THE West Australian government needs to explain the cost to taxpayers after a top bureaucrat misused his government-issued credit card, the state opposition says.
It was revealed in parliament on Thursday that the chairman of the Planning Commission, Gary Prattley, was fired two days ago.
Mr Prattley was sent on leave after the state opposition alleged he had spent $260,000 on interstate and international travel between April 2009 and August this year.
"It appears WA Labor's concerns have been justified," opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt said.
"Western Australians have footed a very large bill on Mr Prattley's behalf, and the Barnett government, after repeatedly denying any wrongdoing, owes them an explanation."
Mr Wyatt called on the state government to reveal the full extent of inappropriate spending and reveal if Mr Prattley would be required to repay the money.
He said Planning Minister John Day should have responded to the situation sooner and must take responsibility for Mr Prattley's appointment.
"Despite repeated calls from WA Labor, Mr Day failed to apply appropriate scrutiny to Mr Prattley's taxpayer-funded credit card spending," Mr Wyatt said.
"The Barnett government's failure to act has left its credibility in tatters."
The upper house of parliament was told Mr Day had warned Mr Prattley that he faced the axe.
But a letter sent in reply "was not regarded as providing any reasonable basis upon which he could have formed the view that all of the expenditure was appropriate or authorised".
The Department of Planning's director general Eric Lumsden will assume the chairman's role until April next year, when Mr Prattley's term of office would have expired.
Mr Lumsden will also continue in his current role.
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