SARDI Fish Deaths

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:40): Supplementary.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Attorney!

The Hon. K.J. Maher: It's going to be difficult.

The PRESIDENT: Attorney! How about I adjudicate on this? I will listen to the supplementary question.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Ask your supplementary question and I will listen to it.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: How can the minister be confident in her answer and say there is no direct evidence linking the dredging trial and the fish deaths when her department didn't test water quality for hydrogen sulphide?

The PRESIDENT: Not even close to a supplementary question.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: May I answer it anyway, Mr President?

The PRESIDENT: Well, answer it, minister.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:41): These matters have been well aerated during the many, many months that the opposition has been raising this. We know that they are seeking to have some kind of conspiracy uncovered, but we also know that they don't need evidence. They think it's fine to come to a conclusion without evidence.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I guess, very similar to the Hon. Frank Pangallo, they would like to just make up the evidence, but they are not doing that. Acknowledging there is no direct evidence, they say, 'Doesn't matter there is no direct evidence. We think it was it anyway.'