Legislative Council: Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Contents

TOUR DOWN UNDER

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (15:01): A supplementary question, Mr President.

The PRESIDENT: A supplementary question, the Hon. Mr Ridgway, arising out of the answer.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Can the minister give us the figure—arising out of the non-answer.

The PRESIDENT: Order! If it is a non-answer, you can't have a supplementary.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: It is arising out of the answer, Mr President. Please don't start off in a grumpy mood. Can the minister confirm, maybe not in dollar terms, that Mr Armstrong was provided with a house during his visit here? Did we provide food and wine in that house? Was his private jet fuelled and serviced using taxpayers' funds? What other expenses were paid by the taxpayer while he was here?

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) (15:01): I have answered the question, but I want to clarify something. I think I said 'economic return'. What I meant to say was '$42 million economic benefit to the state', just so that everyone is quite clear. In relation to the second part of the question, which I was distracted from answering, about demanding a refund, this matter is still being considered.

There have been no final decisions or findings in relation to Lance Armstrong to date, so this matter is still under consideration. It is still being investigated and, when the outcome of those investigations is delivered, the state government will then consider its position in relation to a refund. I have already requested crown advice on the potential capacity for us to do that, so that is already being considered, and we will certainly consider our position once this matter has been finalised and a decision or findings in relation to Lance Armstrong have been delivered.