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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-17 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Travel

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:31): My question is to the Deputy Premier. Does the Deputy Premier have a process in place to determine what accommodation she uses during international trips and, if so, does this include an assessment of the security of that accommodation? With your leave, and that of the house, I will explain.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: On 5 May 2023, the Ombudsman said, and I quote:

If the security of any hotel or accommodation that the Deputy Premier utilises while travelling could be 'endangered' simply by the revelation that she uses that accommodation from time to time, I would sincerely question the security of that accommodation in the first place and the wisdom of staying there.

He went on to describe the Deputy Premier's objections as, and I quote, 'far-fetched or speculative'.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Newland!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water) (14:32): The Leader of the Opposition is referring to an application through FOI for the diary for the period in which I was travelling. Of course, I don't make decisions about where we stay. In fact, the trip I believe that the minister is referring to is the one that was organised by protocol in DPC, and all the accommodation was determined by them.

In seeking advice, as I understand it, the office, in providing the information, was informed that it is not routine for ministers to indicate which hotels they stay in, and therefore we applied the advice that was provided by protocol in that case. I personally have no objection to revealing where I am booked in to stay, and I think it would be simpler if we were able to simply provide that, but that was the advice that we were provided and I have abided by it.

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