❓ Opposition MP Walker questions the Premier about why the Minister for Police and Emergency Services wasn't interviewed by the CCC regarding meetings with Mr. Drago and Mr. Spagnolo. Premier Carpenter refuses, citing the need to protect the CCC from political interference and denouncing the pursuit of the Minister.
AnsweredQoN 128Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORRUPTION AND CRIME COMMISSION - MINISTER FOR POLICE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES
I refer to the Corruption and Crime Commissioner’s comments in his report of 3 March 2006 that, prior to 22 February 2006, the Minister for Police and Emergency Services was not the subject of any adverse information or findings within the commission. In the interests of accountability and transparency, will the Premier now ask the Attorney General to exercise his power under the Corruption and Crime Commission Act and direct the acting parliamentary inspector to ask Commissioner Hammond why the Minister for Police and Emergency Services was never interviewed by the CCC prior to 22 February 2006 in relation to - (a) the meeting Mr Drago had with the Minister for Police and Emergency Services prior to the telephone intercept to ask him to sort things out between Mr Drago and Mr Spagnolo; (b) the telephone call made by the Minister for Police and Emergency Services to Mr Spagnolo in order to sort things out between Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago; and (c) the actual meeting in the minister’s electoral office with Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
I refer to the Corruption and Crime Commissioner’s comments in his report of 3 March 2006 that, prior to 22 February 2006, the Minister for Police and Emergency Services was not the subject of any adverse information or findings within the commission. In the interests of accountability and transparency, will the Premier now ask the Attorney General to exercise his power under the Corruption and Crime Commission Act and direct the acting parliamentary inspector to ask Commissioner Hammond why the Minister for Police and Emergency Services was never interviewed by the CCC prior to 22 February 2006 in relation to - (a) the meeting Mr Drago had with the Minister for Police and Emergency Services prior to the telephone intercept to ask him to sort things out between Mr Drago and Mr Spagnolo; (b) the telephone call made by the Minister for Police and Emergency Services to Mr Spagnolo in order to sort things out between Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago; and (c) the actual meeting in the minister’s electoral office with Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
No, I will not. I will not go on much longer, but I will just say that the prospect of members of this chamber trying to politically engineer outcomes and interfere in the work of the Corruption and Crime Commission was the whole reason for establishing it above political interference. The whole pursuit of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services has been despicable. I have made that point before about the performance of The West Australian in this regard. The expectation that somehow or other I, as Premier of the state, will force the Corruption and Crime Commission to produce the results that members opposite want it to produce has absolutely zero chance of being realised.
(a) the meeting Mr Drago had with the Minister for Police and Emergency Services prior to the telephone intercept to ask him to sort things out between Mr Drago and Mr Spagnolo; (b) the telephone call made by the Minister for Police and Emergency Services to Mr Spagnolo in order to sort things out between Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago; and (c) the actual meeting in the minister’s electoral office with Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: No, I will not. I will not go on much longer, but I will just say that the prospect of members of this chamber trying to politically engineer outcomes and interfere in the work of the Corruption and Crime Commission was the whole reason for establishing it above political interference. The whole pursuit of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services has been despicable. I have made that point before about the performance of The West Australian in this regard. The expectation that somehow or other I, as Premier of the state, will force the Corruption and Crime Commission to produce the results that members opposite want it to produce has absolutely zero chance of being realised.
(b) the telephone call made by the Minister for Police and Emergency Services to Mr Spagnolo in order to sort things out between Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago; and (c) the actual meeting in the minister’s electoral office with Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: No, I will not. I will not go on much longer, but I will just say that the prospect of members of this chamber trying to politically engineer outcomes and interfere in the work of the Corruption and Crime Commission was the whole reason for establishing it above political interference. The whole pursuit of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services has been despicable. I have made that point before about the performance of The West Australian in this regard. The expectation that somehow or other I, as Premier of the state, will force the Corruption and Crime Commission to produce the results that members opposite want it to produce has absolutely zero chance of being realised.
