Legislative Council: Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Contents

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS, PROBITY

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:27): I have a supplementary question. I suspect that the minister is a bit sensitive, but I remind him that I did not ask about PPPs: I asked about shortlisting bidders for major government contracts such as the desal project, which is not a PPP.

Given what the minister just outlined in terms of the general principles, does he believe that there would be a perception of unfairness to other bidders for other major government contracts if, during a bidding process for a major government contract, a Rann government minister attended a Labor Party fundraising function organised by South Australian Progressive Business and paid for and hosted by a company associated with one of the bidders for the government contract? I repeat: this does not relate to a PPP project.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (15:28): If the honourable member wishes to talk about a particular occasion, let him do so. I have just indicated what the guidelines are. There is a Ministerial Code of Conduct, and it is a public document.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: I have indicated to the honourable member what those guidelines are; if he does not want to read them, that is his problem.