Liberal MLC Neil Thomson takes aim at ‘unparliamentary’ actions of former Upper House member Kyle McGinn

Liberal MLC Neil Thomson has taken aim at former Upper House member Kyle McGinn, labelling his actions during his valedictory speech — which saw him drink a beer from his shoe after slamming a regional shire chief executive — “unparliamentary”.

Mr McGinn fired back by stating Mr Thomson needed to “reconsider his career” if he thought speaking up for community members who had not been heard, and celebrating an eight-year career with a beer, was inappropriate.

Mr McGinn slammed both former Kalgoorlie-Boulder chief executive John Walker and Shire of Dundas chief Peter Fitchat during his speech, labelling Mr Walker the “worst CEO in the history of the Goldfields, and Mr Fitchat “John Walker from Temu”.

Mr Thomson told the Kalgoorlie Miner he was “disappointed” with Mr McGinn’s attack on Mr Fitchat, stating it was “unreasonable” and “not right” to use parliamentary privilege that way.

When asked if that meant the community should not expect him to throw anyone under the bus during Parliament, Mr Thomson said he would only use parliamentary privilege “sparingly” in that manner.

“The only time I’m going to throw anyone under the bus is when they’re doing the wrong thing from the government side, and if it’s for the best of our community,” he said.

He also wished Mr McGinn well for the future and said if he saw him in the street he would shake his hand and share a beer with him, but it would “definitely not” be a shoey.

“I think that was unparliamentary, and really doesn’t reflect well on us,” he said.

“I think the people in the community — yes, everyone gets a giggle out of it and so forth, but I think people . . . want parliamentarians to be a bit serious.

“Particularly serious about their needs.

“There’s protocols which I adhere to and continue to do so, because I think it’s for the best of us.”

Mr McGinn said Mr Thomson’s comments were “typical of a member who is out of touch with regional WA”.

“If the honourable Neil Thomson doesn’t think that that’s appropriate, I think he needs to reconsider his career,” he said.

“Politicians have to have gall, they have to have a backbone, and sometimes you’ve got to do things that can be quite difficult to do.

“His comments regarding the shoey I think just goes to show that he’s living in the ivory tower.”

Mr McGinn said his speech was not said off the cuff and was a culmination of not having any more time to continue to advocate for people who were not being heard in the community.

“As I’ve found throughout my two terms that I did serve is that people come to you from within the community that have tried so many channels to raise issues, particularly with CEOs in local government, and you only have to look at the debacle that took place in Kalgoorlie Boulder not very long ago,” he said.

“Your obligation as a member of parliament representing that area is to represent everyone’s views, and I felt like some people hadn’t been heard, and it is my obligation as a member of parliament to raise their concerns, and the platform to do that is parliament.”

And while his parliamentary shoey has garnered a lot of attention — both positive and negative — Mr McGinn said he had “absolutely no regrets”.

“Real people can make it into parliament,” he said.

“I always see myself as not the regular politician that gets into parliament — I didn’t pass high school, I worked on the tools, and I didn’t have a uni degree.

“I said to myself, ‘if this was me celebrating anywhere else, I would do something like this’.

“I know plenty of people that when they kick 50 goals down at the football field, they celebrate by having a having a beer.

“So to me, it was signing off a huge chapter in my life. And to be honest, it’s been received as that, not as a stunt, but just as who I am.”

He said the funniest part to him was the fact he did not drink a beer in parliament throughout his entire eight years.

His first beer was on his last day, and out of his shoe.

“I didn’t expect it to get as big as it did, to be honest,” he said.

“I did (a shoey) in 2021 when we won the election in Kalgoorlie . . . and I’ve done plenty since.”