McGowan makes inquiry request into leak
West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has admitted his chief of staff was with fallen media adviser James Larsson when he sent a false text message alerting journalists that Labor leader Mark McGowan was at a pub.
But Mr Barnett denied Mr Larsson was told to send the text message or an email about Mr McGowan to journalists.
The admission came as Mr McGowan sent a request to the Public Sector Commission to conduct an independent inquiry to reveal whether other senior media advisers knew about Mr Larsson's actions or if he acted alone, as Mr Barnett has said.
Mr Larsson, who was on an estimated salary of more than $100,000 before he resigned on Monday, sent a text message to journalists on January 16, telling them Mr McGowan was at the Subiaco Hotel.
Mr McGowan was at home with his three young children at the time and had to put his children on the phone to talk to journalists to prove that he was at home.
Mr Larsson also sent an email to journalists with photographs of Mr McGowan's $1.4 million Rockingham house, in Perth's south, questioning whether Mr McGowan was the working-class family man he had portrayed himself to be.
Mr Barnett described Mr Larsson actions as "silly" and a breach of his standards, and told him last Friday he no longer had a place in his office. Mr Larsson resigned on Monday morning.
Mr Barnett told reporters on Thursday that he would not initiate an inquiry for "matters of trivia" which he considered to be a waste of public money.
"I have spoken to senior staff in my office, and they assure me he acted alone and I am accepting that," he said.
Mr Barnett admitted that chief of staff Brian Pontifex was at the Subiaco Hotel with Mr Larsson but denied Mr Pontifex told him to tell the media that Mr McGowan was drinking at the bar.
"No-one directed anyone," he said.
"I am not interested in anything that happens out of hours with a few people down the pub.
"There is only one issue, which I considered serious, and that was breaching the private life, separate from the public life."
Mr McGowan said he had written to the commissioner to ask for an inquiry.
He said Mr Barnett should have been the one to request an inquiry.
"I don't want it to be seen that Mr Larsson, a 28-year-old, was the fall guy for other people's activities inside the premier's office," he said.
Mr McGowan said Mr Barnett's admission that Mr Pontifex was at the pub was the first confirmation he had received.
"That means that the premier's chief of staff was obviously a party for the spreading of untruths about the members of parliament and I think that's a serious issue," he said.
However, Mr Barnett, who appeared visibly agitated at the stream of questions, claimed "the media pulled the trigger" on Mr Larsson's career.
"Sometimes I think World War III could break out and you guys wouldn't notice," he said.
Mr McGowan said Mr Barnett should take responsibility and not blame the media for mistakes in his office.
"He sacked Mr Larsson - no one else," he said
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8413009/mcgowan-makes-inquiry-request-into-l...How Ironic.....I expect the Liberal supporters on these boards who want an Inquiry into the Australian day affair with Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard will also want to support this inquiry to determine who knew what....It is inconceivable the advisor acted alone when he was other members of the Premiers staff when he sent the text!!!
http://www.perthnow.com.au/politicians-shabby-actions-are-below-the-belt/story-f...
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