Departmental Random Drug Testing

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (15:06): My supplementary is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Can the minister update us on the practice of random drug testing within her department?

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) (15:07): Mr Speaker, can I just make this point? If the Leader of the Opposition has some particular proposition to advance and then asks whether or not something has been done in accordance with whatever it is, that's fine. I am happy to take his—

Mr Gardner: The CEO said it was happening. We want to know about it.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: The member for Morialta has helpfully added one tiny little bit of information which wasn't available in the first place, which is it is something to do with something that was said by the chief executive officer, I assume before one of the upper house committees; would that be right?

Mr Gardner: That's what he said a minute ago.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Let me have—

Mr Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta will withdraw and apologise for that remark.

Mr GARDNER: I withdraw and apologise, sir.

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is warned a second and final time, the member for Schubert is warned a first time and the member for Hartley is called to order. Does the Deputy Premier have anything more to add?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Only this. Far be it from me to offer suggestions as to how people might frame a question, but it is conventional, as far as I know, that when you have some proposition advanced by somebody that you wish the government to agree with, disagree with or comment on, the conventional way of doing it would be to say, 'On whatever day before whatever committee, Mr Bloggs said X, Y and Z. Apropos of this thing, what is going on with X, Y and Z?' rather than to eliminate the first bit (which provides some sort of context and some sort of point of relevance) and ask a question that could mean anything. I think the best thing I can possibly do is invite the Leader of the Opposition to provide, in due course, some particulars of whatever it is he is talking about and I would be happy to find out.