❓ Opposition questions the Premier regarding a potential conflict of interest involving the director of government media's role in advertising campaign design, approval, and the ICRC. The Premier defends the director's work and questions the timing of the report.
AnsweredQoN 502Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GOVERNMENT-FUNDED ADVERTISING — AUDITOR
GENERAL'S REPORT
502. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Premier:
On behalf of the member for Albany,
I acknowledge the students in the gallery from St Joseph's College in
Albany.
Mr C.J. Barnett interjected.
Mr B.S. WYATT : It is all in Hansard ;
the Premier knows that.
I refer to today's release
of the Auditor General's report titled ''Government Funded
Advertising'' and in particular to his finding in the report that the
Premier's director of government media —
participated in campaign design and
development; and then, later as part of the ICRC, —
That is, the Independent
Communications Review Committee —
gave approval for the campaign to proceed.
(1) Which campaign did the Premier's
director of government media design, develop and then approve?
(2) Does the Premier agree with the
Auditor General that, and I quote —
This is a conflict of interest that
diminishes the independence and credibility of the ICRC.
GENERAL'S REPORT
502. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Premier:
On behalf of the member for Albany,
I acknowledge the students in the gallery from St Joseph's College in
Albany.
Mr C.J. Barnett interjected.
Mr B.S. WYATT : It is all in Hansard ;
the Premier knows that.
I refer to today's release
of the Auditor General's report titled ''Government Funded
Advertising'' and in particular to his finding in the report that the
Premier's director of government media —
participated in campaign design and
development; and then, later as part of the ICRC, —
That is, the Independent
Communications Review Committee —
gave approval for the campaign to proceed.
(1) Which campaign did the Premier's
director of government media design, develop and then approve?
(2) Does the Premier agree with the
Auditor General that, and I quote —
This is a conflict of interest that
diminishes the independence and credibility of the ICRC.
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) The
director of government media works in my office, as everyone is aware. She is a
term-of-government employee, not a permanent public servant. She has saved this
state millions and millions of dollars. Government advertising has been more
effective and cheaper, and it has reached people with a wide range of
information.
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER : Premier, sit down, please.
Mr C.J. Barnett : You're just an idiot.
The SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean, I call you to order for the
first time.
Withdrawal of Remark
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Premier
clearly used an unparliamentary term and I ask him to withdraw it.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I withdraw, Mr
Speaker.
Questions without
Notice Resumed
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The director of government media works within my
office. A ministerial office, a Premier's office, employs primarily
term-of-government employees. By definition, it is a political office and —
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : For that reason, there is a perception of a
conflict of interest and the director of government media is not on that
committee. That committee is staffed by public servants within the Department
of the Premier and Cabinet.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Is the Premier saying that the Auditor General is
wrong?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : No.
Mr M. McGowan interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The member should stand and ask his question, and
then come around here and answer it himself if he wants to.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government has run some significant public
information advertising campaigns on police recruitment, on the branding for
tourism, on respect in taxis following a lot of problems with taxis, on major
projects —
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : Mr Speaker, the
opposition has taken note of your comments about asking short, specific
questions. My question was—I will say it again—which campaign
did the Premier's director of government media design, develop and then
approve? Could the Premier please clarify whether all the campaigns that he is
now listing were designed, developed and approved by his director of government
media?
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The director of government media has been directly
involved in the Step Forward WA Police recruitment program, the tourism brand—a
lot of the work was obviously done by Tourism, but she was involved in that—the
taxi program —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the third
time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The other one that I imagine the member might be
referring to is the Bigger Picture campaign, which has provided a huge amount
of information on travel and transport around the state in particular, and also
royalties for regions. The director of government media oversees major
government media campaigns. That is her job; that is her role.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Can you clarify —
Mr C.J. BARNETT : No. The member can ask another question later if
he wants to.
The SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park, you can have a supplementary
question but you are not to interject all the time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is her job, and she does it very well. The
advertising is now attractive, it engages people and it is cost-effective.
There is always debate about the effectiveness and cost of government
advertising. One of the interesting things in that report is that there is an
increase in government advertising in the lead-up to elections on both sides of
politics. In the 2005 election campaign —
Mr M. McGowan : Going back 10 years?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, going back 10 years. In the 2005 election
campaign, when the Gallop government was in power, government advertising
increased—members opposite do not want to hear this—in the year
leading into the election campaign by a modest 43 per cent up to $28.5 million.
In the lead-up to the 2008 campaign—sorry, I will —
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : In 2008 —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Member for West Swan, I call you to order for
the second time.
Tabling of Paper
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The Premier
appears to be quoting from an official document. I call upon him to table it in
accordance with the standing orders.
The SPEAKER : Premier, is that an
official document?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, it is not.
