Personal Explanation

BLUE, MR J.N.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (19:47): I seek leave to make a personal explanation.

Leave granted.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Earlier today, during Matters of Interest, the Hon. Rob Lucas made a number of allegations relating to the company General Atomics; one of its principals, Mr Neal Blue; and the Rann government. A subsidiary of General Atomics is Heathgate Resources.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: On a point of order, a personal explanation is when a member claims to be misrepresented.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Yes—and I do.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: What is the claim of misrepresentation?

The PRESIDENT: The minister might be getting to that.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: As I was explaining, a subsidiary of General Atomics is Heathgate Resources, which operates the Beverley uranium mine. Mr Lucas's contribution concluded with reference to a legal dispute, currently before the courts, between Heathgate and Quasar Resources Pty Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Heathgate and Alliance Resources Ltd. Firstly, as this matter is before the courts, it is quite improper for Mr Lucas to make any comment on these matters. Until the court has considered this matter it is also inappropriate for me to make further detailed comment; however, I feel the need to put the following on record. Mr President—

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Point of order, Mr President. A personal explanation is when a member claims to have been misrepresented. I made no mention of the Hon. Mr Holloway—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I made no mention of the Hon. Mr Holloway at all.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: No mention—and the Hansard records it.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: So, Mr President—

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —if it is a personal explanation—

The PRESIDENT: Order! Sit down.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —he needs to indicate where he claims to have been misrepresented.

The PRESIDENT: Sit down. There is no point of order.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Mr President, I—

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Hang on, I have a point of order.

The PRESIDENT: I have ruled it: you do not have a point of order.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: What is the ruling? On what basis?

The PRESIDENT: The ruling is—

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Is what?

The PRESIDENT: —that the minister has the right to defend himself, which he is doing.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: He was not mentioned!

The PRESIDENT: Order! That is only in your opinion.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Point of order—

The PRESIDENT: What is your point of order?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: My point of order is that a personal explanation is when a member claims to have been misrepresented. I made no mention—

The PRESIDENT: The minister is claiming to have been misrepresented.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I made no mention of the Hon. Mr Holloway.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Sit down.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I made no mention of the Hon. Mr Holloway.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: As Minister for Mineral—

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Point of order—

The PRESIDENT: Order! Sit down. I am on my feet.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I am asking for a point of order.

The PRESIDENT: Order! I am on my feet.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Well, then, the point of order—

The PRESIDENT: Sit down. The minister has said that he was misrepresented. He is getting to where he was misrepresented.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: I didn't mention him.

The PRESIDENT: You mentioned ministers.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: I didn't mention him at all.

The PRESIDENT: It does not matter; you mentioned 'minister'.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: As Minister for Mineral Resources Development, I am responsible for the regulation of the mining industry, and I totally refute Mr Lucas's unsupported allegations that the government has favoured any side in this legal dispute. The government has at all times acted impartially and on Crown Law advice.

The Hon. S.G. Wade interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: I am the minister. I am responsible for it.

The Hon. S.G. Wade interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! This should not be debated. The Hon. Mr Wade will come to order.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable minister has the call.

The Hon. S.G. Wade interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Wade will be named if he keeps this up.

The Hon. T.J. Stephens interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: And the Hon. Mr Stephens will be named as well. You will come to order. If you want to behave like the members in the other place, I suggest that you stand for election over there. I will not tolerate it.

Honourable members: He did.

The PRESIDENT: He did, did he?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Honourable members might learn to say things outside if they are going to say them in here.