ELECTORATE STAFF — TRAINING
738. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Order, please,
members!
Mr P.J. RUNDLE: Can the
Premier confirm that his Labor Party secretariat is delivering fundraising and
campaigning training to electorate officers during work hours and that the
Premier sees no issue with this?
Mr M. McGOWAN
replied:
As I said to the member, staff are
trained in how to use technology and those sorts of things by all political
parties, but I am aware of the National Party's state conference in
2021. What did it do? It used the electorate office of the Leader of the
Opposition for Young Nationals events—for the Young Nationals annual
general meeting. There it is. Not only did
the National Party do it, but it published that it was holding those sorts of
things there. The Leader of the Opposition's staff were up there
campaigning in the by-election for North West Central. Not only that, the
Leader of the Opposition actually thanked them.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Members! I am unable to hear what the
Premier is saying because of your interjections. I think we should all be able
to hear and, in particular, Hansard needs to be able to hear and record.
Mr M. McGOWAN: It does not stop there. The Liberal Party has
done this sort of thing as well. During the by-election for Darling
Range, campaign events used the electorate office staff of the Leader of the
Liberal Party during work hours for doorknocking, campaign events and the like.
The Leader of the Liberal Party also sent out invitations
to hold fundraisers in his electorate office. The last Premier, Colin Barnett, used his Premier's office for
Liberal Party fundraisers. He used the actual Premier's office to
invite people in for fundraisers. That is what you did, both in opposition and
when you were in government.