01.20 am, Tuesday May 22 2012

WA premier accused over 'Triffids' house

18:30 AEDT Mon Jul 13 2009
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WA Premier Colin Barnett
A complaint against WA Premier Colin Barnett has been lodged with the state's corruption watchdog.

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A complaint against West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has been lodged with the state's corruption watchdog in relation to the heritage listing of the family home of The Triffids lead singer.

Mr Barnett said the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) informed him on June 30 it had received a complaint against him.

"The complaint alleges that there has been some form of misconduct in relation to my role in seeking the removal of 'The Cliffe' - a property in Peppermint Grove in my electorate of Cottesloe - from the Register of Heritage Places," Mr Barnett said in a statement.

The allegations suggest his motivation was designed to benefit his son, Russell Barnett, the chairman of a public company which the owner of The Cliffe, Mark Creasy, is a shareholder of, the premier said.

But Mr Barnett said he had not been aware of the association between his son and Mr Creasy.

"I have only become aware of this association since this complaint has been made and knew nothing of it at the time of taking action in relation to The Cliffe," Mr Barnett said.

"This allegation is false and I refute it unequivocally," he said.

The Cliffe, in Perth's affluent western suburbs, was home to David McComb, the late frontman of the Australian rock band The Triffids, in his youth.

The 20-room mansion is perched on the Swan River and was classified by the National Trust in 1984.

Mr Barnett said he had argued the case for the removal of The Cliffe from the heritage register in parliament in August 2007.

"I did so as the Member for Cottesloe in representing a constituent," he said.

In May 2008, Mr Barnett moved a motion in the Legislative Assembly for the removal of The Cliffe from the register, which was approved.

A similar motion was passed in the Legislative Council on May 29.

"These actions are all on the public record and I stand by them," Mr Barnett said.

"I take particular exception that this allegation involves my son who is not a public figure and played no role whatsoever in my actions with respect to The Cliffe."

Mr Barnett said he had been informed by the CCC commissioner Len Roberts that the complaint had been investigated and forwarded on to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

It would be left to the Speaker to decide whether the matter should be dealt with by the parliamentary privileges committee, Mr Barnett said.

"I expect that in due course, the full details of the complaint will become public," Mr Barnett said.

He said as far as he knew, the complainant had no connection with the opposition Labor Party.

 

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