The SPEAKER : Right.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr C.J. BARNETT : In the lead-up to the 2005 campaign—this
is interesting—with Labor in government, it increased by 43 per cent to
$28.5 million. In the lead-up to the 2008 campaign, with Labor in government,
advertising increased to a record level of $36.6 million. In the lead-up to the
—
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Member for West Swan, I am just putting you
on notice now. This is the last time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I conclude with this: in the lead-up to the 2013
campaign, under the Liberal–National government, advertising increased
by 10 per cent to $24.5 million—that is $12 million below what happened
under Labor four years earlier.
Tabling of Paper
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The Premier is
clearly quoting from a typewritten piece of paper. It is not his personal
notes.
Several members interjected.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Points of order our held in silence. I would ask
you, Mr Speaker, if you would review the document and give a ruling.
The SPEAKER : Premier, is it a
formal document of the department or is it your notes?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : They are notes
prepared for me and my office.
Questions without Notice Resumed
director of government media works in my office, as everyone is aware. She is a
term-of-government employee, not a permanent public servant. She has saved this
state millions and millions of dollars. Government advertising has been more
effective and cheaper, and it has reached people with a wide range of
information.
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER : Premier, sit down, please.
Mr C.J. Barnett : You're just an idiot.
The SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean, I call you to order for the
first time.
Withdrawal of Remark
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Premier
clearly used an unparliamentary term and I ask him to withdraw it.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I withdraw, Mr
Speaker.
Questions without
Notice Resumed
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The director of government media works within my
office. A ministerial office, a Premier's office, employs primarily
term-of-government employees. By definition, it is a political office and —
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : For that reason, there is a perception of a
conflict of interest and the director of government media is not on that
committee. That committee is staffed by public servants within the Department
of the Premier and Cabinet.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Is the Premier saying that the Auditor General is
wrong?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : No.
Mr M. McGowan interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The member should stand and ask his question, and
then come around here and answer it himself if he wants to.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government has run some significant public
information advertising campaigns on police recruitment, on the branding for
tourism, on respect in taxis following a lot of problems with taxis, on major
projects —
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : Mr Speaker, the
opposition has taken note of your comments about asking short, specific
questions. My question was—I will say it again—which campaign
did the Premier's director of government media design, develop and then
approve? Could the Premier please clarify whether all the campaigns that he is
now listing were designed, developed and approved by his director of government
media?
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The director of government media has been directly
involved in the Step Forward WA Police recruitment program, the tourism brand—a
lot of the work was obviously done by Tourism, but she was involved in that—the
taxi program —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the third
time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The other one that I imagine the member might be
referring to is the Bigger Picture campaign, which has provided a huge amount
of information on travel and transport around the state in particular, and also
royalties for regions. The director of government media oversees major
government media campaigns. That is her job; that is her role.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Can you clarify —
Mr C.J. BARNETT : No. The member can ask another question later if
he wants to.
The SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park, you can have a supplementary
question but you are not to interject all the time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is her job, and she does it very well. The
advertising is now attractive, it engages people and it is cost-effective.
There is always debate about the effectiveness and cost of government
advertising. One of the interesting things in that report is that there is an
increase in government advertising in the lead-up to elections on both sides of
politics. In the 2005 election campaign —
Mr M. McGowan : Going back 10 years?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, going back 10 years. In the 2005 election
campaign, when the Gallop government was in power, government advertising
increased—members opposite do not want to hear this—in the year
leading into the election campaign by a modest 43 per cent up to $28.5 million.
In the lead-up to the 2008 campaign—sorry, I will —
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : In 2008 —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Member for West Swan, I call you to order for
the second time.
Tabling of Paper
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The Premier
appears to be quoting from an official document. I call upon him to table it in
accordance with the standing orders.
The SPEAKER : Premier, is that an
official document?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, it is not.
The SPEAKER : Right.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr C.J. BARNETT : In the lead-up to the 2005 campaign—this
is interesting—with Labor in government, it increased by 43 per cent to
$28.5 million. In the lead-up to the 2008 campaign, with Labor in government,
advertising increased to a record level of $36.6 million. In the lead-up to the
—
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Member for West Swan, I am just putting you
on notice now. This is the last time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I conclude with this: in the lead-up to the 2013
campaign, under the Liberal–National government, advertising increased
by 10 per cent to $24.5 million—that is $12 million below what happened
under Labor four years earlier.
Tabling of Paper
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The Premier is
clearly quoting from a typewritten piece of paper. It is not his personal
notes.
Several members interjected.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Points of order our held in silence. I would ask
you, Mr Speaker, if you would review the document and give a ruling.
The SPEAKER : Premier, is it a
formal document of the department or is it your notes?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : They are notes
prepared for me and my office.
Questions without Notice Resumed
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