Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to speak about the self-inflicted implosion of the West Australian state government and the destruction of public confidence in the Carpenter selected cabinet. For those who do not know, the Corruption and Crime Commission, the CCC, are currently investigating corruption within the West Australian government. This story unfolding reads like the script of a very bad soap opera.

In August 2006, Mr D’Orazio, minister for police, was forced to resign his frontbench position and Labor Party membership after appearing at the second CCC hearing. It was revealed then that he had met with a man at the centre of an investigation into the fixing of speeding fines. Then in October a CCC report made allegations of sexual misconduct within the Department of Education and Training. Then the CCC announced it was investigating small business minister Norm Marlborough and his links to former Premier Brian Burke and his business partner Julian Grill as part of an impropriety investigation. It was revealed that Mr Burke gave Mr Marlborough a mobile phone to conceal confidential conversations from investigators, and in November Mr Carpenter sacked him as a minister.

In December there was a much awaited reshuffle. Only five out of the 16 ministers were unaffected. Ms Ravlich was dumped as education minister and demoted to a junior role. John Bowler was stripped of his resources portfolio under a cloud regarding his relationship with Mr Burke and Mr Grill but remained minister for local government. A new portfolio of climate change and the environment was filled by Tony McRae. On Sunday last Mr Carpenter sacked Mr McRae after the CCC accused him last week of using his position as a minister to try and gain a financial benefit from lobbyist Mr Grill.

Yesterday Mr Bowler appeared at the CCC inquiry over the alleged leaking of confidential government business to Mr Grill when he was resource minister. Mr Grill and Mr Burke were representing a number of mining companies at the time. Mr Bowler acknowledged being a close friend of Mr Grill’s for 30 years and said he visited him regularly at home to discuss matters affecting his portfolio because he could avoid media scrutiny and he knew the Premier would not approve of their conversations.

Mr Bowler was at the CCC again today and, after many highly incriminating recordings of his conversations were heard as evidence, the Premier this afternoon announced he has sacked him from the cabinet and called for his resignation from the ALP. Mr Bowler has tendered his resignation. It remains to be seen whether he will ignore this highly embarrassing revelation of collusive behaviour or resign his seat and cause yet another by-election. The expectation right now is that many more ministers will be called to face questioning this week.

How did this happen? After taking over from Dr Geoff Gallop, Premier Alan Carpenter foolishly succumbed to factional influences and lifted a ban on interaction between his ministers and the tenacious trio of Brian Burke, his henchman Julian Grill and Noel Crichton-Browne. Now the CCC is investigating the trio’s influence over current ministers.

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