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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 1100 asked in the Legislative Council on 7 November 2018 by Hon Michael Mischin

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMISSION — TONI WALKINGTON

1100. Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN to the minister representing the Minister for Commerce and Industrial Relations:

I refer to the minister's answer to my question without notice 1078 of 6 November concerning the appointment of union leader Toni Walkington as a commissioner of the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission.

(1) What exactly are the ''informal conventions, historically followed by both parties'', and ''soundings with the appropriate industrial parties'' referred to by the minister?

(2) Did the minister or his staff, prior to selecting Ms Walkington, directly or indirectly suggest to her that she would be favoured as an appointment to the commission; and, if so, when, what was the earliest occasion, and by what means and in what terms?

(3) Apart from having a union background and being a supporter of the Labor Party and McGowan government, what qualifications made Ms Walkington the outstanding appointee for the position and why is having a union background important?

(4) Why did the minister not follow, as was done in 2016 with Commissioners Emmanuel and Matthews, an open non-political process of advertising, with consideration of applications on their merits, with a view to selecting legally and professionally qualified non-partisan commissioners?

(5) Having regard to the selection process, how can the public be confident that this appointment was not Ms Walkington's reward for not agitating too loudly on behalf of her union's membership against the McGowan government's so-called reforms of the public sector, which, if proposed by a Liberal government, would have resulted in calls by her for industrial action?

The PRESIDENT: Minister for Regional Development, I am not really sure about that last part of the question, but you might want to respond to the first few parts.

Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:

I think we need to give a bit of thought to whether that last part of the question comes within the standing orders. I thank the member for the question. The following information has been provided to me by the Minister for Commerce and Industrial Relations.

(1)–(5) Ms Walkington was appointed in accordance with the requirements of the Industrial Relations Act 1979.

The PRESIDENT: Hon Donna Faragher.

Several members interjected.

The PRESIDENT: When you have that out of your system, Hon Donna Faragher has the call.

Hon Michael Mischin: I am getting there.

The PRESIDENT: Okay; we will wait.