Conflict of Interest

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:20): My question is to the minister for the public sector. As the Leader of the Government in this place, can you assure the council that no government member will vote on changes to ICAC legislation, if it returns to this council, if such a member is currently the subject of an investigation or referral by an integrity agency and who may have a perceived or actual conflict of interest in relation to integrity laws?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:20): I addressed this issue publicly this morning and yesterday afternoon, that is, in the debate yesterday or last evening I think it was. There was no vote in the Legislative Council such was the unanimity of views shared by all members in this particular chamber. So the inference from some that the views of one member or two members in a particular chamber are immaterial when there are no votes. There was a unanimity of views and no-one disagreed with the package of amendments that was moved yesterday.

The second point I make is that, of course, I have no knowledge of what the ICAC is or isn't looking at. I have no idea whether there are members of the Labor Party or the crossbench or indeed, in many other cases, even the government backbench, other than those that might have already been made public. So I'm not in a position, nor is anybody, to give guarantees as to whether the ICAC is or isn't looking at the affairs of a particular member.