Legislative Council Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2) 54 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Parliamentary Committees Parliamentary Committees The Hon. J.E. HANSON Legislative Council Parliamentary Committees The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:16): I seek leave to make brief explanation before asking the Minister for Trade and Investment a question about committees. Leave granted. The Hon. J.E. HANSON Legislative Council The Hon. J.E. HANSON: We currently have 30 standing, select and joint committees functioning in this place. The minister, I believe, sits on two of those 30 committees, which is about 6 per cent. By way of comparison, the Government Whip, the member's colleague the Hon. Mr Hood, sits on 11, or 36 per cent of our committee load, and he is a regular and reliable attendee. On 18 February, the Minister for Trade and Investment was appointed to the Select Committee on Matters Relating to the Timber Industry and the Limestone Coast and, on the same day, the minister was appointed to the Select Committee on Matters Relating to SA Pathology and SA Medical Imaging. My question to the minister is: will the minister commit to fully participating and attending and contributing to each of these committees when they meet? The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY Legislative Council Minister for Trade and Investment The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade and Investment) (15:17): I thank the honourable member for his question. Yes, I intend to, when I am able to. I think one of the meetings most recently called was when the cabinet was meeting and, as a cabinet minister, I put a priority on attending a cabinet meeting over a select committee of the upper house, important as they are. When I am able to and it doesn't clash with important duties that I have to undertake as a minister—like cabinet meetings—I will be available to attend and participate in those meetings.