STANDING COMMITTEE ON
PROCEDURE AND PRIVILEGES —FIFTY-SIXTH REPORT — LEGAL ADVICE
1147. Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN to the Leader of the House
representing the Attorney General:
I
refer to my several questions to the Attorney General concerning the letter
from the Clerk of the Legislative Council to the State Solicitor dated
28 August 2019, which the Attorney General now admits to showing to a reporter
from The West Australian.
(1) Did the Attorney General show the letter to the
reporter before it was tabled as part of the fifty-sixth report?
(2) Where, on what date and at what
time was it revealed to the reporter?
(3) Who was the reporter?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(3) Under
longstanding conventions and practices in Westminster democracies around the
world, members of Parliament talk to the press, whose participation in the
political process is vital to an open and free society. The Western Australian
state Parliament, along with every other institution of its kind, recognises
this important role by making provision for a press gallery within the
building. It would be unrealistic, impractical and inappropriate for every
member of Parliament who talks to the media to disclose publicly where, on what
date and at what time the discussions took place, and with whom.