Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-10-16 Daily Xml

Contents

Worrall, Mr Lance

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:08): I am shocked at the language. I seek leave to make an explanation prior to directing a question to the minister representing the Leader of the Government on the subject of answering questions.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Similar to my colleague the Hon. Mr Dawkins, I raise an issue in relation to non-answers to questions being asked in this chamber. In May of this year, I asked some questions about the taxpayers' continued funding of a position for Mr Lance Worrall, a former chief executive, then a deputy chief executive and now doing project officer work at the University of Adelaide.

Four weeks ago, on 16 September, I asked the minister whether she would provide an answer to the questions first asked in May and, as members would recall, I highlighted that there had been leaked information in terms of draft answers provided to the minister a day after the questions were originally asked in May. Now, four weeks later, the minister has still refused to provide answers to those questions first asked in May.

My question to the minister representing the Leader of the Government is: given that the Leader of the Government is refusing to provide answers and the fact that she is not here today, will he on behalf of the government undertake to bypass the Leader of the Government and provide answers to the questions first asked in May and repeated again four weeks ago in September on the issue of whether taxpayers are still funding Mr Lance Worrall's position at more than $300,000 a year, and what work is he undertaking for the remaining period of his contract?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:10): I thank the honourable member for his most important question, which I understand he directed to my inspirational leader of this house. Of course, it is inappropriate, having directed the question to her, to then ask me to answer it. I undertake to take that question on notice and take it to my inspirational leader, who will then answer it as quickly as she possibly can.