❓ A member of parliament questions the Minister for Local Government regarding the scope and structure of the inquiry into the City of Perth, specifically questioning the appointment of a single person instead of a panel and the exclusion of March 2, 2018, from the inquiry period. The Minister defends the decisions and clarifies the inquiry's scope.
AnsweredQoN 3083Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Inquiry into the City of Perth, and your media release dated 24 April 2018, referring to investigating the operations and affairs of the City of Perth between October 1, 2015 and March 1, 2018 inclusive, and ask: (a) given the significance of this matter and the almost 2.5 year time period covered, why have you appointed a single person and not a three person panel; (b) why has the inquiry period been limited to 1 March 2018, when the council was suspended on 2 March 2018; (c) will you amend the terms of reference to be inclusive of 2 March 2018, if not, why not; and (d) why do the terms of reference provide scope for the Inquiry Panel to inquire into and report on matters that occurred before 1 October 2015, but not on 2 March 2018?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
19 June 2018
Responded by
Minister for Local Government; Heritage; Culture and the Arts
Response time
9 days
(a) The Local Government Act 1995 provides for the appointment of an Inquiry Panel consisting of one or three people. It was decided that a panel consisting of one would be most effective given that the panel will have legal and investigative support officers.
(b) The Authorised Inquiry undertook investigations into the removal of documents by elected members from the City of Perth up to and including 1 March 2018. A Direction Notice was provided on 1 March 2018 to the City that removed elected members’ access to the IT system, prevented shredding and removed bins that already had papers deposited to a secure location.
(c-d) On 2 March 2018, elected members did not have access to IT and were prevented from removing anything. Should the Inquiry Panel consider it necessary to examine matters prior to 1 October 2015 or relating to 2 March 2018 it can request my approval to do so and such a request would be supported.
(b) The Authorised Inquiry undertook investigations into the removal of documents by elected members from the City of Perth up to and including 1 March 2018. A Direction Notice was provided on 1 March 2018 to the City that removed elected members’ access to the IT system, prevented shredding and removed bins that already had papers deposited to a secure location.
(c-d) On 2 March 2018, elected members did not have access to IT and were prevented from removing anything. Should the Inquiry Panel consider it necessary to examine matters prior to 1 October 2015 or relating to 2 March 2018 it can request my approval to do so and such a request would be supported.
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