❓ Opposition Leader McGowan questions Transport Minister Nalder about the timing of informing the Premier's office regarding an ASIC inquiry related to the Forrestfield-Airport Link. The Minister's response is evasive, leading to interruptions and a reprimand from the Speaker.
AnsweredQoN 207Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT — FORRESTFIELD–AIRPORT
LINK
207. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for
Transport:
I refer to the minister's
admission that his chief of staff advised the Premier's office of the
Australian Securities and Investments Commission inquiry earlier than
yesterday.
(1) On what date did the minister's
chief of staff advise the Premier's office?
(2) Who did the minister's
chief of staff inform in the Premier's office?
(3) What advice did the minister
receive back from the Premier's office in relation to this issue?
LINK
207. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for
Transport:
I refer to the minister's
admission that his chief of staff advised the Premier's office of the
Australian Securities and Investments Commission inquiry earlier than
yesterday.
(1) On what date did the minister's
chief of staff advise the Premier's office?
(2) Who did the minister's
chief of staff inform in the Premier's office?
(3) What advice did the minister
receive back from the Premier's office in relation to this issue?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) As
I have said from the outset on this—I really want to re-emphasise it—there
has been no allegation from ASIC that there has been any impropriety by any
member of staff in the state government. We acknowledge there has been a share
price spike —
Mr M. McGowan : That's not the
question.
Mr D.C. NALDER : — no-one
questions it. But it is the context.
Mr M. McGowan : Answer the question.
Mr D.C. NALDER : It is the context.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to
answer the question?
Mr C.J. Barnett : Yes, he is.
Mr
D.C. NALDER : It is the context.
We fully support ASIC investigating
it and will fully comply with its requests and provide the information. ASIC
has requested a vast amount of information; we have supplied that fully.
Allegations have been put by the other side to suggest that I should have been
investigating the process and I should have been investigating people, but
there is nothing there to investigate at this point in time.
When ASIC contacted my office, it
did not contact me directly. It contacted my office seeking information; the
information was supplied. I again followed it up with my chief of staff this
morning, to confirm that the Premier's office was notified. He
confirmed that, yes, it was, and he said he confirmed immediately that ASIC
requested the information.
Mr
M. McGowan : When?
Mr
D.C. NALDER : Mr Speaker, we have met the obligations requested of us by
ASIC.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen, thank you for your assistance. Minister,
you have had a lead-in time: the question was to do with when you notified the
Premier's office. If you want to answer it, answer it and let us move
on.
Mr
D.C. NALDER : I will sit because I did say that we notified immediately that
we received the information from ASIC.
I have said from the outset on this—I really want to re-emphasise it—there
has been no allegation from ASIC that there has been any impropriety by any
member of staff in the state government. We acknowledge there has been a share
price spike —
Mr M. McGowan : That's not the
question.
Mr D.C. NALDER : — no-one
questions it. But it is the context.
Mr M. McGowan : Answer the question.
Mr D.C. NALDER : It is the context.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to
answer the question?
Mr C.J. Barnett : Yes, he is.
Mr
D.C. NALDER : It is the context.
We fully support ASIC investigating
it and will fully comply with its requests and provide the information. ASIC
has requested a vast amount of information; we have supplied that fully.
Allegations have been put by the other side to suggest that I should have been
investigating the process and I should have been investigating people, but
there is nothing there to investigate at this point in time.
When ASIC contacted my office, it
did not contact me directly. It contacted my office seeking information; the
information was supplied. I again followed it up with my chief of staff this
morning, to confirm that the Premier's office was notified. He
confirmed that, yes, it was, and he said he confirmed immediately that ASIC
requested the information.
Mr
M. McGowan : When?
Mr
D.C. NALDER : Mr Speaker, we have met the obligations requested of us by
ASIC.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen, thank you for your assistance. Minister,
you have had a lead-in time: the question was to do with when you notified the
Premier's office. If you want to answer it, answer it and let us move
on.
Mr
D.C. NALDER : I will sit because I did say that we notified immediately that
we received the information from ASIC.
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.