LABOR PARTY LEADERSHIP

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:19): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government a question about government direction.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Again, in recent days, we have seen comments by a government backbencher concerned about the direction of the government. Interestingly, recently, at a restaurant I was having lunch at on Sunday, I saw two ministers—one unaligned and one from the left—and one backbencher at what appeared to be a strategy meeting for a change of leader. My questions to the minister are:

1. How many ministers from the left will be forced to resign to make way for restless, left faction backbenchers?

2. Does the minister agree with the Premier that he will remain leader until the next election?

3. Given that government infighting is now having an enormous impact on state confidence, as Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council will the minister facilitate a leadership spill to sort out the matter of who will be premier this week?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (15:20): This beggars belief, Mr President. Currently, this government has an extremely good leader, so there are no leadership vacancies at this point in time. We already have a leader, and that position is held by an extremely clever, capable person who has an incredible track record in terms of the most amazing contributions to this state. There are no leadership vacancies at this point in time. We have a very good leader in place—

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I cannot believe that the honourable member has so little to do with his time that he can sit there and conjure up some sort of conspiracy theory when he happens to see a couple of ALP colleagues having lunch. It beggars belief that he constructs some sort of master overthrow plan by simply observing a couple of mates having lunch together. The honourable member should have more, and better, things to do with his time.