Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-09-04 Daily Xml

Contents

Assistant Minister to the Premier

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:25): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Assistant Minister to the Premier.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: At the beginning of question time, the assistant minister tabled some answers to questions without notice. In her answers, the minister states that her office is now on level 13 of the State Administration Building, located at 200 Victoria Square. Despite numerous unsuccessful attempts to contact that office, it has basically been relayed to us that there isn't an office up there, but that is for a later date.

Secondly, the minister also told us that she 'could not establish an email account until completion of Machinery of Government changes and the availability of an office for my occupation. This occurred on 27 August.' We all know, those people who have been ministers, that it takes two hours to set up an email account and all the other ministers and the like had theirs within hours of being appointed. That is for another day, I might say. That is an issue for another day, but just to—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Let the honourable member ask his question. Ask the question.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Just be aware that these answers seem to be misleading. I would like to ask the question—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Just ask the question, Hon. Mr Wortley.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: —why is the assistant minister the only person with ministerial responsibilities on the Premier's website that doesn't have an email contact?

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:27): I was allocated an office on 27 August, so since then I have set up my email address, and it is the machinery of government as per my answers tabled earlier. There is a ministerial adviser attached to multicultural affairs and that person, my ministerial adviser, can be contacted since I was appointed assistant minister. So, in every which way, we certainly have dealt with the people we serve. I am answerable to the people of South Australia. I have done in every way my role as Assistant Minister to the Premier and all the correspondence has certainly been taken into account.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.S. LEE: They are certainly able to find me. When I was—I kind of checked into my office on the 13th floor of the State Administration Building and realised, on 27 August, that on my desk there was a computer. I had been allocated an email address; however, they have not given me a phone. Since then, I have applied or let my office know there is no phone sitting on my desk, and those are facts. However, the whole Multicultural South Australia, the whole department, has moved into the 13th floor, so if anybody wants to attempt to contact me, the Hon. Russell Wortley, they can either contact me here in Parliament House or at Multicultural South Australia. There is every which way if somebody wants to contact me, they will be able to find me. I am in the public domain. Thank you.