Ministerial Statement

Lucas, Hon. R.I.

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) (14:20): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I rise today to address a matter that concerns all of us in this chamber: how we conduct ourselves, how we are perceived and the privilege that is afforded to all of us in this place to do our duty. The Hon. Rob Lucas regularly demeans his position, this parliament and all of us who serve here. The Hon. Rob Lucas regularly uses parliamentary privilege to harass, insinuate wrongdoing or lay fanciful accusations against members of the public and members of the Public Service, who have little opportunity to respond. These are the actions of a bully and a coward. The Hon. Rob Lucas regularly tries to hide behind weasel phraseology, such as 'sources close to the matter have informed me' or 'an anonymous fax to Liberal Party headquarters', in an attempt to try to distance himself from the vitriol that he is making up.

Yesterday, during Matters of Interest, the Hon. Rob Lucas, true to form, did not speak of policy issues or the community he is supposed to serve, but went on a rant full of hearsay upon hearsay about what others supposedly said or did. During his contribution yesterday, the Hon. Rob Lucas informed the chamber, as fact, that Premier Weatherill called a senior Crows office holder to talk about minister Bignell. He said, 'the following morning Premier Weatherill rang an even more senior Crows office holder'. The Hon. Rob Lucas then claimed, as fact, what supposedly had occurred in that conversation. The Premier has informed me that that statement is completely and utterly untrue. It quite simply did not occur.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: The problem for the Hon. Rob Lucas is that this particular assertion was very simply tested. Rob Lucas either knows this to be false and has deliberately made a statement he knows not to be true to this chamber or he has been so recklessly indifferent to the easily tested truth that it constitutes a deliberate lie. It should also be noted that the member for Mawson refutes the claims that were made by the Hon. Rob Lucas. Accordingly, Mr President, I request that the Hon. Rob Lucas immediately and unconditionally refutes his claims that he made on the public record yesterday.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Does the Hon. Mr Lucas want to make a personal explanation?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Does the Hon. Mr Lucas want to make a personal explanation or anything like that?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: No.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Government has given a ministerial statement. The Hon. Mr Lucas has nothing to say.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I will have plenty to say.

The PRESIDENT: That is good. That is the end of it. The Hon. Mr Hunter.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Point of order: the request to me was whether I want to make a personal explanation. A personal explanation seeks to correct the record where they believe that something they might have said was wrong. I stand by everything I have said, and I will have more to say about this at the appropriate time, but it is not by the way of an invitation to make a personal explanation.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Point of order: I raise a point of order under 193. How can you allow an injurious reflection to be made on a member without a substantive motion?

The PRESIDENT: The honourable minister has made a ministerial statement.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I had no idea what was in that ministerial—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister has made a statement. Obviously, the contribution by the Hon. Mr Lucas yesterday has upset the Premier, who has totally refuted that allegation. The honourable member stands by his contribution and that is the end of it. He will have more to say in the future, and I am sure the Premier will have more to say. I now want to call upon the Hon. Mr Hunter—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the Leader of the Government please cool down.