Public Sector Employees

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:34): Supplementary question: can the Treasurer confirm that, apart from the Premier, he has held no discussions about the termination of public sector employees below chief executive level?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:35): The Leader of the Opposition is going to have to be much more specific than that. Conversations I have with my wife and partner, with my family, for example, may traverse a whole range of issues, so the Leader of the Opposition is going to have to get much better at crafting his questions if he is going to try to elicit information from me as the Leader of the Government.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I have all sorts of conversations with my family, acquaintances, parliamentary colleagues, advisers and others, but can I assure both you, Mr President, and the Leader of the Opposition that in no way would I commit an act which was unlawful under the Public Sector Management Act, and it makes it quite clear under the Public Sector Management Act that I have no authority as a mere minister in the government to dismiss a chief executive officer or, in the case of the supplementary question, dismiss someone at a level below a chief executive officer.

The PRESIDENT: I think we will go to the next question, Leader of the Opposition.