Wright Electorate Office

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (15:27): Supplementary: is the Treasurer able to outline what consultation was taken with the member for Wright about the location of his electorate office? Is the Treasurer aware of whether the member was informed about where his electorate office would be and the lease had been signed, rather than the media informing the member for Wright that the government had done this without telling him?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:27): I am, and much of what the Leader of the Opposition has just said is wrong, factually incorrect. There have been extensive discussions with the member for Wright about potential offices. There was, as I said, extensive discussion about another office at the Salisbury end of his particular electorate, and, as I explained earlier, we did not proceed with that. He continued to want a temporary office in the Golden Grove shopping centre or another particular option at the other end of the electorate, which we did look at and explored in terms of a temporary office, but eventually it was leased to another prospective tenant.

There were extensive discussions in relation to this particular issue. The member for Wright was consulted at every step of the way by the appropriate officers within Electorate Services in Treasury about this particular office. He had meetings with representatives of the landlord, he had meetings with members of the Electorate Services team within Treasury and he had extensive discussions. He had extensive correspondence both with Electorate Services within Treasury and indeed the occasional letter with myself.

Mr President, Electorate Services rang and left a message, but it went to voicemail, for the member for Wright on the same morning that a press announcement was made in relation to the successful establishment, or the successful finding, of a new electorate office for the member for Wright. We are going to set about the task, over the coming weeks and months, of renovating it to the standard the member for Wright would wish so that he can represent his electorate.