Easton affair
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The Easton affair was a Western Australian political scandal of the 1990's which led to the prosecution of a former Premier of Western Australia for perjury before a Royal Commission.
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[edit] The petition
On 5 November 1992 the first public manifestation of what would become known as the Easton affair appeared. A petition was tabled in the Legislative Council of the Parliament of Western Australia by MLC John Halden which contained an allegation that the Opposition Leader Richard Court had leaked confidential governmental information to a party in a divorce case. The petitioner was Brian Mahon Easton, a former Western Australian public servant. The alleged recipient of the leaked information was his former wife, Penny Campbell.
Ms Campbell had been corresponding with Liberal Members of Parliament in an attempt to obtain assistance in proving that her husband had concealed from the Family Court some of his earnings as a public servant. The amount in question was A$200,000 which he was alleged to have received as a retirement benefit from Exim Corporation, a body created by the State Government during the WA Inc era and of which Easton had been General Manager. The petition alleged that details of Easton's severance arrangements had been unlawfully disclosed.
Significant parts of the petition were subsequently discovered to be false, particularly concerning the role of Richard Court in the matter.
[edit] The aftermath
Under considerable stress caused by the consequent media attention, Penny Campbell committed suicide on 9 November 1992. Her vehicle was discovered in bushland with her body inside; she had died by deliberate inhalation of exhaust fumes.
In Parliament on the following day, in response to an Opposition question, Premier Carmen Lawrence denied prior knowledge of the petition. This denial was the trigger for the subsequent expansion of the matter.
[edit] Royal Commission
In May 1995, Richard Court, who had succeeded Lawrence as Premier following the election of 1993, requested the creation of a Royal Commission to determine the circumstances of the tabling of the Easton petition. The Commissioner was Sir Kenneth Marks QC. The establishment of the Commission attracted severe attacks from Lawrence's colleagues in the federal parliamentary Labor party. The federal Member for Perth, Stephen Smith, was particularly hostile and made public comments, before the identity of the commissioner was announced, warning that anyone undertaking the Commission would regret it.
On 14 November 1995, the Marks Royal Commission released a report which found that Lawrence had misled the Western Australian Parliament concerning her knowledge of and role in the tabling of the petition. Prime Minister Paul Keating denounced the Commission as a political stunt and accused the Commissioner of bias.[1]
[edit] The trials
Brian Easton was charged with contempt of the Parliament by motion of the Legislative Council in 1995 and, upon conviction, was ordered to present himself in the chamber to apologise. He refused and was sentenced by the Council to 7 days imprisonment.[2]
John Halden was charged with perjury before the Royal Commission and acquitted after a trial in December of 1998.
Following the defeat of the Keating government in the election held on 2 March 1993, Carmen Lawrence had been appointed to the Opposition frontbench as Shadow Environment Minister. On 21 February 1997, she was charged with three counts of perjury resulting from the findings of the Marks Royal Commission. She stood down from the shadow ministry pending her trial. She was acquitted on 23 July 1999.
[edit] References
- ^ Trioli, Virginia. (1999) The fight of her life Bulletin (Sydney, N.S.W.), 3 Aug. 1999, p.32-36
- ^ Goodwin, H. (1995) Imprisonment for contempt of the Western Australian Parliament. (Uses the Easton Affair as an example). University of Western Australia law review, Vol.25, no.1 (July 1995), p.187-200
[edit] Further reading
- Western Australia. Royal Commission into Use of Executive Power.(1995) Report of the Royal Commission into use of Executive Power. Perth, W.A : The Royal Commission. (Commissioner: K.H. Marks) - Colloquially known as, "The Marks Report". See [1] for online availability. Also available from the Law Library at the University of Western Australia - Call No. Q 354.94100992 1995 REP.
- Western Australia. Parliament. Legislative Council. Select Committee of Privilege. (1994) Report of the Select Committee of Privilege concerning the non-compliance by Brian Easton with the Order of the House of June 22, 1994 / presented by the Hon. Peter Foss (Chairman) Published: West Perth, W.A. - Available from the Law Library at the University of Western Australia - Call No. Q 328.941074 1994 REP.
[edit] External links
- Transcript of item from The 7:30 Report broadcast of 23 July 1999, concerning the perjury-trial acquittal of Carmen Lawrence.
- Transcript of item from ABC Radio's PM programme broadcast on 23 July 1999, also dealing with the Lawrence acquittal.
- Australian Parliamentary Library Bills Digest pertaining to the Bill for an Appropriation to pay Dr Lawrence's legal fees.