(c) the actual meeting in the minister’s electoral office with Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: No, I will not. I will not go on much longer, but I will just say that the prospect of members of this chamber trying to politically engineer outcomes and interfere in the work of the Corruption and Crime Commission was the whole reason for establishing it above political interference. The whole pursuit of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services has been despicable. I have made that point before about the performance of The West Australian in this regard. The expectation that somehow or other I, as Premier of the state, will force the Corruption and Crime Commission to produce the results that members opposite want it to produce has absolutely zero chance of being realised.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: No, I will not. I will not go on much longer, but I will just say that the prospect of members of this chamber trying to politically engineer outcomes and interfere in the work of the Corruption and Crime Commission was the whole reason for establishing it above political interference. The whole pursuit of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services has been despicable. I have made that point before about the performance of The West Australian in this regard. The expectation that somehow or other I, as Premier of the state, will force the Corruption and Crime Commission to produce the results that members opposite want it to produce has absolutely zero chance of being realised.
No, I will not. I will not go on much longer, but I will just say that the prospect of members of this chamber trying to politically engineer outcomes and interfere in the work of the Corruption and Crime Commission was the whole reason for establishing it above political interference. The whole pursuit of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services has been despicable. I have made that point before about the performance of The West Australian in this regard. The expectation that somehow or other I, as Premier of the state, will force the Corruption and Crime Commission to produce the results that members opposite want it to produce has absolutely zero chance of being realised.
(a) the meeting Mr Drago had with the Minister for Police and Emergency Services prior to the telephone intercept to ask him to sort things out between Mr Drago and Mr Spagnolo; (b) the telephone call made by the Minister for Police and Emergency Services to Mr Spagnolo in order to sort things out between Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago; and (c) the actual meeting in the minister’s electoral office with Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: No, I will not. I will not go on much longer, but I will just say that the prospect of members of this chamber trying to politically engineer outcomes and interfere in the work of the Corruption and Crime Commission was the whole reason for establishing it above political interference. The whole pursuit of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services has been despicable. I have made that point before about the performance of The West Australian in this regard. The expectation that somehow or other I, as Premier of the state, will force the Corruption and Crime Commission to produce the results that members opposite want it to produce has absolutely zero chance of being realised.
(b) the telephone call made by the Minister for Police and Emergency Services to Mr Spagnolo in order to sort things out between Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago; and (c) the actual meeting in the minister’s electoral office with Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: No, I will not. I will not go on much longer, but I will just say that the prospect of members of this chamber trying to politically engineer outcomes and interfere in the work of the Corruption and Crime Commission was the whole reason for establishing it above political interference. The whole pursuit of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services has been despicable. I have made that point before about the performance of The West Australian in this regard. The expectation that somehow or other I, as Premier of the state, will force the Corruption and Crime Commission to produce the results that members opposite want it to produce has absolutely zero chance of being realised.
(c) the actual meeting in the minister’s electoral office with Mr Spagnolo and Mr Drago? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: No, I will not. I will not go on much longer, but I will just say that the prospect of members of this chamber trying to politically engineer outcomes and interfere in the work of the Corruption and Crime Commission was the whole reason for establishing it above political interference. The whole pursuit of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services has been despicable. I have made that point before about the performance of The West Australian in this regard. The expectation that somehow or other I, as Premier of the state, will force the Corruption and Crime Commission to produce the results that members opposite want it to produce has absolutely zero chance of being realised.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: No, I will not. I will not go on much longer, but I will just say that the prospect of members of this chamber trying to politically engineer outcomes and interfere in the work of the Corruption and Crime Commission was the whole reason for establishing it above political interference. The whole pursuit of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services has been despicable. I have made that point before about the performance of The West Australian in this regard. The expectation that somehow or other I, as Premier of the state, will force the Corruption and Crime Commission to produce the results that members opposite want it to produce has absolutely zero chance of being realised.
No, I will not. I will not go on much longer, but I will just say that the prospect of members of this chamber trying to politically engineer outcomes and interfere in the work of the Corruption and Crime Commission was the whole reason for establishing it above political interference. The whole pursuit of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services has been despicable. I have made that point before about the performance of The West Australian in this regard. The expectation that somehow or other I, as Premier of the state, will force the Corruption and Crime Commission to produce the results that members opposite want it to produce has absolutely zero chance of being realised.
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