❓ Question regarding Premier's credibility after failing to dismiss a minister. Premier defends his record, acknowledges the incident's damage, and appeals to understanding of human fallibility.
AnsweredQoN 216Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MEMBER FOR BALLAJURA - CREDIBILITY OF MEMBER AND GOVERNMENT
I ask a supplementary question. Will the Premier concede that his failure to immediately dismiss the former Minister for Police and Emergency Services, and Community Safety has severely damaged his credibility and the credibility of the entire government? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
I ask a supplementary question. Will the Premier concede that his failure to immediately dismiss the former Minister for Police and Emergency Services, and Community Safety has severely damaged his credibility and the credibility of the entire government? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
I will let other people judge my credibility. It is not as though I have just walked in the door and suddenly emerged as the leader of the government. I have been around for quite a long time. Indeed, I have been around longer than the member for Hillarys. People can make a judgment about me with the full knowledge of everything that they know about me. I have nothing to hide. They can make a judgment about my performance as a Premier and as a minister in the context of my whole experience. That is how people make their judgments. I tell members this: I do not think that this incident has done the government any good. Of course, I do not. I regret that it has happened. I would have preferred that it had not happened, because it has damaged the government. It has also damaged the member for Ballajura. I am directly answering the member for Hillarys’ question. This incident has not done me any good. However, people will have to their judge whether they think that I am diminished. I reiterate - I think I will be saying this a few times this afternoon as we get into more and more detail - that we all make mistakes. The Leader of the Opposition knows that because he is a person of some wisdom and experience, and he has an understanding of the human condition. He is not a single, dimensional monochromatic character. He understands that people are complex and that they get into circumstances in which they make mistakes that they wish they had never made, because he has been through it. Indeed, he has been through it in far worse circumstances than the circumstances surrounding the member for Ballajura. That is from me to the Leader of the Opposition. I understand that. I do not treat people as though they are machines. I treat people as human beings. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I call the members for Nedlands, Cottesloe and Murray to order.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I will let other people judge my credibility. It is not as though I have just walked in the door and suddenly emerged as the leader of the government. I have been around for quite a long time. Indeed, I have been around longer than the member for Hillarys. People can make a judgment about me with the full knowledge of everything that they know about me. I have nothing to hide. They can make a judgment about my performance as a Premier and as a minister in the context of my whole experience. That is how people make their judgments. I tell members this: I do not think that this incident has done the government any good. Of course, I do not. I regret that it has happened. I would have preferred that it had not happened, because it has damaged the government. It has also damaged the member for Ballajura. I am directly answering the member for Hillarys’ question. This incident has not done me any good. However, people will have to their judge whether they think that I am diminished. I reiterate - I think I will be saying this a few times this afternoon as we get into more and more detail - that we all make mistakes. The Leader of the Opposition knows that because he is a person of some wisdom and experience, and he has an understanding of the human condition. He is not a single, dimensional monochromatic character. He understands that people are complex and that they get into circumstances in which they make mistakes that they wish they had never made, because he has been through it. Indeed, he has been through it in far worse circumstances than the circumstances surrounding the member for Ballajura. That is from me to the Leader of the Opposition. I understand that. I do not treat people as though they are machines. I treat people as human beings. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I call the members for Nedlands, Cottesloe and Murray to order.
I will let other people judge my credibility. It is not as though I have just walked in the door and suddenly emerged as the leader of the government. I have been around for quite a long time. Indeed, I have been around longer than the member for Hillarys. People can make a judgment about me with the full knowledge of everything that they know about me. I have nothing to hide. They can make a judgment about my performance as a Premier and as a minister in the context of my whole experience. That is how people make their judgments. I tell members this: I do not think that this incident has done the government any good. Of course, I do not. I regret that it has happened. I would have preferred that it had not happened, because it has damaged the government. It has also damaged the member for Ballajura. I am directly answering the member for Hillarys’ question. This incident has not done me any good. However, people will have to their judge whether they think that I am diminished. I reiterate - I think I will be saying this a few times this afternoon as we get into more and more detail - that we all make mistakes. The Leader of the Opposition knows that because he is a person of some wisdom and experience, and he has an understanding of the human condition. He is not a single, dimensional monochromatic character. He understands that people are complex and that they get into circumstances in which they make mistakes that they wish they had never made, because he has been through it. Indeed, he has been through it in far worse circumstances than the circumstances surrounding the member for Ballajura. That is from me to the Leader of the Opposition. I understand that. I do not treat people as though they are machines. I treat people as human beings. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I call the members for Nedlands, Cottesloe and Murray to order.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I call the members for Nedlands, Cottesloe and Murray to order.
The SPEAKER : Order! I call the members for Nedlands, Cottesloe and Murray to order.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I will let other people judge my credibility. It is not as though I have just walked in the door and suddenly emerged as the leader of the government. I have been around for quite a long time. Indeed, I have been around longer than the member for Hillarys. People can make a judgment about me with the full knowledge of everything that they know about me. I have nothing to hide. They can make a judgment about my performance as a Premier and as a minister in the context of my whole experience. That is how people make their judgments. I tell members this: I do not think that this incident has done the government any good. Of course, I do not. I regret that it has happened. I would have preferred that it had not happened, because it has damaged the government. It has also damaged the member for Ballajura. I am directly answering the member for Hillarys’ question. This incident has not done me any good. However, people will have to their judge whether they think that I am diminished. I reiterate - I think I will be saying this a few times this afternoon as we get into more and more detail - that we all make mistakes. The Leader of the Opposition knows that because he is a person of some wisdom and experience, and he has an understanding of the human condition. He is not a single, dimensional monochromatic character. He understands that people are complex and that they get into circumstances in which they make mistakes that they wish they had never made, because he has been through it. Indeed, he has been through it in far worse circumstances than the circumstances surrounding the member for Ballajura. That is from me to the Leader of the Opposition. I understand that. I do not treat people as though they are machines. I treat people as human beings. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I call the members for Nedlands, Cottesloe and Murray to order.
I will let other people judge my credibility. It is not as though I have just walked in the door and suddenly emerged as the leader of the government. I have been around for quite a long time. Indeed, I have been around longer than the member for Hillarys. People can make a judgment about me with the full knowledge of everything that they know about me. I have nothing to hide. They can make a judgment about my performance as a Premier and as a minister in the context of my whole experience. That is how people make their judgments. I tell members this: I do not think that this incident has done the government any good. Of course, I do not. I regret that it has happened. I would have preferred that it had not happened, because it has damaged the government. It has also damaged the member for Ballajura. I am directly answering the member for Hillarys’ question. This incident has not done me any good. However, people will have to their judge whether they think that I am diminished. I reiterate - I think I will be saying this a few times this afternoon as we get into more and more detail - that we all make mistakes. The Leader of the Opposition knows that because he is a person of some wisdom and experience, and he has an understanding of the human condition. He is not a single, dimensional monochromatic character. He understands that people are complex and that they get into circumstances in which they make mistakes that they wish they had never made, because he has been through it. Indeed, he has been through it in far worse circumstances than the circumstances surrounding the member for Ballajura. That is from me to the Leader of the Opposition. I understand that. I do not treat people as though they are machines. I treat people as human beings. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I call the members for Nedlands, Cottesloe and Murray to order.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I call the members for Nedlands, Cottesloe and Murray to order.
The SPEAKER : Order! I call the members for Nedlands, Cottesloe and Murray to order.
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