Question Time

MINISTER'S TRAVEL, INDIA

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Will the minister explain what was the 'enormous benefit' to the community of taking a seven year old business class to India, and does the minister accept that the public thinks that this was not an enormous benefit to the community? The minister told radio last Thursday, 'There was for me, and for the community, an enormous benefit,' but then failed to explain what the benefit was.

The Hon. J.M. Rankine: What was the benefit of your child going with you?

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! If members want to shout across the chamber, they can go outside.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development) (14:23): I am very happy to answer this question, because I think it is about time that we deal in the business of facts here, and there are two very important facts here. The first one is this: every time I sought to access my parliamentary travel allowance, I did so—as the Premier has explained in his ministerial statement—with the appropriate authority of the parliament. I also sought cabinet approval.

Mr Pisoni: From who?

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Unley, you are warned for the second time.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I certainly played by the rules. It is very clear, I think, however, that the community now wants to have another discussion and debate about what is appropriate, and the Premier, as he outlined in his ministerial statement, is doing that. I absolutely support that. If we want to have a debate about what are appropriate rules, we are about to get that, and that is a good thing.

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Speaker. The point of order is relevance. The question was very specific and asked the minister to explain what the enormous benefit was, as she claimed on public radio last week.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, member for MacKillop. I think the minister is answering the question in the way she chooses, and I do not have a problem with the way she is answering it. Minister.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I am done.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Norwood, behave.