China-Australia Free Trade Agreement

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (14:29): Minister, in your answer yesterday, you said you were not at the ALP National Conference on the Sunday. Who did you hand your proxy to?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Mr Speaker, there have to be some limits about what the Premier is responsible to the house about.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold the point that the Minister for Health makes. I do not think the person to whom the Premier proxies, in his capacity as a national conference delegate, is a matter for—

Mr Whetstone: Someone opposed the free trade agreement.

The SPEAKER: —the house. If members want to put some submission to me after question time that that is within the Premier's ministerial persona, then you are welcome to do so.

Mr van Holst Pellekaan: The question was answered yesterday.

The SPEAKER: How the Premier votes at the national conference in person I ruled was a matter fit for question time, but to whom the Premier proxies seems to me remote unless, of course, the member for Chaffey knows who that is and wishes to make some reflection on their voting record?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Yes, well, if there were a vote.

Mr Knoll: So we can't ask questions without knowing the answer first?

The SPEAKER: No, I don't think the member for Schubert is fairly representing my ruling there. The deputy leader.