House of Representatives Notice Paper Question No 132
Schedule Number: 74882		 Publication Date: 8 February 2005
Hansard: Pages 152-3

Defence: Medical Board of Inquiry

 Member: Price

Mr Price asked the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 17 November 2004:

  1. Further to the answer to question No. 2220 (Hansard, 11 September 2003, page 19971), now that the WA Medical Board of Inquiry has found Dr Mckenzie guilty of professional misconduct, is the Department of Defence continuing to meet the legal costs of Dr McKenzie at sentencing hearings of the WA Medical Board of Inquiry.
  2. Is the WA Medical Board of Inquiry to determine costs; if so, will the Department of Defence meet any costs awarded against Dr McKenzie; if so, why.

Mrs Kelly - The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

  1. The Department of Defence did continue to meet Commander McKenzie's legal costs beyond the date of the Western Australia Medical Board finding him guilty of professional misconduct.
  2. The Board ordered Commander McKenzie to pay 75 per cent of the Board's legal costs of the inquiry, and the Commonwealth met part of those costs within the terms of the grant of legal assistance at Commonwealth expense made to Commander McKenzie.

close