❓ Hon Robin Chapple seeks clarification on herbicide spraying in the Kimberley using prisoner labour. Hon Kim Chance responds, clarifying the roles of the Agriculture Protection Board and the Department of Agriculture, denying prisoner involvement in chemical use.
AnsweredQoN 1426Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
HERBICIDE SPRAYING IN THE KIMBERLEY, USE OF PRISONER LABOUR
I refer to my question without notice 1356 on Wednesday, 8 May 2002, and seek clarification of the answers given. Specifically, given that there appears to have been some correspondence, whether written or verbal, between the Agriculture Protection Board and the Department of Justice and given the contradictory reports of the matter in the media over the past few days, will the minister give an account of his understanding of the matter? The PRESIDENT: I am sure the minister will give a concise and precise response. Hon KIM CHANCE
I refer to my question without notice 1356 on Wednesday, 8 May 2002, and seek clarification of the answers given. Specifically, given that there appears to have been some correspondence, whether written or verbal, between the Agriculture Protection Board and the Department of Justice and given the contradictory reports of the matter in the media over the past few days, will the minister give an account of his understanding of the matter? The PRESIDENT: I am sure the minister will give a concise and precise response. Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
Of course I will, Mr President, as I always do. I thank Hon Robin Chapple for some notice of his question. Hon Robin Chapple might have said that the contradictory reports of the matter in the media over the past few days were attributable to him, at least in part. I am surprised that the member seeks clarification, as there appears to be no confusion between the comments I have made and the media statement issued by the Department of Justice on 10 May. I remind the member that the Agriculture Protection Board has only one staff member - its Perth-based manager - and that this has been the case for over five years. I am assured that there has been no contact between board members or the APB manager and the Department of Justice regarding staff from Bungarun correctional facility. Officers from the Department of Agriculture at Derby were contacted by local staff from the Department of Justice about ideas for possible projects suitable for prisoner involvement. The Department of Agriculture has continued to assist the Department of Justice via provision of information and advice. For the member’s benefit, I refer him back to my original answer, in which I clearly stated that I had been advised by the Department of Agriculture that it has not been, nor will it be, party to any activity requiring chemical use on the part of prisoners. I should add a codicil to that. Were a prisoner a licensed pesticide operator, perhaps we would reconsider that question.
The PRESIDENT: I am sure the minister will give a concise and precise response. Hon KIM CHANCE replied: Of course I will, Mr President, as I always do. I thank Hon Robin Chapple for some notice of his question. Hon Robin Chapple might have said that the contradictory reports of the matter in the media over the past few days were attributable to him, at least in part. I am surprised that the member seeks clarification, as there appears to be no confusion between the comments I have made and the media statement issued by the Department of Justice on 10 May. I remind the member that the Agriculture Protection Board has only one staff member - its Perth-based manager - and that this has been the case for over five years. I am assured that there has been no contact between board members or the APB manager and the Department of Justice regarding staff from Bungarun correctional facility. Officers from the Department of Agriculture at Derby were contacted by local staff from the Department of Justice about ideas for possible projects suitable for prisoner involvement. The Department of Agriculture has continued to assist the Department of Justice via provision of information and advice. For the member’s benefit, I refer him back to my original answer, in which I clearly stated that I had been advised by the Department of Agriculture that it has not been, nor will it be, party to any activity requiring chemical use on the part of prisoners. I should add a codicil to that. Were a prisoner a licensed pesticide operator, perhaps we would reconsider that question.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: Of course I will, Mr President, as I always do. I thank Hon Robin Chapple for some notice of his question. Hon Robin Chapple might have said that the contradictory reports of the matter in the media over the past few days were attributable to him, at least in part. I am surprised that the member seeks clarification, as there appears to be no confusion between the comments I have made and the media statement issued by the Department of Justice on 10 May. I remind the member that the Agriculture Protection Board has only one staff member - its Perth-based manager - and that this has been the case for over five years. I am assured that there has been no contact between board members or the APB manager and the Department of Justice regarding staff from Bungarun correctional facility. Officers from the Department of Agriculture at Derby were contacted by local staff from the Department of Justice about ideas for possible projects suitable for prisoner involvement. The Department of Agriculture has continued to assist the Department of Justice via provision of information and advice. For the member’s benefit, I refer him back to my original answer, in which I clearly stated that I had been advised by the Department of Agriculture that it has not been, nor will it be, party to any activity requiring chemical use on the part of prisoners. I should add a codicil to that. Were a prisoner a licensed pesticide operator, perhaps we would reconsider that question.
