Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens' Leader
In a move he failed to explain when asked by the Greens in Question Time today, the Premier has relieved Environment and Parks Minister, Matthew Groom, of his responsibility for Crown Lands.
We believe this move is unprecedented. Crown Land Services has customarily been the responsibility of the Minister for Environment and Parks. To hive off this relatively small area of the portfolio is more than unusual.
The Greens asked the Premier if responsibility for Crown Lands was taken away from Mr Groom in an attempt to shield him from growing community concerns over cronyism and trading in public land assets on issues such as the cable car and the private developer feeding frenzy over coastal Crown Land in places from Swansea to Stanley.
The move will, in all likelihood, mean it will be Minister Rockliff who takes the cable car enabling legislation through the House of Assembly, not Minister Groom who has been under fire in recent days over his personal friendship with the proponent, Adrian Bold.
The Premier tried to pretend in Question Time that there ‘is nothing to see here’, but this highly unusual portfolio carve up has the hallmarks of an attempt to deodorize some of the stink surrounding Minister Groom.
It won’t work because the odour is strong and it is sticking to Minister Groom.