OOOPS the Environment Minister deliberately misled the parliament

Extract from Hansard

[COUNCIL — Tuesday, 6 August 2013]

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Hon Robin Chapple

[1]

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AUTHORITY — DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

107.Hon Robin Chapple to the Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment:

I refer to the Minister for the Environment’s letter of 6 September 2012, Ref: 42-16536 to myself and question without notice on 7 August 2012 in regards to declarations of interest by members of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), and ask further:

(a) were any other interests declared by any member of the EPA over the same period as declared by Dr Chris Whittaker or Mr Denis Glennon in any EPA assessments;

(b) if yes to (a), who made those declarations and over what matters;

(c) of the declarations of interest made in that period, as declared by Dr Chris Whittaker or Mr Denis Glennon, and any declarations arising from (a) above, what was the date that the relevant matters,

covered by those declarations, were first presented to the EPA board and its members;

(d) what was the date of the declaration of interest, and by which party, in respect of each of the items covered in (c);

(e) of those declarations of interest identified in (c), did any members stand aside from the decision making process in respect of those matters, and if so:

(i) on what date did the EPA member or chair stand aside;

(ii) did the standing aside occur at the same time as the declaration of interest; and

(iii) if not why not; and

(f) if no to (e), in respect to any of the declarations of interest identified in (c) or (e), why not?

Hon Helen Morton replied:

(a)–(f) The EPA has advised that it would require extensive resources, involving reviewing the minutes of the Environmental Protection Authority’s meetings over the last 11 years, to answer the question. I am advised that there were more than 250 meetings during that time.

The Minister for Environment does not consider it an appropriate use of resources to undertake that work.

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Extract from Hansard

[COUNCIL — Tuesday, 19 November 2013]

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Hon Robin Chapple; Hon Helen Morton

[1]

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AUTHORITY — MEMBERS

348. Hon Robin Chapple to the Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment:

I refer to my questions (a) to (f) in question on notice No. 107 from 12 June 2013, and the recent ruling by the Honourable Chief Justice Wayne Martin, of the Supreme Court of Western Australia, that the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) assessment of the Browse LNG Precinct Proposal is invalid, and I ask:

(a) will the Minister please table all declarations of interest made by EPA members for the period requested in question on notice No. 107; and

(b) given the seriousness of the ruling by Chief Justice Martin, if no to (a), why not?

Hon Helen Morton replied:

The Minister for Environment has provided the following response.

(a) No.