❓ Hon John Fischer questions Hon Tom Stephens regarding Josie Farrer's removal from the Kimberley Development Commission and the perceived lack of communication. Hon Stephens apologises, explaining his attempts to contact Farrer and her absence on holidays.
AnsweredQoN 37Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Regarding Josie Farrer, former president of the Shire of Halls Creek and long-time deputy chairperson of the Kimberley Development Commission, will the minister advise the House whether he was personally responsible for the bad manners and breach of etiquette that caused Josie Farrer to learn of her removal from this position several days after the occurrence by reading about it in a local newspaper, or does the responsibility for these actions come from personnel within the minister’s department? Hon TOM STEPHENS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank Hon John Fischer for bringing to my attention for the first time the upset that my friend Josie Farrer, the former shire president of Halls Creek and deputy chairperson of the Kimberley Development Commission, has experienced as a result of the discourtesy that, in the end, is my responsibility alone. In late December I tried to telephone Josie Farrer at her residence in Halls Creek, and was unsuccessful in a number of calls, which were not answered. I wrote a letter to her, signed and dated 30 December. It was prepared for me by my office and I finished the note with words to the effect that I was very sorry that I had not been able to speak to her directly by telephone. I posted that letter about that day - 30 December - to her post office box in Halls Creek. Once I saw this question today, I immediately rang Josie and found her at her home and apologised to her. She indicated to me that she was away on holidays at the time, which would explain why I was unsuccessful in contacting her by telephone, and why she did not receive the letter. The newspaper article to which the honourable member referred in his question appeared about three weeks after the attempted telephone conversation. The cabinet decision on this matter was made at the very end of December; I think it was the last cabinet meeting of the year. I endeavoured to contact her - unsuccessfully, it would appear - immediately I was able to progress the notification of various members about their appointments and reappointments. Josie Farrer is a valued member of that community, has been a great shire president, and is valued for the work she continues to do on the development commission. I regret the upset she has experienced as a result of my failure to telephone her. She was on holidays when I tried to ring and she did not get the letter that I wrote to her, because she was still on holidays.
Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: I thank Hon John Fischer for bringing to my attention for the first time the upset that my friend Josie Farrer, the former shire president of Halls Creek and deputy chairperson of the Kimberley Development Commission, has experienced as a result of the discourtesy that, in the end, is my responsibility alone. In late December I tried to telephone Josie Farrer at her residence in Halls Creek, and was unsuccessful in a number of calls, which were not answered. I wrote a letter to her, signed and dated 30 December. It was prepared for me by my office and I finished the note with words to the effect that I was very sorry that I had not been able to speak to her directly by telephone. I posted that letter about that day - 30 December - to her post office box in Halls Creek. Once I saw this question today, I immediately rang Josie and found her at her home and apologised to her. She indicated to me that she was away on holidays at the time, which would explain why I was unsuccessful in contacting her by telephone, and why she did not receive the letter. The newspaper article to which the honourable member referred in his question appeared about three weeks after the attempted telephone conversation. The cabinet decision on this matter was made at the very end of December; I think it was the last cabinet meeting of the year. I endeavoured to contact her - unsuccessfully, it would appear - immediately I was able to progress the notification of various members about their appointments and reappointments. Josie Farrer is a valued member of that community, has been a great shire president, and is valued for the work she continues to do on the development commission. I regret the upset she has experienced as a result of my failure to telephone her. She was on holidays when I tried to ring and she did not get the letter that I wrote to her, because she was still on holidays.
I thank Hon John Fischer for bringing to my attention for the first time the upset that my friend Josie Farrer, the former shire president of Halls Creek and deputy chairperson of the Kimberley Development Commission, has experienced as a result of the discourtesy that, in the end, is my responsibility alone. In late December I tried to telephone Josie Farrer at her residence in Halls Creek, and was unsuccessful in a number of calls, which were not answered. I wrote a letter to her, signed and dated 30 December. It was prepared for me by my office and I finished the note with words to the effect that I was very sorry that I had not been able to speak to her directly by telephone. I posted that letter about that day - 30 December - to her post office box in Halls Creek. Once I saw this question today, I immediately rang Josie and found her at her home and apologised to her. She indicated to me that she was away on holidays at the time, which would explain why I was unsuccessful in contacting her by telephone, and why she did not receive the letter. The newspaper article to which the honourable member referred in his question appeared about three weeks after the attempted telephone conversation. The cabinet decision on this matter was made at the very end of December; I think it was the last cabinet meeting of the year. I endeavoured to contact her - unsuccessfully, it would appear - immediately I was able to progress the notification of various members about their appointments and reappointments. Josie Farrer is a valued member of that community, has been a great shire president, and is valued for the work she continues to do on the development commission. I regret the upset she has experienced as a result of my failure to telephone her. She was on holidays when I tried to ring and she did not get the letter that I wrote to her, because she was still on holidays.
Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: I thank Hon John Fischer for bringing to my attention for the first time the upset that my friend Josie Farrer, the former shire president of Halls Creek and deputy chairperson of the Kimberley Development Commission, has experienced as a result of the discourtesy that, in the end, is my responsibility alone. In late December I tried to telephone Josie Farrer at her residence in Halls Creek, and was unsuccessful in a number of calls, which were not answered. I wrote a letter to her, signed and dated 30 December. It was prepared for me by my office and I finished the note with words to the effect that I was very sorry that I had not been able to speak to her directly by telephone. I posted that letter about that day - 30 December - to her post office box in Halls Creek. Once I saw this question today, I immediately rang Josie and found her at her home and apologised to her. She indicated to me that she was away on holidays at the time, which would explain why I was unsuccessful in contacting her by telephone, and why she did not receive the letter. The newspaper article to which the honourable member referred in his question appeared about three weeks after the attempted telephone conversation. The cabinet decision on this matter was made at the very end of December; I think it was the last cabinet meeting of the year. I endeavoured to contact her - unsuccessfully, it would appear - immediately I was able to progress the notification of various members about their appointments and reappointments. Josie Farrer is a valued member of that community, has been a great shire president, and is valued for the work she continues to do on the development commission. I regret the upset she has experienced as a result of my failure to telephone her. She was on holidays when I tried to ring and she did not get the letter that I wrote to her, because she was still on holidays.
I thank Hon John Fischer for bringing to my attention for the first time the upset that my friend Josie Farrer, the former shire president of Halls Creek and deputy chairperson of the Kimberley Development Commission, has experienced as a result of the discourtesy that, in the end, is my responsibility alone. In late December I tried to telephone Josie Farrer at her residence in Halls Creek, and was unsuccessful in a number of calls, which were not answered. I wrote a letter to her, signed and dated 30 December. It was prepared for me by my office and I finished the note with words to the effect that I was very sorry that I had not been able to speak to her directly by telephone. I posted that letter about that day - 30 December - to her post office box in Halls Creek. Once I saw this question today, I immediately rang Josie and found her at her home and apologised to her. She indicated to me that she was away on holidays at the time, which would explain why I was unsuccessful in contacting her by telephone, and why she did not receive the letter. The newspaper article to which the honourable member referred in his question appeared about three weeks after the attempted telephone conversation. The cabinet decision on this matter was made at the very end of December; I think it was the last cabinet meeting of the year. I endeavoured to contact her - unsuccessfully, it would appear - immediately I was able to progress the notification of various members about their appointments and reappointments. Josie Farrer is a valued member of that community, has been a great shire president, and is valued for the work she continues to do on the development commission. I regret the upset she has experienced as a result of my failure to telephone her. She was on holidays when I tried to ring and she did not get the letter that I wrote to her, because she was still on holidays.
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