Opposition questions why the Attorney General isn't providing information under FOI requests like other ministers, despite a promise of greater transparency. The Attorney General defends his position, citing workload and privacy concerns for victims of crime.

AnsweredQoN 756Legislative Assembly
Asked
23 September 2009
Portfolio
Attorney General

QuestionView source ↗

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION — ATTORNEY GENERAL
I have a supplementary question. Given that the Minister for Racing and Gaming, the Minister for Planning and the Minister for Transport have provided this information, why is the Attorney General breaking his own leader’s promise to be more sympathetic than we were on freedom of information requests? Mr C.C. PORTER

AnswerView source ↗

The ministers that the Leader of the Opposition mentioned are excellent fellows. I like them a great deal. Several members interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : I like them a great deal. However, would the Leader of the Opposition concede that it is not impossible, with the nature of the portfolio responsibilities that I have, that I attend more meetings in a week than those minister do? Several members interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : As I say, I think they are excellent fellows, but it is not impossible — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr P.B. Watson interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Albany! Mr C.C. PORTER : They are excellent fellows, and it is no slight on those ministers that I may happen to attend more meetings. However, more importantly, I have more meetings that require me to meet with third parties. I have to ask whether victims of crime—whom I doubt any of the aforementioned three ministers meet with—want their details handed over pursuant to the FOI process. If I were to do that for 60 diary entries a fortnight, it would take virtually the entire resources of my office, and I am unwilling to do it.
Mr C.C. PORTER replied: The ministers that the Leader of the Opposition mentioned are excellent fellows. I like them a great deal. Several members interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : I like them a great deal. However, would the Leader of the Opposition concede that it is not impossible, with the nature of the portfolio responsibilities that I have, that I attend more meetings in a week than those minister do? Several members interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : As I say, I think they are excellent fellows, but it is not impossible — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr P.B. Watson interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Albany! Mr C.C. PORTER : They are excellent fellows, and it is no slight on those ministers that I may happen to attend more meetings. However, more importantly, I have more meetings that require me to meet with third parties. I have to ask whether victims of crime—whom I doubt any of the aforementioned three ministers meet with—want their details handed over pursuant to the FOI process. If I were to do that for 60 diary entries a fortnight, it would take virtually the entire resources of my office, and I am unwilling to do it.
The ministers that the Leader of the Opposition mentioned are excellent fellows. I like them a great deal. Several members interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : I like them a great deal. However, would the Leader of the Opposition concede that it is not impossible, with the nature of the portfolio responsibilities that I have, that I attend more meetings in a week than those minister do? Several members interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : As I say, I think they are excellent fellows, but it is not impossible — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr P.B. Watson interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Albany! Mr C.C. PORTER : They are excellent fellows, and it is no slight on those ministers that I may happen to attend more meetings. However, more importantly, I have more meetings that require me to meet with third parties. I have to ask whether victims of crime—whom I doubt any of the aforementioned three ministers meet with—want their details handed over pursuant to the FOI process. If I were to do that for 60 diary entries a fortnight, it would take virtually the entire resources of my office, and I am unwilling to do it.
Several members interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : I like them a great deal. However, would the Leader of the Opposition concede that it is not impossible, with the nature of the portfolio responsibilities that I have, that I attend more meetings in a week than those minister do? Several members interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : As I say, I think they are excellent fellows, but it is not impossible — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr P.B. Watson interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Albany! Mr C.C. PORTER : They are excellent fellows, and it is no slight on those ministers that I may happen to attend more meetings. However, more importantly, I have more meetings that require me to meet with third parties. I have to ask whether victims of crime—whom I doubt any of the aforementioned three ministers meet with—want their details handed over pursuant to the FOI process. If I were to do that for 60 diary entries a fortnight, it would take virtually the entire resources of my office, and I am unwilling to do it.
