Gillman Land Sale

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (17:28): Actually, I will ask my question of the Minister for Housing and Urban Development. What involvement did the Premier have with the assessment of the ACP proposal for land at Gillman?

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, Minister for Child Protection Reform) (17:29): I think that there is plenty of information about this on the public record and, indeed, there is quite a bit contained in my statement. But just to give you a quick bird's eye view of the thing from what is on the public record: at some point in time—I do not remember the dates without having a chronology sitting in front of me—the chair of the Economic Development Board, Mr Spencer, came to the Premier—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker. I think we are at cross-purposes. I have asked not about the meeting: I have asked about the assessment of the project. What involvement did the Premier have in respect of the assessment of the project?

The SPEAKER: Maybe that's clearer now. Deputy Premier.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I thank the honourable member for clarifying that point because she saved herself quite a lot of history because I would have gone through everything. I don't think the government's position on this has ever changed and that is that the ultimate decision in relation to the matter was a decision which was made at the cabinet level. As the honourable member would be aware, the blow-by-blow repetition of what occurs at a cabinet meeting doesn't get—

Ms Chapman: I haven't asked about that.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: But what I am saying is the Premier was a participant in the cabinet process, obviously, and we do know the outcome of the cabinet process and we even know bits of information objectively assessed by various people about some of the material that was before the cabinet. That's not because I'm giving it to you: it's because—

Ms Chapman: I'm not even asking about that, either. I am talking about the assessment.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I think that's the only answer I can give. Ultimately, the decision-making body was the cabinet and the Premier was, obviously, a member of the cabinet.