question, please.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That is the level of political corruption in two successive Labor governments.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
You wanted him!
Mr R.H. Cook : You
took him on!
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
You recruited him!
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : He walked from a Labor cabinet in which some members opposite
served, walked up the Terrace and divulged every decision made at cabinet!
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : And there were five ministers! So I am amazed that the Leader
of the Opposition, who sat there through all of it and who went and had little
meetings with Noel Crichton-Browne to get dirt on me—that was a charming
little episode, was it not? A charming little episode!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you. Premier.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That says something about character.
Mr M. McGowan :
Have a look at my record, my friend.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Oh, we know where you go, my friend—I would not speak up too much!
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
have changed ministers, and the Deputy Premier—the state's best
ever health minister, by a country mile —
Mr R.H. Cook : Then
why did you sack him, compared with an incompetent minister?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : We
agreed. We discussed it, and we agreed that he would step down from that
portfolio. We did. He made a mistake; we have been through that. There was no
dishonesty; he made a mistake and paid a high price, and we agreed on that
because of the standards this government sets for ministerial conduct.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Remember, the Labor Party had five ministers before the
Corruption and Crime Commission; it was the most disgraceful government in
Western Australia since the Burke government. Five ministers forced —
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the first time.
Premier, wind this up, please.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I think that as a Premier I have had criticism for being too
harsh on ministers. I have had criticism from some of my colleagues, and I
respect their point of view, for being too harsh on ministers. But the issues I
have had to deal with are mistakes, omissions and errors of judgement; I have
never had to deal with a minister under investigation through the Corruption
and Crime Commission, like the Labor Party did.
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.