FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES DEPARTMENT

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (15:03): My question is to the Minister for Families and Communities. Does the minister think it is acceptable and is the minister concerned that the documents not released or claimed not to exist in relation to the Easling investigation relate to issues that are either favourable to Mr Easling or negative to the Special Investigations Unit, all of which is inconvenient to the prosecution case?

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for MacKillop!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Families and Communities, Minister for Northern Suburbs, Minister for Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability) (15:03): The honourable member can assert to the house the contents of those letters because he has seen them and I haven't.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. The member for MacKillop has just accused us of corruption. I ask that he withdraw and apologise.

The SPEAKER: Did the member for MacKillop accuse the government of corruption?

Mr WILLIAMS: I pointed out that the Deputy Premier does not seem to be concerned about allegations of corruption.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: That's not what you said.

Mr Williams: You know what I said.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no obligation to withdraw.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: The member for Davenport has had the opportunity to tell the house the content of those letters, if they indeed contain allegations. I will be interested to see the letters when they are located, if they are located. If not, I am happy for the member for Davenport to give me copies to further follow that up, in which case I can give him a comprehensive view about what I think is or is not acceptable.

As I understand it, he received a copy of the minute that was signed by Kate Lennon, and I have no reason to think that anyone would want to hold back such letters, because allegations had been referred to in the minute—not written allegations, I might point out—and in fact an independent person was appointed to look into the operations of the SIU. So, there would be absolutely no reason to deliberately withhold that information. What is really clear, however, is that the member for Davenport appears not to be seeking information through his FOI process. He already had letters in his possession. What he is trying to do is set up mechanisms where he can try and trip someone up and then come up with these assertions. I would like to know—

The Hon. I.F. Evans: How would anyone know they were all the letters—

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: I would like to know—

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: You already had them in your possession.

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! If the member for Davenport wants to ask another question I am happy to give him the call.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: I hate to think of the literally hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars that are being wasted in Public Service time seeking—

The Hon. I.F. Evans: Wasted?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —wasted, yes—seeking documents—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —the member for Davenport already has.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!