❓ Hon. Spagnolo questions the appropriateness of termination payments to ministerial staff who then become MPs, referencing a specific case and seeking historical data and a commitment to review the practice. The Premier's response deflects by highlighting similar payments received by Hon. Spagnolo under a previous government.
AnsweredQoN 313Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
State election—Termination and separation
entitlements
313. Hon Anthony Spagnolo to the Leader of the
House representing the Premier:
I refer to recent
media reports that several newly elected members of the WA Parliament received
termination payments on leaving their ministerial staff roles at the conclusion
of the 2025 state election, including over $345,000 paid to the Premier's former
chief of staff before he commenced as the member for Landsdale and cabinet
secretary.
(1) Does the Premier
consider it appropriate that funds are used to provide redundancy payments to individuals
who move from publicly funded WA ministerial staff roles into roles as members
of state Parliament?
(2) Were any payments of this nature made at the
conclusion of the Carpenter government to then incoming members of state
Parliament at the conclusion of the 2008 election and, if so, which members,
and what was the total payout figure each of those members received?
(3) Will the Premier commit to reviewing these
arrangements to ensure that this practice is an appropriate use of taxpayer
funds?
(4) Does the government track the expected total
liability from all term-of-government employee termination payments and, if so,
what is the current estimated total liability should the Cook government leave
office at the next election in 2029?
entitlements
313. Hon Anthony Spagnolo to the Leader of the
House representing the Premier:
I refer to recent
media reports that several newly elected members of the WA Parliament received
termination payments on leaving their ministerial staff roles at the conclusion
of the 2025 state election, including over $345,000 paid to the Premier's former
chief of staff before he commenced as the member for Landsdale and cabinet
secretary.
(1) Does the Premier
consider it appropriate that funds are used to provide redundancy payments to individuals
who move from publicly funded WA ministerial staff roles into roles as members
of state Parliament?
(2) Were any payments of this nature made at the
conclusion of the Carpenter government to then incoming members of state
Parliament at the conclusion of the 2008 election and, if so, which members,
and what was the total payout figure each of those members received?
(3) Will the Premier commit to reviewing these
arrangements to ensure that this practice is an appropriate use of taxpayer
funds?
(4) Does the government track the expected total
liability from all term-of-government employee termination payments and, if so,
what is the current estimated total liability should the Cook government leave
office at the next election in 2029?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question. The following answer has
been provided to me by the Premier.
(1)–(4) Contractual obligations for ministerial
and opposition staff members are the same today as they were under the former Liberal–National
government. It is under these obligations that the honourable member himself received
termination payments on at least two occasions, in 2017 and again in 2019.
The President: The Leader of the House.
Hon Nick Goiran: President, not yet!
The President: Leader of the Opposition, try that.
Hon Stephen Dawson: I have a point of order!
honourable member for some notice of the question. The following answer has
been provided to me by the Premier.
(1)–(4) Contractual obligations for ministerial
and opposition staff members are the same today as they were under the former Liberal–National
government. It is under these obligations that the honourable member himself received
termination payments on at least two occasions, in 2017 and again in 2019.
The President: The Leader of the House.
Hon Nick Goiran: President, not yet!
The President: Leader of the Opposition, try that.
Hon Stephen Dawson: I have a point of order!
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