Question Without Notice No. 410 asked in the Legislative Council on 17 August 2017 by Hon Michael Mischin
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
MCGOWAN GOVERNMENT — ELECTORAL EVENT PROTOCOLS
410. Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN to the Leader of the House representing the Premier:
I refer to the opening ceremony for the Barnett government's Burns Beach Road to Hester Avenue extension to the Mitchell Freeway, held on 3 August 2017, to which all local Labor state members of Parliament were invited but no Liberal state members of Parliament.
(1) What are the McGowan government's protocols for inviting members of state Parliament to state government events, particularly to events in their electorates?
(2) What are the McGowan government's protocols for informing members of state Parliament of visits by ministers to their electorates?
(3) Why were no Liberal members of state Parliament informed of or invited to this event?
(4) Why were no Liberal members of state Parliament, in contrast with Labor members, invited to participate in the ribbon‑cutting ceremony for this event?
(5) Was this discourtesy towards and disrespect for elected members of the state's parliamentary opposition, and the citizens who elected them, another example of the high standards the Premier expects of his ministers and government?
(6) Who was responsible for the decision to not inform Liberal state members of Parliament of, or invite them to, this event, and what action has the Premier taken to ensure that this discourtesy is not repeated?
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT: Order!
Hon SUE ELLERY replied:
I encourage the member to keep tapping the big issues.
(1)–(6) As it was under the previous government, the general protocol would be for the department to collate and confirm the guest list with the Premier or relevant minister's office, and prior to the event, all local members notified by the Premier's office that the Premier will be in their electorate. No members of the Legislative Council, of either party, were formally invited to attend the event. As the member will be aware, the event was held in the electorate of Butler, closely bordered by the electorate of Burns Beach, Wanneroo and Joondalup. As such, the members for those seats were in attendance, as were the relevant federal members of Parliament, including the members for Pearce and Moore.