❓ Opposition MP Saffioti questions the Minister for Sport and Recreation about the expected annual payments to Westadium, referencing an Auditor General's report. The Minister refuses to disclose the information, citing commercial-in-confidence.
AnsweredQoN 683Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH
STADIUM — WESTADIUM CONTRACT — AUDITOR GENERAL'S REPORT
683. Ms R. SAFFIOTI to the
Minister for Sport and Recreation:
I refer to the Auditor General's report of 27 August in
which he stated —
There is a clear public interest
in Parliament and the public having access to information about government's
payment obligations to Westadium over the 25 years of the contract.
Can the minister now tell Parliament the expected annual
payment that the state government will be making to Westadium?
STADIUM — WESTADIUM CONTRACT — AUDITOR GENERAL'S REPORT
683. Ms R. SAFFIOTI to the
Minister for Sport and Recreation:
I refer to the Auditor General's report of 27 August in
which he stated —
There is a clear public interest
in Parliament and the public having access to information about government's
payment obligations to Westadium over the 25 years of the contract.
Can the minister now tell Parliament the expected annual
payment that the state government will be making to Westadium?
AnswerView source ↗
We have been over this so many times. The information the
member is asking for is commercial-in-confidence, and this state government
will not be providing it. Can I talk about the Auditor General's
report, because it has been raised by —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Ms M.J. DAVIES : I am
not even looking at my notes, thank you very much.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you. Through the Chair, please.
Ms M.M. Quirk : ''Commercial-in-confidence''
is three words; she has two pages of briefing notes.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : I
do not know what the member for Girrawheen is looking at.
Ms R. Saffioti :
What is the expected payment?
Ms M.J. DAVIES : I
have answered the member's question, and I am going to give her a
reason.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the first time.
Through the Chair, no more interruptions, and a quick answer; thank you.
Ms
M.J. DAVIES : When the Auditor General's report came out, there was
much hysteria from the opposition around the fact that we had been secretive
and we were not providing information. If the opposition had actually read the
report, it would know that the Auditor General made an assessment on four occasions
when my predecessor and I had made the decision not to release information on
the grounds of commercial-in-confidence. The Auditor General uses four criteria,
and 15 out of 16 times we were found to have made a reasonable decision; it was
reasonable for us. The Auditor General's opinion was that in 15 out of
the 16 criteria we were tested on, we made a reasonable decision. On the
balance of probabilities, it could be suggested that he did not form an opinion
on the sixteenth because he could not get access to the privileged legal
information provided by the State Solicitor's Office to the government
that has been protected under this government and previous governments.
Several members interjected.
Ms M.J. DAVIES :
That has been a longstanding situation. He could not form an opinion. On 15 out
of 16 criteria, we were found to have made a reasonable decision not to release
information because it would significantly impact on the decisions we would
make to secure this contract with Westadium.
member is asking for is commercial-in-confidence, and this state government
will not be providing it. Can I talk about the Auditor General's
report, because it has been raised by —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Ms M.J. DAVIES : I am
not even looking at my notes, thank you very much.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you. Through the Chair, please.
Ms M.M. Quirk : ''Commercial-in-confidence''
is three words; she has two pages of briefing notes.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : I
do not know what the member for Girrawheen is looking at.
Ms R. Saffioti :
What is the expected payment?
Ms M.J. DAVIES : I
have answered the member's question, and I am going to give her a
reason.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the first time.
Through the Chair, no more interruptions, and a quick answer; thank you.
Ms
M.J. DAVIES : When the Auditor General's report came out, there was
much hysteria from the opposition around the fact that we had been secretive
and we were not providing information. If the opposition had actually read the
report, it would know that the Auditor General made an assessment on four occasions
when my predecessor and I had made the decision not to release information on
the grounds of commercial-in-confidence. The Auditor General uses four criteria,
and 15 out of 16 times we were found to have made a reasonable decision; it was
reasonable for us. The Auditor General's opinion was that in 15 out of
the 16 criteria we were tested on, we made a reasonable decision. On the
balance of probabilities, it could be suggested that he did not form an opinion
on the sixteenth because he could not get access to the privileged legal
information provided by the State Solicitor's Office to the government
that has been protected under this government and previous governments.
Several members interjected.
Ms M.J. DAVIES :
That has been a longstanding situation. He could not form an opinion. On 15 out
of 16 criteria, we were found to have made a reasonable decision not to release
information because it would significantly impact on the decisions we would
make to secure this contract with Westadium.
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