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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 94 asked in the Legislative Council on 19 February 2020 by Hon Michael Mischin

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

CABINET CONFIDENTIALITY

94. Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN to the Leader of the House:

I refer to the Leader of the House's call upon the Leader of the Opposition, Hon Liza Harvey, MLA, to waive cabinet confidentiality and produce certain papers and other information.

(1) What are the criteria and principles by which the Leader of the House believes that cabinet confidentiality ought to be waived so that a future Liberal government will know what standard of disclosure to expect from her?

(2) Is this based simply on political opportunism, and will the Leader of the House respond to requests on the part of the opposition and other members of this house to waive cabinet confidentiality?

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the House, it is up to you how you respond to the first part of the question. I think the second part of the question might have been seeking an opinion.

Hon SUE ELLERY replied:

I thank the member for the question.

(1)–(2) The ''Cabinet Handbook'' sets out the broad principles that should apply in respect of releasing cabinet papers of a previous government. I do not have the ''Cabinet Handbook'' at hand. However, it goes to weighing up the balance of public interest versus the need to protect, for example, information that might be commercial-in-confidence. I can give the member an example. When Hon Eric Ripper was the Leader of the Opposition and I had the shadow portfolio of child protection, there was a request to Hon Eric Ripper to release information. He released the relevant cabinet submission.

Hon Michael Mischin: What was it about?

Hon SUE ELLERY: I am trying to remember. I cannot remember specifically what it was on, but I know that it was an area in my shadow portfolio and that he was the Leader of the Opposition at the time. So it has been done, but the principles are set out in the ''Cabinet Handbook''. If the honourable member is interested, I will check those principles and provide an answer in due course.