Canberra Press Gallery Midwinter Ball

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:06): A supplementary to the Premier: what was the total cost to taxpayers of this trip, including any staff costs?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:06): No staff were in attendance with me. I went by myself. As the Leader of the Opposition should well expect, all my travel arrangements will be subject to the appropriate proactive disclosure requirements.

Since the Leader of the Opposition sees fit to ask this question again in the context of parliament sitting, I can't help but note the fact that it is a very peculiar approach for the Leader of the Opposition to take because the Leader of the Opposition's principal function in the context of his parliamentary duties is to be present for question time, yet the Leader of the Opposition himself elected to go to a conservative photo opportunity and miss out on question time.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Ministers to the right and left!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: Unlike the Leader of the Opposition, who made a conscious and deliberate decision to forgo his principal function in the functioning of the parliament—

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —and actually miss a whole day of parliamentary sitting in order to attend a conservative photo opportunity—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is warned for a second time.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —I missed a couple of hours—

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Mawson!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —in order to undertake an important function—

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mawson is warned.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —and advocacy on behalf of the people of South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!