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.