Minister for Human Services

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:15): Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I will take your advice. My question is again to the Premier. What public duties is the Minister for Human Services undertaking today which enable her to miss question time?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Hartley! The minister has the call.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:15): On 8 August, the Government Whip asked for a pair request from the opposition for the Hon. Nat Cook to attend in Canberra, and the reason was the Disability Reform Ministers' Meeting and dinner. The pair was granted on 16 August. The opposition knew that she was going.

I have also attempted to attend the energy ministers' conference after a question time where I had to leave early—I think it was a question time—and I missed our connecting flights because the direct flights to Canberra were such that I missed the dinner. For those of you who think that the dinner is just about the food, those who have been ministerial conferences know that the dinners are not about the food. The dinners are about where the business is done, and it is very important that ministers are there in advance of the dinner—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mawson is warned.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —and that they are there to meet with their counterparts who do all arrive early. We have granted pairs, when we were in opposition for those four long years, to government ministers who wanted to travel to Canberra for their ministerial meetings, knowing that they needed to be there in advance of the dinners. This is normal practice. The Leader of the Opposition knows this, for his brief time as a minister, then as a public servant. Members opposite who were ministers know this is the practice. We sought a pair from the opposition and they granted it. If it is the wish of the opposition to remove that pair, then do so, by all means; if not, what's the point?