Mr. Wyatt questions the Premier on consequences for a former member found to have given misleading answers to Parliament, while the Premier downplays the issue as a 'technical breach' and appeals to public sympathy.

AnsweredQoN 864Legislative Assembly
Asked
9 November 2016
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

FORMER MEMBER FOR VASSE — ROAD TRAFFIC
INCIDENT —STANDING COMMITTEE ON PROCEDURE AND PRIVILEGES REPORT
864. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. I refer
to the Premier's advice to the house that it was a ''technical''
contempt. I note that the committee was chaired by Hon Barry House with Hon Nick Goiran and Hon Martin Aldridge—a
government majority. The report found —
The contempts in question were the
conduct by each of them in deliberately constructing an incomplete, misleading
and ultimately false answer to a parliamentary question. This conduct is a substantial
interference with the parliament's information gathering and
accountability functions.
Will there be consequences as a result
of these findings?

AnswerView source ↗

As members of Parliament, we are all
fair game. The media treat us that way and we treat each other that way.
However, I think that public servants deserve to be shown some respect in a situation
like —
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Let me answer.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen and member for Midland, I have been lenient
on both of you.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : With respect to Mr Home, I think it was a technical breach.
That is my opinion. The Legislative Council seems to treat it more seriously
and produced a 177-page report on it. I would not have thought it warranted
that, but that is just my opinion. He has been asked to apologise and I assume
that he will do so. I will not try to convince him one way or the other.
However, I think the people of Western Australia will understand the
circumstance and they might have a bit of sympathy for Troy's mother's
privacy.

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