PUBLIC POLICY DEBATE

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:58): My question is to the Premier. In light of the Premier's speech in answer to the previous Dorothy Dixer, can the Premier advise the house why he does not apply to himself his own lofty standards? In his original statement to the house the Premier said:

Questions with serious intention should be given serious answers, yet on numerous occasions since 8 November this opposition has asked very serious questions and been given no serious answer whatsoever from the government.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Norwood!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Madam Speaker, the Premier is going to be happy to answer in a moment, but I must point out—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I must point out how disorderly the argument was in that question. Standing order 97 forbids argument in the question.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Madam Speaker, it is their time; I am happy to wait for them to stop. I simply point out that the Leader of the Opposition has offered the Premier enormous scope by including such argument in a question.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, minister; the question was questionable. Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (15:00): I thank the honourable member for her question. By the look on the stony faces of those opposite when we heard during the course of the week, I think, some of the personal slurs and innuendo directed at questions of family members—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for MacKillop.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: There were people on both sides of the house who were appalled by the way in which you conducted yourself this week, and the point I was making is that as a leader you have to accept responsibility for the conduct of your team.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will be heard in silence.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I have not yet heard a decision by the Leader of the Opposition to counsel the member of parliament who made those disparaging remarks about the Prime Minister. One of her frontbenchers has had the good grace to acknowledge it in the other place; why is she not accepting the responsibility of leadership to maintain standards?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Premier, have you finished your answer?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Yes.

The SPEAKER: I could not hear for the noise coming from my left.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!