❓ The Leader of the Opposition questions the Premier about whether staff in the Treasurer's and Police Minister's offices knew about a road traffic incident involving the Member for Vasse. The Premier denies knowledge and accuses the Opposition of a witch-hunt.
AnsweredQoN 96Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MEMBER FOR VASSE — ROAD TRAFFIC INCIDENT —
DEPARTMENT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET
96. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Has
the Premier made inquiries of the former Treasurer's staff and the
police minister's staff as to which of those staff may have known about
this incident in the period from 23 February up until last Sunday?
DEPARTMENT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET
96. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Has
the Premier made inquiries of the former Treasurer's staff and the
police minister's staff as to which of those staff may have known about
this incident in the period from 23 February up until last Sunday?
AnswerView source ↗
The Minister for Police can confirm that the first that she
knew of it —
Mr M. McGowan :
Staff.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : —
and her staff, was on the Sunday.
Mr
M. McGowan : What about the Treasurer's staff? I said the Treasurer's
staff.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I do not know where the Leader of the Opposition is going
here. He is trying to imply maybe some conspiracy or cover-up. Can I again
state: no-one knew; no-one to my knowledge knew anything of this until Sunday,
9 March, when the calls were made from the police.
Mr
M. McGowan : Except for Ms Turnseck. What about Ms Turnseck?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : My understanding is that a member of the public had made a
complaint or a report to the police. It obviously eventually came to the
commissioner's attention, and that was —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : Ms Turnseck knew about it.
Mr
M. McGowan : Ms Turnseck knew. You just misled the house.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I do not know; I presume. She confirmed on Sunday, at the
meeting with Brian Pontifex and Narelle Cant, that there was damage to the
vehicle, so yes. But the first I knew about it —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Sunday, 9 March, when the Commissioner of Police informed
Peter Conran, the head of Premier and Cabinet, and the police minister's
office around midday, was the first we knew of it. No-one on my staff and
no-one on the police minister's staff had any knowledge.
Mr
M. McGowan : What about the Treasurer's staff?
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
If there is any information that would assist the police in their inquiry,
whatever that inquiry might be —
Mr
M. McGowan : No, that's not what I asked.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I will answer it the way I wish to—I am sure any
answers will be given. But the police minister did not know, I did not know,
the Deputy Premier did not know and the Leader of the National Party did not
know. Did the Leader of the Opposition know?
Mr
M. McGowan : No.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition knew nothing?
Mr
M. McGowan : I didn't know about it. I wasn't at the
wedding.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : No-one knew anything. Take my point: no-one knew anything.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : What about Ms Turnseck?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : If that is relevant, I do not know when she noticed damage to
the car.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : She is the chief of staff. She might have had an obligation,
do you think? Do you think she had an obligation to tell someone?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland, it is not your question. I call you to order
for the second time.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I do not know where the Labor Party thinks it is going on
this but —
An opposition member: Oh, here we
go.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, here we do go, because when members of Parliament are
ill, this side of the house has always respected that. Now we have the Labor
Party going on a witch-hunt. If the Leader of the Opposition has any
information whatsoever, in addition —
Dr
A.D. Buti : What about your behaviour? We're talking about your
behaviour.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Armadale, that is unnecessary; thank you. I call you to
order for the first time.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : If the Leader of the Opposition has any information about
this, I invite him to take it to the police, if they are interested. If the
police require any information from Ms Turnseck, I am sure they will ask her—I
am sure they will.
Dr
A.D. Buti : Why don't you ask her?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Armadale, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Over the two-week period, the sole concern of Rachael Turnseck, me and my staff
was the welfare and the wellbeing of the member for Vasse. That is all we were
concerned with and it is what I am primarily concerned with today. The issue
about the vehicle arose only on Sunday. If the Leader of the Opposition knows
more than I do, he should take it to the police.
knew of it —
Mr M. McGowan :
Staff.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : —
and her staff, was on the Sunday.
Mr
M. McGowan : What about the Treasurer's staff? I said the Treasurer's
staff.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I do not know where the Leader of the Opposition is going
here. He is trying to imply maybe some conspiracy or cover-up. Can I again
state: no-one knew; no-one to my knowledge knew anything of this until Sunday,
9 March, when the calls were made from the police.
Mr
M. McGowan : Except for Ms Turnseck. What about Ms Turnseck?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : My understanding is that a member of the public had made a
complaint or a report to the police. It obviously eventually came to the
commissioner's attention, and that was —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : Ms Turnseck knew about it.
Mr
M. McGowan : Ms Turnseck knew. You just misled the house.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I do not know; I presume. She confirmed on Sunday, at the
meeting with Brian Pontifex and Narelle Cant, that there was damage to the
vehicle, so yes. But the first I knew about it —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Sunday, 9 March, when the Commissioner of Police informed
Peter Conran, the head of Premier and Cabinet, and the police minister's
office around midday, was the first we knew of it. No-one on my staff and
no-one on the police minister's staff had any knowledge.
Mr
M. McGowan : What about the Treasurer's staff?
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
If there is any information that would assist the police in their inquiry,
whatever that inquiry might be —
Mr
M. McGowan : No, that's not what I asked.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I will answer it the way I wish to—I am sure any
answers will be given. But the police minister did not know, I did not know,
the Deputy Premier did not know and the Leader of the National Party did not
know. Did the Leader of the Opposition know?
Mr
M. McGowan : No.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition knew nothing?
Mr
M. McGowan : I didn't know about it. I wasn't at the
wedding.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : No-one knew anything. Take my point: no-one knew anything.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : What about Ms Turnseck?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : If that is relevant, I do not know when she noticed damage to
the car.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : She is the chief of staff. She might have had an obligation,
do you think? Do you think she had an obligation to tell someone?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland, it is not your question. I call you to order
for the second time.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I do not know where the Labor Party thinks it is going on
this but —
An opposition member: Oh, here we
go.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, here we do go, because when members of Parliament are
ill, this side of the house has always respected that. Now we have the Labor
Party going on a witch-hunt. If the Leader of the Opposition has any
information whatsoever, in addition —
Dr
A.D. Buti : What about your behaviour? We're talking about your
behaviour.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Armadale, that is unnecessary; thank you. I call you to
order for the first time.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : If the Leader of the Opposition has any information about
this, I invite him to take it to the police, if they are interested. If the
police require any information from Ms Turnseck, I am sure they will ask her—I
am sure they will.
Dr
A.D. Buti : Why don't you ask her?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Armadale, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Over the two-week period, the sole concern of Rachael Turnseck, me and my staff
was the welfare and the wellbeing of the member for Vasse. That is all we were
concerned with and it is what I am primarily concerned with today. The issue
about the vehicle arose only on Sunday. If the Leader of the Opposition knows
more than I do, he should take it to the police.
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