DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITIES
— PAUL WHYTE
1532. Hon TJORN SIBMA to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Community Services:
I refer to corruption allegations
made against Mr Paul Whyte, a former senior public servant in the Department of
Communities, and the concerns that the current Treasurer had about Mr Whyte
back in 2016.
(1) Did the
Treasurer raise with the Minister for Community Services any concerns he had
about Mr Whyte's appointment as acting director general of the
Department of Communities?
(2) If yes to (1), when?
(3) Did the
Minister for Community Services at any time receive advice from the Treasurer
about concerns he had with Mr Paul Whyte about any probity or non-probity
issues?
(4) If yes to (3), when?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the member for the
question.
(1)–(4) No, acting appointments are not typically
discussed between ministers. Under the Public Sector Management Act
1994, the former director general, Mr Grahame Searle, delegated his duties to
Mr Paul Whyte at his discretion. The minister accepted Mr Searle's
advice on this occasion, given Mr Whyte's previous periods of acting as
director general for the Department of Regional Development and for the Housing
Authority between 2014 and 2017.