Of course I will, Mr President, as I always do. I thank Hon Robin Chapple for some notice of his question. Hon Robin Chapple might have said that the contradictory reports of the matter in the media over the past few days were attributable to him, at least in part. I am surprised that the member seeks clarification, as there appears to be no confusion between the comments I have made and the media statement issued by the Department of Justice on 10 May. I remind the member that the Agriculture Protection Board has only one staff member - its Perth-based manager - and that this has been the case for over five years. I am assured that there has been no contact between board members or the APB manager and the Department of Justice regarding staff from Bungarun correctional facility. Officers from the Department of Agriculture at Derby were contacted by local staff from the Department of Justice about ideas for possible projects suitable for prisoner involvement. The Department of Agriculture has continued to assist the Department of Justice via provision of information and advice. For the member’s benefit, I refer him back to my original answer, in which I clearly stated that I had been advised by the Department of Agriculture that it has not been, nor will it be, party to any activity requiring chemical use on the part of prisoners. I should add a codicil to that. Were a prisoner a licensed pesticide operator, perhaps we would reconsider that question.
I am surprised that the member seeks clarification, as there appears to be no confusion between the comments I have made and the media statement issued by the Department of Justice on 10 May. I remind the member that the Agriculture Protection Board has only one staff member - its Perth-based manager - and that this has been the case for over five years. I am assured that there has been no contact between board members or the APB manager and the Department of Justice regarding staff from Bungarun correctional facility. Officers from the Department of Agriculture at Derby were contacted by local staff from the Department of Justice about ideas for possible projects suitable for prisoner involvement. The Department of Agriculture has continued to assist the Department of Justice via provision of information and advice. For the member’s benefit, I refer him back to my original answer, in which I clearly stated that I had been advised by the Department of Agriculture that it has not been, nor will it be, party to any activity requiring chemical use on the part of prisoners. I should add a codicil to that. Were a prisoner a licensed pesticide operator, perhaps we would reconsider that question.
Officers from the Department of Agriculture at Derby were contacted by local staff from the Department of Justice about ideas for possible projects suitable for prisoner involvement. The Department of Agriculture has continued to assist the Department of Justice via provision of information and advice. For the member’s benefit, I refer him back to my original answer, in which I clearly stated that I had been advised by the Department of Agriculture that it has not been, nor will it be, party to any activity requiring chemical use on the part of prisoners. I should add a codicil to that. Were a prisoner a licensed pesticide operator, perhaps we would reconsider that question.
