Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-05-17 Daily Xml

Contents

Crown Solicitor's Office

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (15:14): Supplementary: I thank the minister for his response. He is partly correct, but my question related to the minister's own departments, each of which is entitled to seek external legal advice, provided they follow the protocols. The protocols are set out in Treasurer's Instruction No. 10, which is easily obtainable. My question for the minister to take on notice is: have his departments been outsourcing legal work and, if so, what types of cases?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:15): I am happy to take that question on notice. From memory, I can think of more than one occasion when my office, as the minister's office, has sought advice from the Crown. I can also recall conversations and instances where I have asked my respective departments to seek advice from the Crown to inform different decisions that are made by them and, indeed, to inform decisions made by my office. I am more than happy to take on notice the question regarding whether or not any of those agencies have sought advice in their own right from outside legal providers.