❓ Mr. Buswell questions Premier Carpenter's statement on ministerial staff numbers, citing conflicting data from the Premier's own department. The Premier defends his figures and accuses the opposition of hypocrisy.
AnsweredQoN 191Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COMMISSIONER FOR PUBLIC SECTOR STANDARDS - ATTACK BY PREMIER
I refer to the Premier’s extraordinary attack on the independent Commissioner for Public Sector Standards this morning when he stated that the government has 117 ministerial staff. I have some advice from his own department that directly contradicts his statement. It states unequivocally that as at 23 April 2007 there are 145 ministerial staff. According to my notes, a letter from the Premier’s principal policy officer, Karen MacArthur, to the Office of the Public Sector Standards Commissioner says, “Re request for data on ministerial staff. Further to your request of 19 April, DPC wish to advise that as at 23 April 2007, the following number of people were employed under section 68 and 75 of the PSM act: section 68, 145.1.” Can the Premier therefore please explain why he is using misleading information in an attempt to discredit and bully Maxine Murray, the independent Commissioner for Public Sector Standards? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
I refer to the Premier’s extraordinary attack on the independent Commissioner for Public Sector Standards this morning when he stated that the government has 117 ministerial staff. I have some advice from his own department that directly contradicts his statement. It states unequivocally that as at 23 April 2007 there are 145 ministerial staff. According to my notes, a letter from the Premier’s principal policy officer, Karen MacArthur, to the Office of the Public Sector Standards Commissioner says, “Re request for data on ministerial staff. Further to your request of 19 April, DPC wish to advise that as at 23 April 2007, the following number of people were employed under section 68 and 75 of the PSM act: section 68, 145.1.” Can the Premier therefore please explain why he is using misleading information in an attempt to discredit and bully Maxine Murray, the independent Commissioner for Public Sector Standards? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question once again. I understand that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 145 employees in ministerial offices. The advice that I have been given today, and it was checked again to see how many of these 117 - Mr T. Buswell : This is where she got the information from - in a report from your own office. The SPEAKER : The Deputy Leader of the Opposition might not like the answer but he has to listen to it. Yelling does not get him anywhere. I call him to order for the second time. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is terrible to have to sustain this bullying tactic. I find it troubling but I will do my best to deal with it. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 140 employees, or something like that. I have been informed that on 23 April 2007 there were 117.1 government employees in ministerial offices, less than 50 of whom are policy advisors or media secretaries. There are others inside ministerial offices who are not term-of-government employees but who are public servants. Mr C.J. Barnett : Ministerial staff. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question once again. I understand that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 145 employees in ministerial offices. The advice that I have been given today, and it was checked again to see how many of these 117 - Mr T. Buswell : This is where she got the information from - in a report from your own office. The SPEAKER : The Deputy Leader of the Opposition might not like the answer but he has to listen to it. Yelling does not get him anywhere. I call him to order for the second time. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is terrible to have to sustain this bullying tactic. I find it troubling but I will do my best to deal with it. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 140 employees, or something like that. I have been informed that on 23 April 2007 there were 117.1 government employees in ministerial offices, less than 50 of whom are policy advisors or media secretaries. There are others inside ministerial offices who are not term-of-government employees but who are public servants. Mr C.J. Barnett : Ministerial staff. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
I thank the member for the question once again. I understand that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 145 employees in ministerial offices. The advice that I have been given today, and it was checked again to see how many of these 117 - Mr T. Buswell : This is where she got the information from - in a report from your own office. The SPEAKER : The Deputy Leader of the Opposition might not like the answer but he has to listen to it. Yelling does not get him anywhere. I call him to order for the second time. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is terrible to have to sustain this bullying tactic. I find it troubling but I will do my best to deal with it. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 140 employees, or something like that. I have been informed that on 23 April 2007 there were 117.1 government employees in ministerial offices, less than 50 of whom are policy advisors or media secretaries. There are others inside ministerial offices who are not term-of-government employees but who are public servants. Mr C.J. Barnett : Ministerial staff. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr T. Buswell : This is where she got the information from - in a report from your own office. The SPEAKER : The Deputy Leader of the Opposition might not like the answer but he has to listen to it. Yelling does not get him anywhere. I call him to order for the second time. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is terrible to have to sustain this bullying tactic. I find it troubling but I will do my best to deal with it. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 140 employees, or something like that. I have been informed that on 23 April 2007 there were 117.1 government employees in ministerial offices, less than 50 of whom are policy advisors or media secretaries. There are others inside ministerial offices who are not term-of-government employees but who are public servants. Mr C.J. Barnett : Ministerial staff. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
