Legislative Council President

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:32): Further supplementary, again to the Premier: given the statements made by the Premier in respect of the standing down of Mr Finnigan, pending his inquiry, does he agree that it is appropriate that the President of the other place continues in his role as President pending this investigation?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (14:32): Okay, well, this is another example of the time travel analogy I just gave you a minute ago. We have two separate things: category No.1 is a member of parliament who is subject to a charge which is brought duly before the courts and is being prosecuted—

Ms Chapman: Four years later.

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is warned.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: —and is being prosecuted for a criminal offence. That is situation A. Situation B is scuttlebutt, which nobody has ever been able to substantiate.

Ms Chapman: What about Julia Gillard?

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is warned a second and final time.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Scuttlebutt that has never been—never been—the subject of any proof, so far as I am aware, has been—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned a second and final time.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: —floating around this building for about 20 years and, even in the context of a building with the history this place has, 20 years is getting pretty stale. This sort of rumour floating around this place for 20 years—

Mr PENGILLY: Point of order, Mr Speaker: I ask you to deliberate on whether the Deputy Premier is actually debating the question.

The SPEAKER: No, I don't think so.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: To put it another way, this rumour has been in this place for nearly as long as the Hon. Rob Lucas or even yourself.

The SPEAKER: No, nowhere near as long. He was here when I was a cadet.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Well, not that long, but nearly. Put it this way: only you, Mr Speaker, and the Hon. Rob Lucas remember a time when this rumour was not current. That is a quantitative and qualitative difference between that and a person who is actually being put to a trial on the basis that there are proceedings issued against them which are authorised by the prosecuting authorities. There is absolutely no similarity at all.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader will leave us for half an hour under the sessional order for repeat offending.

The honourable member for Bragg having left the chamber:

The SPEAKER: Is there another supplementary on that line? No? Member for Stuart.