A WA parliamentary question on notice addresses the handling of potentially false statutory declarations in LandCorp subdivisions, specifically regarding the Pretty Pool ballot in Port Hedland. The response clarifies prosecution authority, LandCorp's policy, and reasons for not referring past declarations.

AnsweredQoN 1159Legislative Council
Asked
4 December 2006
Portfolio
Planning and Infrastructure

QuestionView source ↗

LANDCORP SUBDIVISIONS - STATUTORY DECLARATIONS
I refer to the minister’s response to question without notice 1137 on 23 November advising that five successful applicants for the Port Hedland Pretty Pool ballot withdrew their applications following scrutiny of their statutory declarations by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. (1) Which authority has responsibility for prosecuting signatories to false statutory declarations? (2) Is it the policy of LandCorp or the state Electoral Commission to refer concerns regarding the veracity of the statutory declarations sworn by applicants for LandCorp lots to the prosecuting authority; and, if not, why not? (3) Have any of the five statutory declarations sworn by the Pretty Pool applicants who subsequently withdrew their applications been referred to this authority; and, if not, why not? Hon ADELE FARINA

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Matters of this nature may be referred to the WA police service or other agencies as appropriate. (2) LandCorp’s policy is to assess such matters on a case-by-case approach. In the Port Hedland ballot, invalid applications were excluded from ballot allocations. (3) The declaration form did not clearly point to the fact that knowingly making a false declaration was a breach of the Criminal Code. This was made explicit in subsequent forms.
(1) Which authority has responsibility for prosecuting signatories to false statutory declarations? (2) Is it the policy of LandCorp or the state Electoral Commission to refer concerns regarding the veracity of the statutory declarations sworn by applicants for LandCorp lots to the prosecuting authority; and, if not, why not? (3) Have any of the five statutory declarations sworn by the Pretty Pool applicants who subsequently withdrew their applications been referred to this authority; and, if not, why not? Hon ADELE FARINA replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Matters of this nature may be referred to the WA police service or other agencies as appropriate. (2) LandCorp’s policy is to assess such matters on a case-by-case approach. In the Port Hedland ballot, invalid applications were excluded from ballot allocations. (3) The declaration form did not clearly point to the fact that knowingly making a false declaration was a breach of the Criminal Code. This was made explicit in subsequent forms.
(2) Is it the policy of LandCorp or the state Electoral Commission to refer concerns regarding the veracity of the statutory declarations sworn by applicants for LandCorp lots to the prosecuting authority; and, if not, why not? (3) Have any of the five statutory declarations sworn by the Pretty Pool applicants who subsequently withdrew their applications been referred to this authority; and, if not, why not? Hon ADELE FARINA replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Matters of this nature may be referred to the WA police service or other agencies as appropriate. (2) LandCorp’s policy is to assess such matters on a case-by-case approach. In the Port Hedland ballot, invalid applications were excluded from ballot allocations. (3) The declaration form did not clearly point to the fact that knowingly making a false declaration was a breach of the Criminal Code. This was made explicit in subsequent forms.
(3) Have any of the five statutory declarations sworn by the Pretty Pool applicants who subsequently withdrew their applications been referred to this authority; and, if not, why not? Hon ADELE FARINA replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Matters of this nature may be referred to the WA police service or other agencies as appropriate. (2) LandCorp’s policy is to assess such matters on a case-by-case approach. In the Port Hedland ballot, invalid applications were excluded from ballot allocations. (3) The declaration form did not clearly point to the fact that knowingly making a false declaration was a breach of the Criminal Code. This was made explicit in subsequent forms.
Hon ADELE FARINA replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Matters of this nature may be referred to the WA police service or other agencies as appropriate. (2) LandCorp’s policy is to assess such matters on a case-by-case approach. In the Port Hedland ballot, invalid applications were excluded from ballot allocations. (3) The declaration form did not clearly point to the fact that knowingly making a false declaration was a breach of the Criminal Code. This was made explicit in subsequent forms.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Matters of this nature may be referred to the WA police service or other agencies as appropriate. (2) LandCorp’s policy is to assess such matters on a case-by-case approach. In the Port Hedland ballot, invalid applications were excluded from ballot allocations. (3) The declaration form did not clearly point to the fact that knowingly making a false declaration was a breach of the Criminal Code. This was made explicit in subsequent forms.
(1) Matters of this nature may be referred to the WA police service or other agencies as appropriate. (2) LandCorp’s policy is to assess such matters on a case-by-case approach. In the Port Hedland ballot, invalid applications were excluded from ballot allocations. (3) The declaration form did not clearly point to the fact that knowingly making a false declaration was a breach of the Criminal Code. This was made explicit in subsequent forms.
(2) LandCorp’s policy is to assess such matters on a case-by-case approach. In the Port Hedland ballot, invalid applications were excluded from ballot allocations. (3) The declaration form did not clearly point to the fact that knowingly making a false declaration was a breach of the Criminal Code. This was made explicit in subsequent forms.
(3) The declaration form did not clearly point to the fact that knowingly making a false declaration was a breach of the Criminal Code. This was made explicit in subsequent forms.

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