PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (15:14): My question is to the minister for public employment. Given the minister's previous answer that they spent—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Public sector.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Public sector—I apologise. I will ask it again: my question is to the Minister for the Public Sector. Given his previous answer that he spent the whole week looking for Public Service numbers and figures for previous governments, can he explain how he missed Labor's own budget in 2002-03 that says that the total full-time equivalent employees at that point was 66,933?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Davenport will leave the chamber, and the member for Kavel will also. If we keep going at this rate, there will be no-one left.

The honourable members for Davenport and Kavel having withdrawn from the chamber:

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Transport and the Attorney-General will also be quiet or they will go also. Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (15:15): I think an important piece of material to place on the record—I do not know whether it is on the Hansard record—is that it needs to be made very clear that when the minister was beginning his answer to that question, the Leader of the Opposition said, 'That's what I was told.'

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Yes, now the gloss. Madam Speaker, it is absolutely clear that what was being spoken about was the number of employees in the South Australian public sector. The number that is being—

Dr McFetridge: 66,933.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Those opposite know that they are searching around, casting around wherever they possibly can, looking for a number that might match—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order: the member for Morphett should not wave things around; it is out of order.

The SPEAKER: I did not see it.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: On any metric, there has never been 65,000 people in the state public sector since before we can almost find. It does not matter whether you use full-time equivalents, it does not matter whether you use the absolute numbers, you have to go back—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —a very long way. I think what this demonstrates is the sloppiness of the preparation, the underpinning work, the laziness of those opposite, their inexperience for office—

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order: this is clearly debate.

The SPEAKER: Yes, Premier, I would ask you to finish your answer.