MINISTER'S OVERSEAS TRIP

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:40): I have a supplementary question arising out of the non-answer, Mr President.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Lucas wants a further flogging.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Thank you, Mr President. How does the minister reconcile his response to the council then when he said that he was not planning an overseas trip with the following statement from a document tabled by the Premier entitled 'Report on overseas visit' which states:

I understand that Professor Lee is also assisting the Hon. Paul Holloway, the Minister for Urban Planning, in arrangements for his forthcoming visit to Europe to look at urban design initiatives.

The PRESIDENT: When a member asks for a supplementary, no explanation.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister Assisting the Premier in Public Sector Management) (14:40): As I said, I have been looking but I have not finalised anything. I have not booked tickets; I have not finalised—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: I said I have not finalised the arrangements. I have not finalised the details of any trip, but if I do go over there, that would be the sort of thing—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: You've misled the council.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: I have not misled the council. They're incredible, aren't they, Mr President! As I said, I have not finalised any details. I have not made any bookings in relation to overseas trips. At this stage, I have purely been investigating the options about some matters.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: You said you weren't planning a visit.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: As I said, I haven't planned any details.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Mike Rann here says that Professor Lee is assisting you in your arrangements.

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Mr Lucas!

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: What Professor Lee is doing is making some suggestions as to suitable places to have a look at if I decide to go, and I am grateful for that advice. Perhaps the shadow minister of planning who is here should avail himself as well and look at some of those things if he has the opportunity. As I said, the question is hypothetical because I have not made any bookings or any final decisions in relation to travel arrangements

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: You said you weren't planning.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: As I said, I have not made any bookings in relation to that. I have not made any arrangements at all. It is quite out of order for these members to be asking, as I said, hypothetical questions.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: I will sit down when I am ready, Mr Lucas, because the more you perform in the way you do from the backbench, the easier it will be for all the opposition members to see what you get if you are in this place for 28 years. This is the product. This is what you get, and to think this is the hope of the side to get the Liberal Party back into government. They ask you questions about trips that you may do.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: This is the sort of level too. Again I raise it with other members: do you want this parliament—and it is up to all members of this council—to descend into the sort of thing where you start talking about overseas visits by members? Is this the sort of parliament we want? Should this be question No.3—one of the top questions of the day—from the opposition about members? Do all the other members in here now want to make it the subject of debate: if they plan a visit for the betterment of the parliament, that now becomes a matter for debate? I will leave it up to members.