House of Assembly: Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Contents

NORTHERN EXPRESSWAY

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15:12): Is the Minister for Transport hiding further cost blow-outs to the construction of the Northern Expressway by now purchasing land, which was originally part of the Northern Expressway project, as part of the Gawler River flood mitigation plan or other similar projects? Affected residents have told the opposition that they now fear that they will be paid only a fraction of their real estate land value as it is being acquired as part of the Gawler River flood mitigation scheme, not as part of the Northern Expressway project.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (15:13): I am struggling to understand the question, which, of course, had a great deal of comment.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I thank the member for Bragg; she is always very helpful in providing information. She has a voice like a Ryobi power tool. If I understand it, the allegation is that we are hiding a cost blow-out in the Northern Expressway by using that money to purchase land for a flood mitigation scheme. This bloke comes in to the house time after time. And they are going after him again. They are interjecting about the public servant who they defamed in this place quite wrongly out there. They have alleged conflicts with public servants that did not exist. This is a guy—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Well, I will tell you this: I am prepared to come into this house and humbly apologise if there is anything in what he has alleged if he is prepared to come in and humbly apologise for once again getting it utterly wrong. There you go! I will come in here; I will humbly apologise if there is anything in what he says if he is prepared to do the same. Come on! Are you going to do it? Put your hand up! Do you have faith in your allegation? No. You are weak; you have always been weak. You have come into this place, you have told us that there is legionnaire's disease in the trams, public servants had conflict. He accused the fire brigade when someone died because they were not there. Just once put your mouth where your mouth is. Just tell us. I will be prepared to come in and apologise if what you say is right. Are you prepared to apologise that getting it wrong again? Will you do it? No, you won't!

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker: he is clearly debating. The minister has been here long enough: we ask the questions, he gives an answer.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Can I just point out to all members, if they have a point of order there is an orderly way of drawing it to my attention, and that is to get up and draw it to my attention. Calling out, 'Debate, debate, this is debate, this is debate' by way of interjection is not an orderly way to draw my attention, and I will ignore such interjections.