Regional Development Portfolio

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (15:00): If employment in regional areas is not part of the minister's regional development portfolio, what is?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (15:00): I know that those opposite have been warned by the Leader of the Opposition to desist from the full frontal attacks, but these passive aggressive attacks on new members—

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr GARDNER: We have got 50 seconds left. Under 98, the Premier should really get back to the question at some point.

The SPEAKER: I don't uphold the point of order.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: It is an important point to make, because the Minister for Regional Development has, I think, exercised an enormous degree of forbearance in essentially gathering up any of the inquiries or questions that have been asked of him that span over a whole range of portfolio areas where there are specific portfolio ministers who are better placed to answer those questions. He has done that in good faith, to be a common point of reference so that he can gather that information and take an overview from the point of view of the regions.

That is a proper thing for him to do, but it is completely inappropriate for him to be held to account for every last detail within each of those portfolio areas, because the truth is there are schools in regions, there are hospitals in the regions, there is employment in regions, there is trade and investment in regions, and indeed there are justice issues, just as there are issues concerning transport and infrastructure. It is an absurd proposition to expect that every single portfolio area should be funnelled through one minister, the Minister for Regional Development.

Notwithstanding that, the Minister for Regional Development has taken it upon himself to be a point of contact and has, I think rather generously, accepted the responsibility of communicating with members opposite when they do have specific issues that relate to regions. He could equally have just said, 'It's not in my portfolio, ask the right minister,' but he has attempted to be helpful, and I think that those opposite are playing on his good graces, which I think is inappropriate.