National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:30): Further supplementary: is the Treasurer aware that the minister concerned agreed to a verbal offer of a one-year matched funding agreement at a meeting with the Premier and the federal indigenous affairs minister, and has the minister's misstep hindered negotiations?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:30): I can assure the—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition! The Treasurer is trying to respond to your question, and you are showing him a discourtesy by having an argument with someone else in the chamber.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I am calling you to order, Leader of the Opposition.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, it is not helpful for me to listen to the answer from the Treasurer to your own supplementary when you are arguing with someone across the aisle. Treasurer.

The Hon. T.J. Stephens: Why don't you go outside and have a conversation with yourself?

The PRESIDENT: That does not help me, the Hon. Mr Stephens.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I'm asking for silence. Was I unclear to the Liberal backbench as well?

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition!

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Point of order: why is it, when the Treasurer himself has told this council that the minister was heavily involved in negotiations, that he has taken the question instead of the—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Why is it?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Have the government benches finished trying to give me gratuitous advice while seated?

The Hon. K.J. Maher: Chuck him out.

The PRESIDENT: You're not assisting me either. The Hon. Mr Wortley, despite your wisdom, that was not a point of order. In fact, that was a question. Feel free, later, if you are on the whipping list, to ask that question of the Treasurer.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: Supplementary—

The PRESIDENT: No, there is not a supplementary. The Treasurer hasn't answered your original supplementary. Treasurer, please continue.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I have almost forgotten what the supplementary question was. But, no, my colleague the minister has been an invaluable contributor right through this process in terms of the detail of these negotiations. As the Treasurer, the aggregate financial figures, the high level financial negotiations—those sorts of issues are issues of which I can have some oversight. In terms of the detail of agreements and what needs to be done with the funding and all of those sorts of issues, I am indebted to my ministerial colleague and her hardworking personal staff and departmental staff as well.