TAFE SA

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:00): Supplementary: do any of the appointments have any connections with the Labor Party, either as members, donors, former members or participants in a preference deal swap with the Labor Party?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I anticipate a point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Sir, the minister is not responsible to the house for the membership or otherwise of any of those people appointed to any boards.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I will hear the member for Morialta on the point of order.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: On the point of order, the people in question have been appointed as paid positions to a government board, and the qualifications they have and the reasons for the minister's appointments, the government's appointments, are a valid question for this house.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! It may be that the question can be put differently. I will give the member for Morialta the opportunity in the last minute of question time. However, I observe that the question as formulated would be contrary to the standing orders, if I were to permit it.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Thank you, sir. Can the minister update the house as to the purpose for the appointment of the members of the TAFE board? With leave, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Previous oppositions have drawn connections to any political involvement of appointments to paid government boards, and it is appropriate that the minister considers that in his answer.

The SPEAKER: That contribution by way of leave could be contested. It therefore follows that it is not necessarily a series of facts, and on that basis I am going to rule it out of order. There are 10 seconds remaining.