A member of parliament questions the Minister for Regional Development about a potential Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted to the Department of Environment and Conservation. The Minister denies knowledge of the FOI and emphasises a close working relationship with the Minister for Environment.

AnsweredQoN 587Legislative Assembly
Asked
11 August 2009
Portfolio
Regional Development

QuestionView source ↗

MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT — FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST FROM DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION
(1) Can the minister confirm that his office has submitted a freedom of information application to the Department of Environment and Conservation? (2) Can the minister detail the information he is seeking? (3) Why does a minister of the crown have to FOI a government department to obtain information? (4) Has the minister’s relationship with the Department of Environment and Conservation become so bad that he now has to rely on the FOI process to obtain information that everyone else would expect to be shared across government? Mr B.J. GRYLLS

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for Pilbara for the question and for his great interest in the FOI process. There are many questions that he could ask me but this is an interesting one. (1)-(4) I am not aware of the FOI application. I work very closely with the Minister for Environment, Hon Donna Faragher. We are and have been working very closely on a big agenda in regional Western Australia, including the Gorgon project in the past couple of weeks, which will be of great interest to the member as he is the member for Pilbara. I will continue to work closely with the Minister for Environment. I am unaware of the FOI process. I will seek information on that.
(2) Can the minister detail the information he is seeking? (3) Why does a minister of the crown have to FOI a government department to obtain information? (4) Has the minister’s relationship with the Department of Environment and Conservation become so bad that he now has to rely on the FOI process to obtain information that everyone else would expect to be shared across government? Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for Pilbara for the question and for his great interest in the FOI process. There are many questions that he could ask me but this is an interesting one. (1)-(4) I am not aware of the FOI application. I work very closely with the Minister for Environment, Hon Donna Faragher. We are and have been working very closely on a big agenda in regional Western Australia, including the Gorgon project in the past couple of weeks, which will be of great interest to the member as he is the member for Pilbara. I will continue to work closely with the Minister for Environment. I am unaware of the FOI process. I will seek information on that.
(3) Why does a minister of the crown have to FOI a government department to obtain information? (4) Has the minister’s relationship with the Department of Environment and Conservation become so bad that he now has to rely on the FOI process to obtain information that everyone else would expect to be shared across government? Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for Pilbara for the question and for his great interest in the FOI process. There are many questions that he could ask me but this is an interesting one. (1)-(4) I am not aware of the FOI application. I work very closely with the Minister for Environment, Hon Donna Faragher. We are and have been working very closely on a big agenda in regional Western Australia, including the Gorgon project in the past couple of weeks, which will be of great interest to the member as he is the member for Pilbara. I will continue to work closely with the Minister for Environment. I am unaware of the FOI process. I will seek information on that.
(4) Has the minister’s relationship with the Department of Environment and Conservation become so bad that he now has to rely on the FOI process to obtain information that everyone else would expect to be shared across government? Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for Pilbara for the question and for his great interest in the FOI process. There are many questions that he could ask me but this is an interesting one. (1)-(4) I am not aware of the FOI application. I work very closely with the Minister for Environment, Hon Donna Faragher. We are and have been working very closely on a big agenda in regional Western Australia, including the Gorgon project in the past couple of weeks, which will be of great interest to the member as he is the member for Pilbara. I will continue to work closely with the Minister for Environment. I am unaware of the FOI process. I will seek information on that.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for Pilbara for the question and for his great interest in the FOI process. There are many questions that he could ask me but this is an interesting one. (1)-(4) I am not aware of the FOI application. I work very closely with the Minister for Environment, Hon Donna Faragher. We are and have been working very closely on a big agenda in regional Western Australia, including the Gorgon project in the past couple of weeks, which will be of great interest to the member as he is the member for Pilbara. I will continue to work closely with the Minister for Environment. I am unaware of the FOI process. I will seek information on that.
I thank the member for Pilbara for the question and for his great interest in the FOI process. There are many questions that he could ask me but this is an interesting one. (1)-(4) I am not aware of the FOI application. I work very closely with the Minister for Environment, Hon Donna Faragher. We are and have been working very closely on a big agenda in regional Western Australia, including the Gorgon project in the past couple of weeks, which will be of great interest to the member as he is the member for Pilbara. I will continue to work closely with the Minister for Environment. I am unaware of the FOI process. I will seek information on that.
(1)-(4) I am not aware of the FOI application. I work very closely with the Minister for Environment, Hon Donna Faragher. We are and have been working very closely on a big agenda in regional Western Australia, including the Gorgon project in the past couple of weeks, which will be of great interest to the member as he is the member for Pilbara. I will continue to work closely with the Minister for Environment. I am unaware of the FOI process. I will seek information on that.

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