GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE CONTRACTS

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:01): I seek leave to make an explanation prior to directing a question to the Leader of the Government on the subject of disclosure of CEO contracts.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: On 1 May this year I asked a question about disclosure of the contract of Freddie Hansen, the new head of what was then known as the urban renewal authority, and indicated that Mr Hansen had commenced work as the head of the urban renewal authority without an approved contract or a signed contract. The minister on that occasion asserted that these were questions based on incorrect and inaccurate facts and figures and that I just made things up, filled the gap with whatever I fancied and just pulled this information from the sky.

Embarrassingly for the minister, two days later, we were able to locate a copy of the contract which indicated that, indeed, Freddie Hansen had started work without a signed contract and, even at that stage, which was then two weeks later, the contract still had not been signed by the appropriate minister after he had commenced work.

Last month, the Minister for Police announced that Mr Tony Harrison had been appointed the Director-General of Community Safety. Today, my office has sought a copy of the contract from the Office of Public Employment and Review and we were told that they do not hold a copy of the contract. We were referred to the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion and the human resources sector and told that they would hold a copy of the contract.

We have been told they do not hold a copy of the contract and they are now trying to locate it and have suggested other areas where we might start looking for the missing contract. Information provided to the Liberal Party is that, as with Freddie Hansen, Mr Harrison commenced work without a signed and agreed contract. My questions to the minister are:

1. Is it correct that Tony Harrison commenced his new position without a signed and agreed contract and, if so, why?

2. Which minister was responsible for allowing Mr Harrison to commence his new position without an agreed contract?

3. What is the total remuneration package that has been agreed with Mr Harrison for his new position?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:03): I thank the honourable member for his questions and am happy to refer those questions to the relevant minister in another place and bring back a response. However, I absolutely stand by my previous comments that the Hon. Rob Lucas regularly comes into this place with inaccurate information and assertions that are incorrect.

He regularly does that, and I could cite a number of examples. What is more, he also regularly comes into this place and names and maligns innocent people, which is a disgraceful thing to do and a disgraceful abuse of this place and the privilege of this place. I certainly do stand by all of those comments and, as I said, in terms of the details of the questions that the honourable member has asked, I will pass them on to the relevant minister and bring back a response.