❓ The Leader of the Opposition questions the Premier regarding alleged instructions given to directors general about answering questions on budget cuts. The Premier denies giving a direct instruction but emphasizes the distinction between answering questions and venturing into policy issues.
AnsweredQoN 616Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE
BUDGET 2012–13 — EFFICIENCY DIVIDEND
616. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I will go back to my original question. Did Mr Conran have
meetings with directors general and chief executive officers advising them not
to answer questions about matters concerning budget cuts or efficiency dividends,
were director generals told to refer such inquiries to their minister and did
the Premier direct Mr Conran to do that?
BUDGET 2012–13 — EFFICIENCY DIVIDEND
616. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I will go back to my original question. Did Mr Conran have
meetings with directors general and chief executive officers advising them not
to answer questions about matters concerning budget cuts or efficiency dividends,
were director generals told to refer such inquiries to their minister and did
the Premier direct Mr Conran to do that?
AnswerView source ↗
I am not aware what meetings the director general has had.
But certainly I have expressed the view across government on a number of
occasions of making the distinction between answering questions and policy
advice.
Mr
M. McGowan : Will you advise us today as to whether Mr Conran did?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : No, I am not going to, because I do not —
Mr
T.G. Stephens : What you see is what you get!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I think the member for Pilbara would be one of the few people
who could comment on propriety—one of the few!
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Mr Speaker, I am trying to answer the question. I am sure it
is more civil in the Cook Islands!
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : The Leader of the Opposition has asked a question and I think the
Premier is endeavouring to answer it. He does not need assistance from anybody
else.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : There has been no direction to the director general. The role
of the director general of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet is to
basically oversee and work with all senior staff in the public sector. That is
his role. He knows my view very well; indeed, we discussed it recently. There
is a distinction between answering questions and venturing into policy issues
that lie with the elected government. It is a fundamental precept of democracy.
But certainly I have expressed the view across government on a number of
occasions of making the distinction between answering questions and policy
advice.
Mr
M. McGowan : Will you advise us today as to whether Mr Conran did?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : No, I am not going to, because I do not —
Mr
T.G. Stephens : What you see is what you get!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I think the member for Pilbara would be one of the few people
who could comment on propriety—one of the few!
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Mr Speaker, I am trying to answer the question. I am sure it
is more civil in the Cook Islands!
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : The Leader of the Opposition has asked a question and I think the
Premier is endeavouring to answer it. He does not need assistance from anybody
else.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : There has been no direction to the director general. The role
of the director general of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet is to
basically oversee and work with all senior staff in the public sector. That is
his role. He knows my view very well; indeed, we discussed it recently. There
is a distinction between answering questions and venturing into policy issues
that lie with the elected government. It is a fundamental precept of democracy.
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