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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 1560 asked in the Legislative Council on 5 December 2019 by Hon Michael Mischin

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITIES — PAUL WHYTE —MEMBER FOR VICTORIA PARK'S COMMENTS

1560. Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN to the minister representing the Treasurer:

I refer to the Treasurer's concerns and criticisms, when a member of the Public Accounts Committee, levelled at Mr Paul Whyte.

(1) Were those expressed concerns and criticisms genuinely held?

(2) If yes —

(a) what steps did he take after entering government to ensure that they had been or would be addressed; and, if none, why not;

(b) did he at least express those concerns to Mr Whyte's minister; and, if not, why not; and, if so, to whom, when and what did he say; and

(c) did he express concerns to any of his ministerial colleagues about Mr Whyte's suitability when he first learned of Mr Whyte's appointment as assistant director general; and, if not, why not; and, if so, to whom, when and what did he say?

Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1) Yes.

(2) The Treasurer's criticisms of Mr Whyte made on 23 July 2016 were in relation to his failure to satisfactorily answer questions put to him by the Public Accounts Committee. The same concerns were expressed by the former Liberal member for Belmont, Glenys Godfrey. The Treasurer specifically appealed to the responsible minister in the former Liberal–National government to act in relation to this issue and was disappointed and somewhat surprised that the former Liberal–National government responded by allowing Mr Whyte to write his own defence. Given that at the time the honourable member was the Attorney General in the former Liberal–National government and he was a former Crown prosecutor, he may wish to reflect on the appropriateness of this action. The McGowan government, through its machinery-of-government reforms, changed Mr Whyte's reporting relationships. This assisted in bringing out the disturbing allegations against Mr Whyte that have resulted in his dismissal by the McGowan government.