The Hon. PETER PRIMROSE: My question is directed to the current Minister for Finance and Services. Will the Minister move any government services offshore to pay for the $8 billion in savings unidentified in the budget? If so, what countries will they go to?

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: "The current Minister for Finance and Services". That sounds good.

The Hon. Michael Gallacher: He used to be the current President.

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: He is the expired President. He was a Minister for a while.

The Hon. Duncan Gay: He was one of their better Ministers.

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: He was one of their better Ministers. Just the other day somebody asked me to list the achievements of the Hon. Peter Primrose as Minister.

The Hon. Adam Searle: Point of order: The Minister is not even close to being relevant. He is misusing his position at the lectern not to answer the question but to talk about a different subject matter. I ask you to bring him back to the subject matter of the question.

The Hon. John Ajaka: To the point of order: The question clearly stated the word "current Minister". The Minister is now being generally relevant in relation to that part of the question directed to the current Minister.

The PRESIDENT: Order! As I reminded all Ministers earlier in question time, it is incumbent upon them be generally relevant in their answers at all times.

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: Being the current Minister for Finance and Services, it reminded me of some of the past Ministers for Finance. What about Joe Tripodi? What did Joe Tripodi do as Minister for Finance? He spent $290,000 on an overseas trip. He took his whole staff overseas on a $290,000 trip.

The Hon. Eric Roozendaal: Point of order: The Minister is debating the question. He is not within a bull's roar of addressing the $8 billion of savings announced in the budget. I ask you to make sure that his answer is relevant and he does not debate the question.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Minister is not debating the question. The Minister is in order.

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: That is what the former Finance Minister did. What he shipped offshore was his body and his travelling mates. That is what Labor shifted offshore. I am pleased that the Hon. Eric Roozendaal is here because Eric shipped offshore too.

The Hon. Eric Roozendaal: Point of order: I am concerned that this is becoming a farce. The Minister was asked a question about how he would justify $8 billion worth of savings. He is now going on a tangent discussion as to overseas trips taken by representatives of the previous Government. He is not talking about the Deputy Premier, who spent $50,000 on a trip.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The member will not take a point of order to make a debating point. Has the Minister concluded his answer?

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: Yes.