BURNSIDE COUNCIL

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:27): Yes, Mr President. What police investigations has the minister spoken to the council about, and will he provide those to us?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:27): First of all, I will just say that I have ended the inquiry. There will be an office of public integrity established to look at these issues in the future. What I want to do with the Local Government Association and the councils is look at the Local Government Act and see whether we can develop the tools in that act to enable the councils to stop this happening in the future.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Can Hansard hear me up there? I am having difficulty hearing myself. My responsibility as the Minister for State/Local Government Relations is to ensure that, if there are any obstacles in the Local Government Act in the way of providing the proper tools for councils to take care of these legal issues before they become festering sores, I will do that. I am looking forward to meeting with the new President of the Local Government Association, and we will sit and work together and ensure that the proper tools are developed in the act—

The Hon. S.G. Wade interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Let me make it quite clear. I do not know the rabble you have been in the past. I am happy to answer your questions, but if you are going to interrupt in three directions, I will sit down and not answer your questions. So, just pull your heads in let me have a go.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Lensink has a further supplementary.