Legislative Council Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Regional Development Australia REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AUSTRALIA The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY Legislative Council Leader of the Opposition REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AUSTRALIA The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:56): Will the minister assure the house that neither she nor her department intervened after the closure of the expressions of interest time? The Hon. G.E. GAGO Legislative Council Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AUSTRALIA The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (14:56): I am just so sickened by the innuendos that constantly serve to undermine these bodies. If the honourable member has any evidence of anything improper, then he should put it forward. If the honourable member has a skerrick of evidence, I demand that he do the responsible thing and hand over that evidence. If there was any impropriety whatsoever, I would take appropriate action. They slink into this place, under the cloak of privilege— The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. G.E. GAGO Legislative Council The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —a cowardly, cheap thing to do. It undermines these really important bodies, these RDAs and our agencies. They come in here and undermine and discredit individual bureaucrats, and I absolutely challenge the honourable member. I believe he has an onus of responsibility: if he has any skerrick of evidence whatsoever that anything improper occurred, then I insist he hand on that information to me so I can take appropriate action. Members interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order!