Legislative Council Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2) 53 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Northern Economic Plan Northern Economic Plan The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council Northern Economic Plan The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:31): My question is directed to the Leader of the Government. Does the minister agree with the scathing critique of his Northern Economic Plan written by the award-winning Advertiser journalist Daniel Wills, which was headed 'New plan is really the same old remedy: it's not working'? If the minister doesn't agree, can the minister explain how this Northern Economic Plan is different in any way to what the Labor government has been doing for the last 14 years? The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Point of order, Mr President: it is absolutely not in the capacity of ministers to be required to answer questions on a third party's articles in another publication. Questions need to be directed to a minister based on the government's policies and its achievements and its agenda, not on some person's article appearing in another journal for which the minister has no responsibility. The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Minister, do you want to answer that? The Hon. K.J. MAHER Legislative Council Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:32): Notwithstanding the out of order-ness of the Hon. Mr Lucas's question—who has been here long enough to know what should and shouldn't be in or out of order—the Northern Economic Plan is a document and a process that have been worked on for the last 12 months with the councils in the north that have been involved. I am proud of the plan. I am proud of the targets set out in different areas of industry that have the capacity to grow. I spent a number of questions last week outlining the different areas the Northern Economic Plan addresses. As I said last sitting week, there are councillors, even Liberal Party councillors in councils out there, who are supportive of the plan and have suggested that the Liberal opposition should try to get on board and for once talk up South Australia. The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Supplementary, the Hon. Mr Lucas.