Forestry Industry

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): A supplementary: is the minister ruling out any state government funding—

The Hon. K.J. Maher: No, I'm not; I'm just referring it to the Minister for Forests.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I am asking the question. I am not asking you, I am not asking you; I am asking you.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Will the Leader of the Government cool down for a second? Will you ask your supplementary—

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I am asking a supplementary.

The PRESIDENT: Well, ask your supplementary.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Will you—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Let the Leader of the Opposition ask his question.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: A young man was here taking photos; they will say it is the circus.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: I am trying to save him from himself.

The PRESIDENT: The Leader of the Government will contain himself. The Hon. Mr Ridgway.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Will the minister rule out this state government putting in the $2 million funding that is required for this program? Given that the Minister for Forests has ruled it out, will you also rule out this state government putting any funding into—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I am not asking you; I am asking him.

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) (14:23): I do acknowledge that the Hon. David Ridgway does not have any experience in ministerial responsibility. We do have some sympathy for him, being elected to this place and having to sit on that side the whole time. Current evidence suggests that while it may be unlikely, there might be some day in the future when he does have ministerial responsibility.

In fact, when you add up the whole of the ministerial experience of the team on the other side it falls to the Hon. Rob Lucas; he is the sum total of ministerial experience of every single shadow minister. I will refer that to the responsible minister—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I will answer: yes, I will refer that to the minister responsible.