Disability Services

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:58): Further supplementary arising from the original answer: minister, if the facts are as the opposition has been informed and it turns out you have done nothing to inquire further about this, will you resign?

The PRESIDENT: Minister, sit down. It's a hypothetical question.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:59): I am happy—

The PRESIDENT: If you would like to answer, the Minister for Human—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! In silence. It was a hypothetical question. I would have ruled it out of order; however, if the minister wishes to respond, that is up to you. Minister.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: To the extent that I receive these critical incidents, I quite distinctly—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Can I please finish?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Can I please finish?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Mr President, I would love to answer this.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Leading with a glass jaw, I demanded—I insisted—being on this list. When I was a new minister in this government—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —I said to my CE that I wanted to be on the list. Now this stands in stark contrast—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —to Jay Weatherill, who let his chief of staff take a fall when he knew, when his chief of staff knew, that a child had been raped at a western suburbs school and nobody told him.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: What is the point of being on a list—

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: You Labor Party people should hang your heads in shame.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: —if you are just going to ignore it and not ask a question.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I demanded of my chief executive that I be on the list—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the honourable Leader of the Opposition!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —so that I can receive these reports.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Do I have 100 per cent recall of every incident that comes into my office? No, not necessarily.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I demand to know—

The PRESIDENT: Minister—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —because I believe in ministerial accountability.

The PRESIDENT: Minister, sit down.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! You asked a question; it's being answered. We will listen in silence. I won't keep repeating myself. When I call for order, I expect it. Have you finished your answer?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I think so, Mr President.