MINISTERIAL STAFF

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:01): I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to directing a question to the Minister for Industrial Relations on the subject of the minister misleading the parliament and his embarrassing and humiliating backdown and apology today.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Members will be aware that yesterday in an explanation to a question I referred to a weekend press article headed 'Jokers in the pack' with the subheading of 'Ministers with foot-in-mouth disease', where the journalist in question said, 'However, Labor also has jokers in the pack due to inexperience, lack of preparation or just plain poor choices' and went on to list the worst offenders for foot-in-mouth disease. Without listing all of them, the two in this chamber who were mentioned were minister Wortley and minister Gago.

As you will recall, yesterday I referred to a question I had asked just over a month ago on the relatively simple issue of a staff member, Mr Jimmy Watson, being appointed into the minister's office over and above the 14 full-time staff, three part-time staff members and a ministerial chauffeur that he already has. The minister, as you will recall, indicated that he did not know the actual title or indeed how much he was paid, but went on then to aggressively indicate that this was all public information and could be ascertained on the web. Again, yesterday the minister said:

First of all, Jimmy Watson's title is available on the net. To waste the time of this council on a question that can be easily looked up on the internet does not deserve the attention of the minister.

Later on, he said:

The wages of Jimmy Watson will be gazetted, as is the case with many others…they will all be gazetted some time this year.

The information provided to me had indicated that Jimmy Watson had not been employed under section 71 of the Public Sector Management Act, which is the section that refers to ministerial officers. Clearly, either the minister did not know that or did not choose to reveal that to the council at the time.

The information provided to me also is that the minister was this morning provided with information to indicate that he had misled this house, not only yesterday but previously when he had given answers to the first question, and that he needed to correct the record urgently today before question time. Of course, we have heard the minister's personal explanation today. My questions to the minister are:

1. Given that I have now asked him on two separate occasions over four weeks apart, can he now today at least indicate what Jimmy Watson's job title is in his office?

2. Is Jimmy Watson employed on a fixed term contract and, if so, what is the length of that contract; what is the remuneration package that Jimmy Watson is being paid; and, if he is on a contract, with whom is that contract held; that is, is it with the minister or with some department or agency?

3. Is Jimmy Watson's office located in the minister's suite of offices or is his office in a department somewhere else?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:05): Jimmy Watson is employed as a term employee pursuant to section 45 of the Public Service Act 2009 for a period of 12 months. Among other things, Mr Watson is tasked with liaising with employee and employer representatives to assist in the passage of legislative reform. Mr Watson's contract is held with the minister and he has an office in my ministerial office.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: What is he paid?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Mr Watson is a public servant so I am not really prepared to divulge what he is on because he is a public—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: The taxpayers are paying him.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Mr Watson is a public servant. All ministerial staffers are gazetted in the Gazette. It is much more transparent than the opposition.