The SPEAKER : The Deputy Leader of the Opposition might not like the answer but he has to listen to it. Yelling does not get him anywhere. I call him to order for the second time. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is terrible to have to sustain this bullying tactic. I find it troubling but I will do my best to deal with it. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 140 employees, or something like that. I have been informed that on 23 April 2007 there were 117.1 government employees in ministerial offices, less than 50 of whom are policy advisors or media secretaries. There are others inside ministerial offices who are not term-of-government employees but who are public servants. Mr C.J. Barnett : Ministerial staff. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is terrible to have to sustain this bullying tactic. I find it troubling but I will do my best to deal with it. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 140 employees, or something like that. I have been informed that on 23 April 2007 there were 117.1 government employees in ministerial offices, less than 50 of whom are policy advisors or media secretaries. There are others inside ministerial offices who are not term-of-government employees but who are public servants. Mr C.J. Barnett : Ministerial staff. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr C.J. Barnett : Ministerial staff. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question once again. I understand that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 145 employees in ministerial offices. The advice that I have been given today, and it was checked again to see how many of these 117 - Mr T. Buswell : This is where she got the information from - in a report from your own office. The SPEAKER : The Deputy Leader of the Opposition might not like the answer but he has to listen to it. Yelling does not get him anywhere. I call him to order for the second time. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is terrible to have to sustain this bullying tactic. I find it troubling but I will do my best to deal with it. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 140 employees, or something like that. I have been informed that on 23 April 2007 there were 117.1 government employees in ministerial offices, less than 50 of whom are policy advisors or media secretaries. There are others inside ministerial offices who are not term-of-government employees but who are public servants. Mr C.J. Barnett : Ministerial staff. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
I thank the member for the question once again. I understand that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 145 employees in ministerial offices. The advice that I have been given today, and it was checked again to see how many of these 117 - Mr T. Buswell : This is where she got the information from - in a report from your own office. The SPEAKER : The Deputy Leader of the Opposition might not like the answer but he has to listen to it. Yelling does not get him anywhere. I call him to order for the second time. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is terrible to have to sustain this bullying tactic. I find it troubling but I will do my best to deal with it. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 140 employees, or something like that. I have been informed that on 23 April 2007 there were 117.1 government employees in ministerial offices, less than 50 of whom are policy advisors or media secretaries. There are others inside ministerial offices who are not term-of-government employees but who are public servants. Mr C.J. Barnett : Ministerial staff. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr T. Buswell : This is where she got the information from - in a report from your own office. The SPEAKER : The Deputy Leader of the Opposition might not like the answer but he has to listen to it. Yelling does not get him anywhere. I call him to order for the second time. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is terrible to have to sustain this bullying tactic. I find it troubling but I will do my best to deal with it. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 140 employees, or something like that. I have been informed that on 23 April 2007 there were 117.1 government employees in ministerial offices, less than 50 of whom are policy advisors or media secretaries. There are others inside ministerial offices who are not term-of-government employees but who are public servants. Mr C.J. Barnett : Ministerial staff. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
The SPEAKER : The Deputy Leader of the Opposition might not like the answer but he has to listen to it. Yelling does not get him anywhere. I call him to order for the second time. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is terrible to have to sustain this bullying tactic. I find it troubling but I will do my best to deal with it. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 140 employees, or something like that. I have been informed that on 23 April 2007 there were 117.1 government employees in ministerial offices, less than 50 of whom are policy advisors or media secretaries. There are others inside ministerial offices who are not term-of-government employees but who are public servants. Mr C.J. Barnett : Ministerial staff. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is terrible to have to sustain this bullying tactic. I find it troubling but I will do my best to deal with it. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that there were 140 employees, or something like that. I have been informed that on 23 April 2007 there were 117.1 government employees in ministerial offices, less than 50 of whom are policy advisors or media secretaries. There are others inside ministerial offices who are not term-of-government employees but who are public servants. Mr C.J. Barnett : Ministerial staff. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr C.J. Barnett : Ministerial staff. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : They are working in ministerial offices. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : This is quite remarkable. When I became the education minister, my predecessor, the member for Cottesloe, had something like 18 staff in his office. I had 10. That figure is interesting because at the change of government, the previous government had about 210 ministerial staff. Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr T. Buswell : It says 145, Premier, in your own department. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : One hundred and forty five is much less than 210. The hypocrisy we are getting from this side of politics is amazing. The percentage of term-of-government employees who are policy or media officers is less than 50 per cent.
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