❓ Mrs Roberts questions the Minister regarding the death of Andrew Petrelis, suggesting police negligence. Mr Prince deflects by quoting a report recommending an inquest to resolve uncertainties surrounding the death.
AnsweredQoN 33Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
How can the minister claim that Andrew Petrelis was not murdered when his Government's inquiry, which is inconclusive, states that Mr Petrelis’ new identity was not changed despite several security breaches because police were using him as bait? Mr PRINCE
AnswerView source ↗
In answer to the member’s question, I will quote from the “Report of the Review of the Western Australia Police Witness Protection Program” I tabled yesterday, in which Mr Roberts-Smith raises a number of questions that should be resolved in an inquest. In the summary, he states – All of this is a very long way from saying Petrelis was murdered. There is no evidence that he was. Mrs Roberts: Your Police Service used him as bait. Mr PRINCE: The member should not be so impolite. I continue – The circumstantial evidence all tends to show he died of an accidental drug overdose. But he was a witness on the Western Australian SWPP . . . For that reason, an inquest should have been held. An inquest would also answer the other questions. It is Mr Roberts-Smith’s opinion that Andrew Petrelis was not murdered; not mine. However, that is what I quoted.
Mr PRINCE replied: In answer to the member’s question, I will quote from the “Report of the Review of the Western Australia Police Witness Protection Program” I tabled yesterday, in which Mr Roberts-Smith raises a number of questions that should be resolved in an inquest. In the summary, he states – All of this is a very long way from saying Petrelis was murdered. There is no evidence that he was. Mrs Roberts: Your Police Service used him as bait. Mr PRINCE: The member should not be so impolite. I continue – The circumstantial evidence all tends to show he died of an accidental drug overdose. But he was a witness on the Western Australian SWPP . . . For that reason, an inquest should have been held. An inquest would also answer the other questions. It is Mr Roberts-Smith’s opinion that Andrew Petrelis was not murdered; not mine. However, that is what I quoted.
In answer to the member’s question, I will quote from the “Report of the Review of the Western Australia Police Witness Protection Program” I tabled yesterday, in which Mr Roberts-Smith raises a number of questions that should be resolved in an inquest. In the summary, he states – All of this is a very long way from saying Petrelis was murdered. There is no evidence that he was. Mrs Roberts: Your Police Service used him as bait. Mr PRINCE: The member should not be so impolite. I continue – The circumstantial evidence all tends to show he died of an accidental drug overdose. But he was a witness on the Western Australian SWPP . . . For that reason, an inquest should have been held. An inquest would also answer the other questions. It is Mr Roberts-Smith’s opinion that Andrew Petrelis was not murdered; not mine. However, that is what I quoted.
Mr PRINCE: The member should not be so impolite. I continue – The circumstantial evidence all tends to show he died of an accidental drug overdose. But he was a witness on the Western Australian SWPP . . . For that reason, an inquest should have been held. An inquest would also answer the other questions. It is Mr Roberts-Smith’s opinion that Andrew Petrelis was not murdered; not mine. However, that is what I quoted.
Mr PRINCE replied: In answer to the member’s question, I will quote from the “Report of the Review of the Western Australia Police Witness Protection Program” I tabled yesterday, in which Mr Roberts-Smith raises a number of questions that should be resolved in an inquest. In the summary, he states – All of this is a very long way from saying Petrelis was murdered. There is no evidence that he was. Mrs Roberts: Your Police Service used him as bait. Mr PRINCE: The member should not be so impolite. I continue – The circumstantial evidence all tends to show he died of an accidental drug overdose. But he was a witness on the Western Australian SWPP . . . For that reason, an inquest should have been held. An inquest would also answer the other questions. It is Mr Roberts-Smith’s opinion that Andrew Petrelis was not murdered; not mine. However, that is what I quoted.
In answer to the member’s question, I will quote from the “Report of the Review of the Western Australia Police Witness Protection Program” I tabled yesterday, in which Mr Roberts-Smith raises a number of questions that should be resolved in an inquest. In the summary, he states – All of this is a very long way from saying Petrelis was murdered. There is no evidence that he was. Mrs Roberts: Your Police Service used him as bait. Mr PRINCE: The member should not be so impolite. I continue – The circumstantial evidence all tends to show he died of an accidental drug overdose. But he was a witness on the Western Australian SWPP . . . For that reason, an inquest should have been held. An inquest would also answer the other questions. It is Mr Roberts-Smith’s opinion that Andrew Petrelis was not murdered; not mine. However, that is what I quoted.
Mr PRINCE: The member should not be so impolite. I continue – The circumstantial evidence all tends to show he died of an accidental drug overdose. But he was a witness on the Western Australian SWPP . . . For that reason, an inquest should have been held. An inquest would also answer the other questions. It is Mr Roberts-Smith’s opinion that Andrew Petrelis was not murdered; not mine. However, that is what I quoted.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.