The PRESIDENT: I am sure the minister will give a concise and precise response. Hon KIM CHANCE replied: Of course I will, Mr President, as I always do. I thank Hon Robin Chapple for some notice of his question. Hon Robin Chapple might have said that the contradictory reports of the matter in the media over the past few days were attributable to him, at least in part. I am surprised that the member seeks clarification, as there appears to be no confusion between the comments I have made and the media statement issued by the Department of Justice on 10 May. I remind the member that the Agriculture Protection Board has only one staff member - its Perth-based manager - and that this has been the case for over five years. I am assured that there has been no contact between board members or the APB manager and the Department of Justice regarding staff from Bungarun correctional facility. Officers from the Department of Agriculture at Derby were contacted by local staff from the Department of Justice about ideas for possible projects suitable for prisoner involvement. The Department of Agriculture has continued to assist the Department of Justice via provision of information and advice. For the member’s benefit, I refer him back to my original answer, in which I clearly stated that I had been advised by the Department of Agriculture that it has not been, nor will it be, party to any activity requiring chemical use on the part of prisoners. I should add a codicil to that. Were a prisoner a licensed pesticide operator, perhaps we would reconsider that question.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: Of course I will, Mr President, as I always do. I thank Hon Robin Chapple for some notice of his question. Hon Robin Chapple might have said that the contradictory reports of the matter in the media over the past few days were attributable to him, at least in part. I am surprised that the member seeks clarification, as there appears to be no confusion between the comments I have made and the media statement issued by the Department of Justice on 10 May. I remind the member that the Agriculture Protection Board has only one staff member - its Perth-based manager - and that this has been the case for over five years. I am assured that there has been no contact between board members or the APB manager and the Department of Justice regarding staff from Bungarun correctional facility. Officers from the Department of Agriculture at Derby were contacted by local staff from the Department of Justice about ideas for possible projects suitable for prisoner involvement. The Department of Agriculture has continued to assist the Department of Justice via provision of information and advice. For the member’s benefit, I refer him back to my original answer, in which I clearly stated that I had been advised by the Department of Agriculture that it has not been, nor will it be, party to any activity requiring chemical use on the part of prisoners. I should add a codicil to that. Were a prisoner a licensed pesticide operator, perhaps we would reconsider that question.
Of course I will, Mr President, as I always do. I thank Hon Robin Chapple for some notice of his question. Hon Robin Chapple might have said that the contradictory reports of the matter in the media over the past few days were attributable to him, at least in part. I am surprised that the member seeks clarification, as there appears to be no confusion between the comments I have made and the media statement issued by the Department of Justice on 10 May. I remind the member that the Agriculture Protection Board has only one staff member - its Perth-based manager - and that this has been the case for over five years. I am assured that there has been no contact between board members or the APB manager and the Department of Justice regarding staff from Bungarun correctional facility. Officers from the Department of Agriculture at Derby were contacted by local staff from the Department of Justice about ideas for possible projects suitable for prisoner involvement. The Department of Agriculture has continued to assist the Department of Justice via provision of information and advice. For the member’s benefit, I refer him back to my original answer, in which I clearly stated that I had been advised by the Department of Agriculture that it has not been, nor will it be, party to any activity requiring chemical use on the part of prisoners. I should add a codicil to that. Were a prisoner a licensed pesticide operator, perhaps we would reconsider that question.
I am surprised that the member seeks clarification, as there appears to be no confusion between the comments I have made and the media statement issued by the Department of Justice on 10 May. I remind the member that the Agriculture Protection Board has only one staff member - its Perth-based manager - and that this has been the case for over five years. I am assured that there has been no contact between board members or the APB manager and the Department of Justice regarding staff from Bungarun correctional facility. Officers from the Department of Agriculture at Derby were contacted by local staff from the Department of Justice about ideas for possible projects suitable for prisoner involvement. The Department of Agriculture has continued to assist the Department of Justice via provision of information and advice. For the member’s benefit, I refer him back to my original answer, in which I clearly stated that I had been advised by the Department of Agriculture that it has not been, nor will it be, party to any activity requiring chemical use on the part of prisoners. I should add a codicil to that. Were a prisoner a licensed pesticide operator, perhaps we would reconsider that question.
Officers from the Department of Agriculture at Derby were contacted by local staff from the Department of Justice about ideas for possible projects suitable for prisoner involvement. The Department of Agriculture has continued to assist the Department of Justice via provision of information and advice. For the member’s benefit, I refer him back to my original answer, in which I clearly stated that I had been advised by the Department of Agriculture that it has not been, nor will it be, party to any activity requiring chemical use on the part of prisoners. I should add a codicil to that. Were a prisoner a licensed pesticide operator, perhaps we would reconsider that question.
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