GOVERNMENT ICT

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (14:55): My question is also to the Minister for Infrastructure. What are the implications for the whole of government ICT program now that the government's chief information officer, Mr Grantly Mailes, who has had complete control of the program, has resigned?

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (14:55): It would be really good to get a question that did not have some rubbishy comment in it. 'Complete control' is simply wrong. An extremely high level group is set up—steering group, I think it is called. I think the Treasurer is on it.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: The Under Treasurer.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: The Under Treasurer is on it, sorry, the chief executive of transport and a number of others. No doubt, he is the most senior executive officer in the ICT procurement. He has done a lot of work on that. That work will continue. I have to tell the opposition spokesperson that we have employees, not prisoners. One of the risks you do have when you seek someone who is highly skilled in an area that is in high demand is that they do go somewhere else. I would personally prefer he did not. What I can say is that it is an employment contract, not a prison sentence. We will carry on, and that very high level team will carry on. I do not believe that there is any risk at all to our procurement program. It has already had some outstanding successes, dramatic reductions in unit costs—

The Hon. K.O. Foley: Savings of $25 million a year.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Thirty, wasn't it? It has already had success: it will continue to have success. We have a way forward, and I think we lead the nation in it.