❓ Dr. Honey questions the Premier about a member's disparaging comments towards the Lord Mayor of Perth. The Premier deflects, accusing the opposition of hypocrisy and obstructing housing and education initiatives in East Perth.
AnsweredQoN 620Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CITY OF PERTH —
LORD MAYOR — MEMBER FOR COCKBURN'S COMMENTS
620. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Premier:
I
refer to considered comments made by the member for Cockburn in this chamber
last Wednesday that the Right Hon the
Lord Mayor of the City of Perth, Mr Basil Zempilas, is a B-grade TV
personality, a phoney and a fraud.
(1) Does the
Premier support one of his members using parliamentary privilege to launch such
an offensive tirade against a leading Western Australian public figure?
(2) Does he agree with the comments
made about the Perth Lord Mayor by the member for Cockburn?
LORD MAYOR — MEMBER FOR COCKBURN'S COMMENTS
620. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Premier:
I
refer to considered comments made by the member for Cockburn in this chamber
last Wednesday that the Right Hon the
Lord Mayor of the City of Perth, Mr Basil Zempilas, is a B-grade TV
personality, a phoney and a fraud.
(1) Does the
Premier support one of his members using parliamentary privilege to launch such
an offensive tirade against a leading Western Australian public figure?
(2) Does he agree with the comments
made about the Perth Lord Mayor by the member for Cockburn?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
have no comment to make about the characterisation of anyone who enters the
political theatre of the day. I do note that those opposite have had very
colourful things to say about the member for Perth and the Deputy Premier on various occasions as part of the cut and thrust of
politics. Quite frankly, I find it extraordinary that those opposite
should be so sensitive about these things when they themselves, on occasions,
have entered the fray with some rather personal and disrespectful comments.
I am not going to reflect at all on
the debates in this place, but I will reflect on the fact that this debate is
around whether the people of East Perth get a primary school and a new housing
supply in their area. It is as simple as
that. Let us be under no illusions; those opposite will oppose housing in almost
any measure . They come into this
place and complain about the lack of housing, but then oppose any housing
development wherever it occurs. This is a great example of the way that
they come out and oppose and want to cancel or delay projects that will take
this community forward.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : Member
for Cottesloe!
Mr R.H. COOK : Of course,
the thing that I am most gobsmacked and most disturbed about is that the
Liberal–National opposition is opposed to a new primary school
in an area that is screaming out for it. I hear from those opposite and they say that they are not opposed to it. No;
they simply want to delay it for 10 years! They simply want to throw up
these straw-man arguments, which is simply another way of saying that they want
to see this project delayed for as long as possible.
It is clear what we need in this
area. We need a new school, new housing supplies and new opportunities—new
ways of bringing young families into that East Perth precinct. They need the
schools and housing that support that growth. We know what the others do not
like. They always oppose education, they always oppose schools and they always
oppose housing, and they oppose a homeless shelter for women in the same area.
That is the form of those opposite. I think everyone in the community should be
aware of just what the form of the Liberal Party is on these matters—opposition,
delays and cancellation. Liberal members will do whatever they can to stop this
community getting the primary school that it needs and getting more housing. We
saw their form on the women's homeless shelter. I think it is
extraordinary that they would want to do these things and bring such damage to
the community. It is really disappointing. Let us get on with it. Let us get on
with the task of making sure that the East Perth community and the whole inner
Perth community get a new primary school so that those kids can have a state-of-the-art
primary school and we continue to support families in that area.
have no comment to make about the characterisation of anyone who enters the
political theatre of the day. I do note that those opposite have had very
colourful things to say about the member for Perth and the Deputy Premier on various occasions as part of the cut and thrust of
politics. Quite frankly, I find it extraordinary that those opposite
should be so sensitive about these things when they themselves, on occasions,
have entered the fray with some rather personal and disrespectful comments.
I am not going to reflect at all on
the debates in this place, but I will reflect on the fact that this debate is
around whether the people of East Perth get a primary school and a new housing
supply in their area. It is as simple as
that. Let us be under no illusions; those opposite will oppose housing in almost
any measure . They come into this
place and complain about the lack of housing, but then oppose any housing
development wherever it occurs. This is a great example of the way that
they come out and oppose and want to cancel or delay projects that will take
this community forward.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : Member
for Cottesloe!
Mr R.H. COOK : Of course,
the thing that I am most gobsmacked and most disturbed about is that the
Liberal–National opposition is opposed to a new primary school
in an area that is screaming out for it. I hear from those opposite and they say that they are not opposed to it. No;
they simply want to delay it for 10 years! They simply want to throw up
these straw-man arguments, which is simply another way of saying that they want
to see this project delayed for as long as possible.
It is clear what we need in this
area. We need a new school, new housing supplies and new opportunities—new
ways of bringing young families into that East Perth precinct. They need the
schools and housing that support that growth. We know what the others do not
like. They always oppose education, they always oppose schools and they always
oppose housing, and they oppose a homeless shelter for women in the same area.
That is the form of those opposite. I think everyone in the community should be
aware of just what the form of the Liberal Party is on these matters—opposition,
delays and cancellation. Liberal members will do whatever they can to stop this
community getting the primary school that it needs and getting more housing. We
saw their form on the women's homeless shelter. I think it is
extraordinary that they would want to do these things and bring such damage to
the community. It is really disappointing. Let us get on with it. Let us get on
with the task of making sure that the East Perth community and the whole inner
Perth community get a new primary school so that those kids can have a state-of-the-art
primary school and we continue to support families in that area.
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