MINISTERIAL STAFF

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:17): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Industrial Relations a question about the minister's office.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Members would have been aware of a story in the weekend newspaper under the heading of 'Jokers in the Pack' and the subheading of 'Ministers with foot-in-mouth disease'. The journalist summarised the quality of the current cabinet in the following terms:

However, Labor also has jokers in the pack, due to inexperience, lack of preparation or just plain poor choices.

It went on to say:

Mr Koutsantonis and Mr Snelling are not the worst offenders when it comes to 'foot-in-mouth' disease.

That honour belongs to five other ministers—Tom Kenyon, Russell Wortley, Grace Portolesi, Chloe Fox and [our very own] Gail Gago.

Just on a month ago I asked the minister a relatively simple question about ministerial staff in his office. I pointed out that for a minister with relatively limited portfolio responsibilities he already had 14 full-time staff members, three part-time staff members and his ministerial chauffeur in his office and that he had just proceeded to appoint well-known unionist Mr Jimmy Watson to a position within his ministerial office.

In response to my questions the minister said a number of things: 'I must say, I don't know the actual title he has got.' That is about Mr Watson's position. Then he said, 'I am not quite sure of the salaries of these people.' That was in relation to how much they were being paid. Nevertheless, a month ago, he said he would take his questions on notice, together with another question about whether or not Mr Watson had resigned from the WorkCover board. He said he had resigned from the WorkCover board, but he was going to check that as well. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does the minister accept that it is a massive waste of taxpayers' money that, for a minister with such limited portfolio responsibilities and talent as himself, he would need 14 full-time staff members, three part-time staff members, a ministerial chauffeur and now Mr Jimmy Watson?

2. Has he now been able to find out the title of Mr Watson's position, and has he been able to find out how much taxpayers are going to pay in terms of total remuneration package to Mr Jimmy Watson?

3. On what date did Mr Watson resign from the WorkCover board? And, if he has resigned, as the minister has claimed, why is he still listed on the WorkCover website as a board member of WorkCover (as of today), and why hasn't there been a notice in the government Gazette confirming his resignation in the two months since the minister indicated he had resigned?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:20): First of all, Jimmy Watson's title is available on the net. To waste the time of this council on a question that can be easily looked up on the internet does not deserve the attention of the minister.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: I did notice the article in the Sunday Mail. I must say that, after the first little giggle after reading through the article on the front page, I moved on. More importantly, what is even more relevant to today's political landscape is the fact that the Leader of the Opposition has dropped down four points in regard to who would make a better premier. This is more important than the nonsense being asked by Mr Lucas.

I have spoken to a number of opposition people today, and they are totally perplexed about what to do with their leader. They want to get rid of her tomorrow, but they know darn well they would have to spill blood on the floor, because she has made it quite clear that she is going nowhere, so she would have to be blasted out of the position. Sit there and laugh all you want, but the laugh is on you, because you are the people who have the problem, not me.