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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 9 asked in the Legislative Council on 16 May 2017 by Hon Michael Mischin

Parliament: 40 Session: 1


COMMISSION OF INQUIRY — FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
      9. Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN to the Leader of the House representing the Premier:
I refer to the announcement yesterday of a commission of inquiry into alleged financial mismanagement by the previous government and the reasons for the level of state debt.
      (1) Why is this inquiry pursuant to section 24 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994 and not an open inquiry by a parliamentary committee or by way of royal commission?
      (2) Why has it excluded from its terms of reference or the projects to be examined those of the former Labor government that were inherited by the Barnett government to fix and which, by reason of Labor's poor ''decision‑making processes, risks and contract terms'' ''exposed taxpayers to hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs and contributed to WA's record state debt''?
      (3) Given that the Premier and the Treasurer have already decreed as a basis for the inquiry that these projects have ''failed to deliver promised benefits to taxpayers or have been shrouded in secrecy'', how can the Western Australian public have confidence that the McGowan government will not, behind the scenes, influence the course of this politically motivated inquiry and conceal or distort the evidence it is given to consider and its outcome?
      The PRESIDENT: I remind members that questions and answers need to be concise.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied:
Thank you, Mr President, so soon!
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
      (1)–(3) It is an independent inquiry, headed by John Langoulant. The manner in which the inquiry is conducted is a decision of Mr Langoulant, using the powers available to him under section 24 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994. The new government is delivering on an election commitment and the terms of reference were a decision of the government.