Member for Albany Peter Watson defends last expensive overseas junket to India before retirement from State Parliament

Outgoing Legislative Assembly Speaker Peter Watson has defended spending tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer’s money on an overseas junket before his retirement from State Parliament later this year. The Albany MLA - fresh from announcing he will not contest the 2021 election – is in the midst of planning a taxpayer-funded overseas trip for himself and three other WA MPs to India. Mr Watson, in his capacity as Speaker, is scheduled to lead the delegation of WA MPs to India in April, which at this stage will comprise Liberal Zak Kirkup, Nationals Ian Blayney and Labor’s Jessica Shaw. The trip will be the third parliamentary delegation Mr Watson has led overseas since landing the Speaker’s $256,109 a year job in 2017 – trips to China and the Gulf Region costing taxpayer’s $61,511 and $91,610 respectively. Mr Watson said on Friday, Speaker’s delegations had been part of the parliamentary system for decades. “Each year I take three members – one from the Labor Party, one from the Liberal Party and from the Nationals – young leaders,” Mr Watson said. “I think it’s very important we give up-and-coming leaders an opportunity to go. “It gives them international experience. “It has (Speaker’s delegations overseas) been going for years. It has been done by previous speakers. “This is only my third (overseas delegation). “I could have done four if I wanted to. “Everything is above board. “I just want to know who leaked it (trip) to you. “You know more about it before we have done plans for it.” One of the perks of being Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, is being able to lead delegations of WA MPs overseas. In addition to this, Mr Watson – as a WA MP – receives $6750 a year for other parliamentary travel. In 2018, Mr Watson led a five-person delegation to China. The delegation comprised Tony Buti, Libby Mettam, Peter Rundle and the clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Kristen Robinson. That delegation comprised Mia Davies, Peter Katsambanis, Stephen Price and Kristen Robinson. Mr Watson dismissed suggestions he should not take the taxpayer-funded trip in April because he was retiring from politics. He said Premier Mark McGowan had giving his blessing for the trip to India. Mr McGowan himself, in his capacity as Premier, led a WA delegation to India just last year. “You think that because I’m leaving (I shouldn’t go),” Mr Watson said. “But I still have to do my parliamentary duties for another 12 months. “The Premier said it would be a great opportunity. So, that’s what we are doing. “I asked him (Mr McGowan). “We were either going to go to China or India. “And he said India would be better, because he had been over there and that’s it.” A new Speaker of the Legislative Assembly will be chosen after next year’s State Election in March. If Mr McGowan wins, the new speaker will be a Labor MP. MPs whose names are being bandied around as possibilities to replace Mr Watson as seaker are Police Minister Michelle Roberts, Local Government Minister Dave Templeman, former Labor minister Margaret Quirk, and MP Lisa Baker.