Government Appointments

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:30): My question is to the Treasurer regarding leadership. Why does the member for Bragg in the other place get to keep her job as Attorney-General when the Treasurer ensured that the then House of Assembly Government Whip and the then President of the Legislative Council both resigned from their positions when faced with allegations about misuse of country members' allowance?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:31): The urban folklore of my power grows. I should stay in this position much, much longer. I obviously have much more power than I ever contemplated. I am just a mere member of the Legislative Council. I have never been in the position of being the Premier or the President of the Liberal Party.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Bourke, you asked the question. Listen to the answer.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I am just a mere functionary of the government. The notion that's grown with urban folklore that in some way I can sort of execute people left, right and centre is, as I said, part of urban folklore. The one thing I can rule out, but it would have been a very interesting exercise if I did, is actually correcting some of the urban folklore by writing a memoir. But I can assure you, if you are interested in my future beyond the grandchildren, there are two things I have ruled out publicly, and I do so in this chamber: I will never, ever be a lobbyist, and I will never, ever write a memoir.