TOUR DOWN UNDER

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (15:03): A further supplementary: will the minister give a commitment to the house that, if that circumstance arises or perhaps when it arises, the government will not only seek a refund but disclose all costs and all benefits awarded to Mr Armstrong on his two visits?

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) (15:03): The honourable member fails to grasp what is a very simple concept, and I thought I had outlined the rationale for commercial confidentiality. Irrespective of the outcome of this case and the allegations around that, it has no bearing on the impact on the commercially confidential nature of these types of contractual arrangements, and that information could very much prejudice any future negotiations that we have with other special guests that we might wish to negotiate with.

What the Hon. David Ridgway is proposing is completely irresponsible and what it could end up doing is costing this state considerable amounts of additional money or putting us in a position where we can no longer afford to attract these special guests. The details, as I have said in this place already, of these arrangements are commercially confidential. I have outlined the reasons for that, and they will remain commercial in confidence.