Mr Kirkup questions the Minister for Defence Issues about actions taken regarding claims made by Matthew Slack of Buurabalayji Thalanyji Aboriginal Corporation. The Minister clarifies his role and expresses skepticism about the claims, but states no action was taken.

AnsweredQoN 60Legislative Assembly
Asked
18 February 2020
Portfolio
Defence Issues

QuestionView source ↗

BUURABALAYJI THALANYJI
ABORIGINAL CORPORATION — MATTHEW SLACK
60. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Minister for Defence Issues:
I have a supplementary question.
About those interesting claims that the CEO has made, could the minister update
the house about any action he took to advise members in cabinet or out of
cabinet about his concerns?

AnswerView source ↗

I know I have the defence issues
portfolio. That is nothing to do with people in uniform or veterans.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr P. PAPALIA : It is not. It
is about advocating for the Western Australian defence industry, which I do on
a regular basis. I am renowned in the Western Australian defence industry for
being a forceful advocate for it. That is my job. I am not the Minister for
Veterans Affairs. We have one of those. He is sitting just up there. If members opposite want to ask him about veterans
matters, they could ask him, but about this individual I made the observation across the chamber by way of interchange that I personally found some of the
claims that he made about his career to be
interesting and outlandish. I do not necessarily believe them, but there is no
role for a state member of Parliament or
a state minister to keep people to account for claims they make about their
career. If I knew categorically that he was making a false claim, I might report him to the police, but I do not
know that. I just found his claims interesting.

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