The WA Premier Colin Barnett has rejected claims his government exercised \"outrageous political censorship\" in cancelling a Labor fundraiser featuring British comedian Ben Elton, at a public school involving the Prime Minister Julia Gillard. <\/p>\n
The $125 a head event was to have been held at John Curtin College of the Arts in Fremantle tonight. <\/p>\n
But the school cancelled the event yesterday, with the Education Minister saying his department had only just become aware it was a Labor fundraiser. <\/p>\n
The event, which will now be held at Fremantle Victoria Hall, is a fundraiser for local Labor MP Melissa Parke. <\/p>\n
\"This is an extraordinary political intervention that displays a pettiness at the heart of the Barnett Government,\" she said. <\/p>\n
\"The Barnett Government may think it runs a police state here in WA, but we're not going to let them suppress a perfectly legitimate Fremantle political event.\" <\/p>\n
Mr Barnett says the event would not have been approved in the first place if he had known it was for political gain. <\/p>\n
\"That was not made clear to the school or the education department,\" he said. <\/p>\n
\"When that became aware it was clearly against department policy, the Education Director-General Sharyn O'Neill made the decision it wasn't appropriate, informed the minister and he agreed. <\/p>\n
\"The minister informed me, I agreed. <\/p>\n
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Read the original: The WA Premier Colin Barnett has rejected claims his government exercised \"outrageous political censorship\" in cancelling a Labor fundraiser featuring British comedian Ben Elton, at a public school involving the Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The $125 a head event was to have been held at John Curtin College of the Arts in Fremantle tonight. Continue reading
\nWA accused of political censorship after Gillard-Ben Elton fundraiser moved from school<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"