Mr C.C. PORTER : I like them a great deal. However, would the Leader of the Opposition concede that it is not impossible, with the nature of the portfolio responsibilities that I have, that I attend more meetings in a week than those minister do? Several members interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : As I say, I think they are excellent fellows, but it is not impossible — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr P.B. Watson interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Albany! Mr C.C. PORTER : They are excellent fellows, and it is no slight on those ministers that I may happen to attend more meetings. However, more importantly, I have more meetings that require me to meet with third parties. I have to ask whether victims of crime—whom I doubt any of the aforementioned three ministers meet with—want their details handed over pursuant to the FOI process. If I were to do that for 60 diary entries a fortnight, it would take virtually the entire resources of my office, and I am unwilling to do it.
Several members interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : As I say, I think they are excellent fellows, but it is not impossible — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr P.B. Watson interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Albany! Mr C.C. PORTER : They are excellent fellows, and it is no slight on those ministers that I may happen to attend more meetings. However, more importantly, I have more meetings that require me to meet with third parties. I have to ask whether victims of crime—whom I doubt any of the aforementioned three ministers meet with—want their details handed over pursuant to the FOI process. If I were to do that for 60 diary entries a fortnight, it would take virtually the entire resources of my office, and I am unwilling to do it.
Mr C.C. PORTER : As I say, I think they are excellent fellows, but it is not impossible — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr P.B. Watson interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Albany! Mr C.C. PORTER : They are excellent fellows, and it is no slight on those ministers that I may happen to attend more meetings. However, more importantly, I have more meetings that require me to meet with third parties. I have to ask whether victims of crime—whom I doubt any of the aforementioned three ministers meet with—want their details handed over pursuant to the FOI process. If I were to do that for 60 diary entries a fortnight, it would take virtually the entire resources of my office, and I am unwilling to do it.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr P.B. Watson interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Albany! Mr C.C. PORTER : They are excellent fellows, and it is no slight on those ministers that I may happen to attend more meetings. However, more importantly, I have more meetings that require me to meet with third parties. I have to ask whether victims of crime—whom I doubt any of the aforementioned three ministers meet with—want their details handed over pursuant to the FOI process. If I were to do that for 60 diary entries a fortnight, it would take virtually the entire resources of my office, and I am unwilling to do it.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr P.B. Watson interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Albany! Mr C.C. PORTER : They are excellent fellows, and it is no slight on those ministers that I may happen to attend more meetings. However, more importantly, I have more meetings that require me to meet with third parties. I have to ask whether victims of crime—whom I doubt any of the aforementioned three ministers meet with—want their details handed over pursuant to the FOI process. If I were to do that for 60 diary entries a fortnight, it would take virtually the entire resources of my office, and I am unwilling to do it.
Mr P.B. Watson interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Albany! Mr C.C. PORTER : They are excellent fellows, and it is no slight on those ministers that I may happen to attend more meetings. However, more importantly, I have more meetings that require me to meet with third parties. I have to ask whether victims of crime—whom I doubt any of the aforementioned three ministers meet with—want their details handed over pursuant to the FOI process. If I were to do that for 60 diary entries a fortnight, it would take virtually the entire resources of my office, and I am unwilling to do it.
The SPEAKER : Member for Albany! Mr C.C. PORTER : They are excellent fellows, and it is no slight on those ministers that I may happen to attend more meetings. However, more importantly, I have more meetings that require me to meet with third parties. I have to ask whether victims of crime—whom I doubt any of the aforementioned three ministers meet with—want their details handed over pursuant to the FOI process. If I were to do that for 60 diary entries a fortnight, it would take virtually the entire resources of my office, and I am unwilling to do it.
Mr C.C. PORTER : They are excellent fellows, and it is no slight on those ministers that I may happen to attend more meetings. However, more importantly, I have more meetings that require me to meet with third parties. I have to ask whether victims of crime—whom I doubt any of the aforementioned three ministers meet with—want their details handed over pursuant to the FOI process. If I were to do that for 60 diary entries a fortnight, it would take virtually the entire resources of my office, and I am unwilling to do it.

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