❓ Hon. Kate Doust questions the Minister for Agriculture and Food regarding a potential conflict of interest related to the Perth Market Authority and the sale of Market City. The Minister denies requesting removal of responsibility and explains his actions to manage the conflict.
AnsweredQoN 1454Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH MARKET AUTHORITY — MINISTER FOR
AGRICULTURE AND FOOD — CONFLICT OF INTEREST
1454. Hon KATE DOUST to the Minister for
Agriculture and Food:
(1) Did the
minister request the Premier to remove from him all responsibility for the
Perth Market Act 1926; and, if no, why not?
(2) Why did the minister never make a public announcement of
his conflict?
AGRICULTURE AND FOOD — CONFLICT OF INTEREST
1454. Hon KATE DOUST to the Minister for
Agriculture and Food:
(1) Did the
minister request the Premier to remove from him all responsibility for the
Perth Market Act 1926; and, if no, why not?
(2) Why did the minister never make a public announcement of
his conflict?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) No. As
Minister for Agriculture and Food, I am responsible for the Perth Market Act.
Under the act, the minister is responsible for ensuring the day-to-day
operations of Market City, and I have complied with this requirement. This has
had nothing to do with the sale of the asset.
On 2 July this year, as soon as I
became aware of a potential conflict of interest, I notified Peter Conran, the
director general of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, in writing about
a potential conflict of interest. I advised him that my son was the director of
a company arranging finance for a bidder for Market City. He informed me about
the actions that I was required to take to deal with this potential conflict of
interest. I was then advised by Peter Conran that I had met my obligations
under the Ministerial Code of Conduct by declaring this possible conflict of
interest. Since then, I have excluded myself from cabinet discussions and any
other discussion about the sale of this asset, and referred all questions on
this matter to the Treasury.
(2) The advice
my office received was that it would not be in the interest of any particular
bidders to disclose information publicly that might disadvantage them.
Distinguished Visitor — Hon Murray
Nixon Statement
THE PRESIDENT (Hon Barry House) : At this
juncture, I welcome Hon Murray Nixon, former member of the Legislative Council,
to the President's gallery. Welcome, Murray.
some notice of the question.
(1) No. As
Minister for Agriculture and Food, I am responsible for the Perth Market Act.
Under the act, the minister is responsible for ensuring the day-to-day
operations of Market City, and I have complied with this requirement. This has
had nothing to do with the sale of the asset.
On 2 July this year, as soon as I
became aware of a potential conflict of interest, I notified Peter Conran, the
director general of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, in writing about
a potential conflict of interest. I advised him that my son was the director of
a company arranging finance for a bidder for Market City. He informed me about
the actions that I was required to take to deal with this potential conflict of
interest. I was then advised by Peter Conran that I had met my obligations
under the Ministerial Code of Conduct by declaring this possible conflict of
interest. Since then, I have excluded myself from cabinet discussions and any
other discussion about the sale of this asset, and referred all questions on
this matter to the Treasury.
(2) The advice
my office received was that it would not be in the interest of any particular
bidders to disclose information publicly that might disadvantage them.
Distinguished Visitor — Hon Murray
Nixon Statement
THE PRESIDENT (Hon Barry House) : At this
juncture, I welcome Hon Murray Nixon, former member of the Legislative Council,
to the President's gallery. Welcome, Murray.
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