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The Prime Minister's office has accused the West Australian Government of "outrageous political censorship" after a Labor fundraiser featuring British comedian Ben Elton had to be relocated with only a day to spare.

The event, featuring a Q and A session with Julia Gillard and Elton, was to be held at John Curtin College of the Arts in Fremantle, with tickets costing up to $250.

But the school cancelled the event yesterday, with the Education Minister saying his department had only just become aware it was a Labor fundraiser.

The event, which will now be held at Fremantle Victoria Hall, is a fundraiser for local Labor MP Melissa Parke.

"This is an extraordinary political intervention that displays a pettiness at the heart of the Barnett Government," she said.

"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.

Ms Parke says there was never any attempt to disguise the event's political nature.

"We've been absolutely upfront, it's been in our advertising, it's been on our website," she said.

"We've got a written statement from the Minister of Education's office that they had no problems with the event."

"The fact is that the school principal was put under enormous pressure by the Barnett Government to cancel, and this is an extraordinary political intervention that displays a pettiness at the heart of the Barnett Government."

Read more from the original source:
WA accused of political censorship after Gillard-Ben Elton fundraiser moved from school