COVID-Ready Committee

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (15:14): A supplementary, and this might make the last response clearer.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Maher, perhaps a final supplementary on this one so we can move on.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Treasurer, has the Electoral Commissioner or anyone from the Electoral Commissioner's office to your knowledge ever attended a COVID-Ready Committee meeting?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:14): I don't get to all of them, but certainly he has not attended any particular meeting that—

The Hon. T.A. Franks interjecting:

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: He has not attended a particular meeting. But the Electoral Commissioner is independent. He and his team make decisions independently in relation to the conduct of an election. I would be very disturbed if anyone was suggesting the Electoral Commissioner should be subject to either the direction or the influence of a politician—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —for example, so if that is the position the Labor opposition wants to adopt let them defend the position.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: The Leader of the Opposition sledged the Electoral Commissioner's views yesterday. He then sought to deny his statement and then when I placed on the social media record exactly what he did say, and Hansard recorded it, it was a stony silence from the Leader of the Opposition in relation to that.