Cabinet Conduct

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (14:40): My question is to the Minister for Regional Development also. Following the minister's statement to the house yesterday that, 'If there are bills that I believe are not in the best interests of the regions, then I will vacate from cabinet,' has the minister vacated from cabinet during marine parks discussions?

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: Can you repeat that question again, please?

Mr GRIFFITHS: Minister, I referred to your comment in the house yesterday about vacating cabinet if there are issues that are against the regions. Have you vacated cabinet in regard to marine parks discussions?

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Premier, would you be seated? The member for Chaffey will leave us for the next half hour.

The honourable member for Chaffey having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:41): I can save everybody a lot of time and effort by a brief primer on cabinet, how it operates and what we will and will not be answering questions about in this house. The first is we will not be disclosing the deliberations of cabinet, who attends or who does not attend.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: No, who attends or who doesn't attend. Secondly, we—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader! I call the leader to order.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Secondly, as a government, we speak with one voice on matters of government policy.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mount Gambier is warned and the member for Kavel is called to order.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: To the extent that there is a departure from that proposition, it is laid out by the terms and conditions of the agreements which have been tendered in this house by the two Independent members of this cabinet. But, for all other purposes, the government will answer questions on behalf of the government in relation to government policy, speaking with one voice about those matters.

Members interjecting:

Mr GARDNER: Supplementary, sir.

The SPEAKER: Before the supplementary—would the member for Morialta be seated—the leader is warned for the first time, the member for Hammond is warned for the first time, and I call the member for Mitchell to order. The member for Morialta has a supplementary.