Select Committee On Reserves (Reserve 43131) Bill 2003 - Findings of The Select Committee

Findings of The Select Committee

The Report of the Upper House Select Committee on Reserves (Reserve 43131) Bill 2003 found that Premier Geoff Gallop’s decision “to act rapidly, by-passing all normal processes, was justified on false information”. It also found that the Government “was not in a position to accommodate former residents of the SVNC quickly” and had “significantly underestimated the number of families and individuals requiring assistance”. The Select Committee made findings against the conduct of Premier Gallop’s media adviser Kieran Murphy, who promised an exclusive story to newspaper journalist Colleen Egan. The report concluded that this “made Mr Murphy’s active participation in decision making all the more improper”, “In particular, Mr Murphy’s obligation to deliver to Ms Egan a dramatic and media-worthy response mitigated against a considered and measured resolution” The Select Committee also found against Sean Walsh, Premier Gallop’s Chief of Staff. The Report concluded that he had “completely bypassed the convention that public servants should advise vigorously and honestly and governments should decide in the light of their advice”. It suggested that Walsh's conduct constituted a disciplinary offence under section 74 of the 1994 Public Sector Management Act.

The Select Committee also made findings against Richard Curry, Director General of the Department of Indigenous Affairs and Jane Brazier, Director General of the Department of Community Development, who “gave responses to the Premier based on incorrect, misleading and unsubstantiated anecdotal evidence” and did not test “the veracity of information given to them or their departments in areas that they should have known to be a government priority”. Curry and Brazier had “no proper basis for providing advice to the Premier” as their departments were “inactive in regard to the Lord Street Camp”. The Directors General “hadn't checked what their departments were doing before making their decision”.

Magistrate Sue Gordon, who was interviewed by the Select Committee and said: “I would not single out the Swan Valley Nyungah Community. That was just in the media the most because of Mr Bropho and the allegations against him. There are allegations against a lot of other so-called leaders but they do not get as much publicity”. Sue Gordon, who said the Swan Valley Nyungah Community was “an adequate and reasonably well maintained facility” also said "I do not think there are any similarities whatsoever between a management order and a memorandum of understanding”.