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Eleven West Australian ministers attended a dinner at billionaire Kerry Stokes’ Jutland Parade mansion on November 25 last year, the ministerial gift register has revealed.
This masthead has previously revealed Stokes hosted the event alongside his wife Christine but can now reveal the complete list of ministers who declared their attendance.
WA Premier Roger Cook and Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes.Credit: WAtoday
Alongside Premier Roger Cook and Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti, the other members of Cook’s pre-election cabinet included Hannah Beazley, Tony Buti, John Carey, Simone McGurk, David Michael, Don Punch, Amber-Jade Sanderson, Reece Whitby and Jackie Jarvis.
The dinner was billed as a thank-you for the government’s taxpayer-funded donations to Stokes’ Telethon charity, and demonstrated the sway Stokes has in the upper echelons of politics in WA.
The final cabinet guest list had been a mystery, with Cook stating in May he wasn’t sure which of his ministers attended what he said was the first event of its kind he had attended in his career.
“There was no roll call taken, if they were all invited, if they all attended, that’s great, but it was an important opportunity to celebrate a great WA institution,” Cook said at the time.
Cook and his cabinet were joined by Kerry and Christine Stokes, as well as former premier Mark McGowan and his former chief of staff Guy Houston, who now works for Stokes’ investment vehicle Australian Capital Equity.
Seven West Media WA chief executive Maryna Fewster and The West Australian editor-in-chief Chris Dore also attended.
WA taxpayers have become the largest contributor to Telethon, with a combined $51.5 million donated to the children’s charity since 2020.
This included $13 million last year, which was about 15 per cent of the event’s total donations.
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All ministers who attended the event were also given a book by the Stokes family.
Qantas rolling out the red carpet for political elite
The MP disclosures, tabled in parliament this week, also reveal the continued love affair ministers and opposition leaders have with the exclusive Qantas Chairman’s Lounge membership.
Cook, Saffioti, Carey, Hammat, Defence Industries Minister Paul Papalia, and Regional Development Minister Stephen Dawson all have Chairman’s Lounge memberships, a free travel perk allowing them access to private amenities at airports away from the general public.
Cook found himself in hot water last November after it was revealed he hadn’t declared his membership in the scheme following increased scrutiny of Commonwealth ministers’ membership of the program.
Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas and former Nationals leader Mia Davies also declared membership of the program in their disclosures.
The odd disclosures
The disclosures also reveal weird and wonderful gifts given to MPs and ministers.
Scarborough MP Stuary Aubrey declared a $20,000 raffle win at the Happiness Co Foundation gala ball in October last year, which he said was donated, half to Ocean Heroes Australia and half to Mens Talk AU.
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Warren Blackwood Nationals MP Bevan Eatts had a double whammy, accepting two tickets to the V8 Supercars from Optus. Eatts accepted the tickets before Optus’ triple-zero debacle.
Cook fed his well-known love of electronic dance music by accepting tickets worth $500 to the Ministry of Sound’s concert at King’s Park from promoter Brad Mellen.
He also accepted a “ball weight” of spodumene from Pilbara Minerals in July last year. Spodumene is the precursor mineral to lithium.
Carey, the housing minister, accepted a cement spatula from builder ADCO.
Jarvis received a half leg of ham on December 3 last year from meat producer Craig Mostyn Group but Christmas lunch was truly sorted 13 days later when her office received another half leg of ham from Australian Pork.
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