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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-06-21 Daily Xml
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MINISTERIAL OFFICES

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:22): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the Leader of the Government a question on the subject of answers to questions.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: On 8 June this year I asked a question of the minister in relation to the former ministerial office of the Hon. Bernard Finnigan, as well as questions in relation to the Chief of Staff to the Premier, Mr Nick Alexandrides. My questions related to whether or not the Hon. Bernard Finnigan's office—and we welcome the Hon. Bernard Finnigan back to the chamber, at least briefly, this afternoon—was still being maintained as a ministerial office and, if so, why. Also, if it were still being maintained as a ministerial office, what costs were being incurred, how many staff were employed there, and what were the costs to taxpayers of maintaining the office of the Hon. Bernard Finnigan? The minister's reply was (as always, resorting to personal abuse):

As we know, the Hon. Rob Lucas is notorious in this place for besmirching the names and reputations of good people, people who we know are not able to come to this place and give an answer.

An honourable member: He's here.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Exactly right; the Hon. Mr Finnigan is here now, but he was not here on that occasion on 8 June. On 18 May this year I asked the Leader of the Government a question about whether the former leader of the government in this chamber (Hon. Bernard Finnigan) had received professional media training since the March 2010 election and, if so, what was the cost and what particular agency had paid for that media training. Again, there was personal abuse from the minister while she took the question on notice.

Given that these questions have now been raised for over two months, in relation to the former leader (Hon. Bernard Finnigan) and costs to taxpayers, can the minister now provide answers to the questions I put to her in both May and June on those particular issues?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (15:24): I thank the member for his questions. As I have done previously in this place, I have agreed to take those questions on notice to provide the details that he has asked for and to bring back a response.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: It takes as long as it takes, because we know the fishing expeditions that the opposition goes on, and we know it is taxpayers' money also for the hours and hours spent putting together the responses to the questions asked in this place. I made it very clear in this place earlier on that, in relation to the despicable innuendo that he raised around the honourable Nick Alexandrides—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: He has never been honourable and he never will be!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: He is indeed an honourable man. It is with great pleasure that I call Nick Alexandrides an honourable man, because indeed he is, and it was to him that I was referring the difficulty of having staff members come into this place and answering those questions. The honourable member knows that I was referring my questions to him, but as always I did distinguish it. If the honourable member goes back and reads all of the response, he will see that I clarified the response around my comments regarding Mr Nick Alexandrides. Again, the honourable member comes into this place and makes things up as he goes along.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: I just read your words out.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Absolute nonsense. You did not read all my words out. He failed to read out all my words. If he goes back he will see that I did qualify those responses. So, we can see how dishonest he is in this place, how he distorts the truth and how he simply then fills in the gaps with nonsense; he just makes things up as he goes along.

We have seen that happen in this place and, as I said, he is notorious for that sort of quite despicable behaviour. Nevertheless, they are the lengths to which he chooses to stoop, and so be it. I will call it every time I see it in this place. I will call it for exactly what it is: it is despicable, low-grade behaviour, and I will call it every time. Every time he reduces himself to that unbecoming and unfair behaviour I will call it, and it is with great pleasure that I will do so.

Previously in this place I qualified that in relation to the office I did answer the part of the question that I had information on, and I did put on the record in this place that, in relation to the gambling responsibilities, which are now my responsibilities, in fact there were ministerial advisory staff who were formerly part of the Hon. Bernard Finnigan's staff and who were offering me support and services, so they were still working; they were still doing the jobs they were employed to do.

I was given additional responsibilities, Mr President, as you know. Not only do I have all of my other former responsibilities, but I was given the additional responsibilities of not only gambling but also leader of this house. Therefore, I am entitled to and I should have additional resources to support me in those responsibilities. So it is that the gambling resources that were part of the former minister's office are now supporting me.

They continue to provide me with support and advice. They assist with correspondence and they provide me with a great deal of advice, so they are doing the job that they were employed to do, and they continue to do it really well. I put on the record in this place that my office was already full to capacity and that I had no room in my office to situate any new officers, so I was not able to accommodate any of those gambling resources. They were physically not able to fit in my office.

It is not an option that they move into my office, so they need to stay where they are for the time being. The only other option I had was to take out additional lease arrangements for the building so that I had additional space. As I have said in this place before, this government has given a commitment that it seeks to fill that second ministerial position as quickly as possible, so I think it would be most foolish for me to be taking out what are often long-term leases when in fact I see that the arrangements around the second minister are only temporary.

So, I have answered that question. I have put that information back on the record today. There is still no room in my office to facilitate those hardworking staff. They are hardworking staff who have continued to do the job that they were employed to do and provide support and assistance.

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