Nuclear Waste

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:55): My question is to the Premier.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer's forced laughter will cease.

Mr MARSHALL: Can the Premier confirm whether the outcome of the referendum on his proposal for a nuclear waste dump will be binding as per a constitutional referendum or unbound as per a plebiscite?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:55): They are all intelligent questions to ask if we were at that stage, but, as the Leader of the Opposition knows, we are—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, it was a 38-year journey in Finland. I know those—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Those opposite are either wilfully or recklessly ignoring the remarks we have always made about this matter. We always said, as the royal commission did say, that this was a journey which would be measured in decades—not in weeks, months or years; and, of course, we were going to indicate our preliminary view as we have about all of these matters and we were on a bipartisan position.

I extended the hand of friendship to the Leader of the Opposition and offered him a visit to Finland, which he could not resist but to play politics with. And then, despite that, I also offered him an opportunity to go back again and he did, and in some fit of jetlag managed to have an interview with an Advertiser journalist that has taken us to this position today. Let's be honest about what happened.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Let's be honest about what happened.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: The reason you're sitting there taking this position is that he couldn't get himself organised in the lounge coming back from Finland. Ask yourselves that question. You all know it's true!