McCANN, MR W.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:49): By way of supplementary question, arising out of the answer—

The PRESIDENT: I remind members that we have had only three questions in nearly 30 minutes.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: If the minister is indicating that the government believes Mr McCann was doing such an admirable job as chief executive of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, why did the Rann government move him to a position where initially he was managing two people at a salary of well over $300,000 a year?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:49): Mr McCann not only served the previous but also the current government for at least five or six years, as is common in these sorts of jobs. There is a time to move on. It is certainly time for the Hon. Mr Lucas to move on. If someone should ever move on, he should, because we know how members opposite regarded his performance as leader. They realised how divisive he is and how damaging he is out in the electorate, so they moved him on. I think that Mr McCann has made his position clear. He has done a very good job for this state, and, clearly—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Because Mr McCann himself may have had some wish in that regard—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! There are too many interjections.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: —but it is not up to me to comment on that. What I can say is that he has done a very good job. I will certainly acknowledge it and I am sure that the Premier would also be only too happy to acknowledge the significant contribution Mr McCann made. He would not have been kept on, otherwise, as the chief executive following the change of government, nor would he have been kept on for such a significant period, which must have been at least five or six years, maybe longer.