Legislative Council Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Major Infrastructure Projects Major Infrastructure Projects The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI Legislative Council Leader of the Opposition Major Infrastructure Projects The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:25): I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to addressing a question to the Minister for Industrial Relations regarding the CFMEU. Leave granted. The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI Legislative Council Leader of the Opposition The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Industry sources have suggested to the opposition that the government could and should mandate the use of BIRST (Building Industry Redundancy Scheme Trust) for any contracts that the government enters into relating to major infrastructure projects funded by taxpayer dollars, such as the north-south corridor and the new Women's and Children's Hospital. My question to the Minister for Industrial Relations is: will the Minister for Industrial Relations use relevant procurement policy and mandates to prevent the CFMEU and Victorian-based Incolink from having involvement in South Australia's major infrastructure projects? The Hon. K.J. MAHER Legislative Council Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Attorney-General Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:26): I thank the honourable member for her question. I note the honourable Leader of the Opposition regularly asks questions that I fail to appreciate in terms of portfolio responsibilities. The honourable member has asked a question pertaining to procurement policy, which sits with the Treasurer and pertains to major infrastructure projects. Strangely, a major infrastructure project sits with the infrastructure minister. However, as Minister for Industrial Relations, I do have responsibility for matters that fall within the state's industrial relations system, which private sector enterprise bargaining is certainly not part of. Since much earlier this century, with the referral of powers, private sector enterprise bargaining is wholly a creature and responsibility of the federal sphere of industrial relations.