MURRAY RIVER IRRIGATORS

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: I have a supplementary question to the Premier. Given that he has committed his government to the establishment of a loan scheme to help irrigators, and noting the seriousness of the crisis besetting the Riverland, will he take charge of the water portfolio and provide leadership through this crisis?

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:22): Can I just say this: let us just make it very clear that the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Party do not give a damn about Murray irrigators, and that is the difference because—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —let us just remember that, earlier in the year, they wanted a total surrender to what the federal government wanted. They did not want the independent commission. That is what we fought for and let us remember—

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Davenport will come to order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The fact is that, in exchange for South Australia handing over its powers to the federal government over the River Murray, a promise was made to the nation by the Prime Minister that $10 billion be made available for a rescue package—and not one single cent has been spent. I will tell you about the scheme being proposed by Dean Brown, because the difference between Dean Brown and you is that Dean Brown is more concerned about the state, the irrigators and the people affected by the drought, rather than playing party politics in an election campaign. I want to ask a question of the Leader of the Opposition: why did he not—

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will take his seat. It is not necessary for the Leader of the Opposition to scream his point of order over the Premier, I will sit the Premier down. The Leader of the Opposition has a point of order.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: My point of order is simply that standing orders are very clear. The opposition asks the questions: the government answers them, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

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

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Last week I wrote to the Prime Minister and Kevin Rudd and, as I revealed to the house yesterday, I asked that a proportion of that $10 billion be spent and committed to a loan scheme developed by Dean Brown to assist Riverland irrigators. It is very interesting. While I was contacting John Howard and Kevin Rudd, we saw the Leader of the Opposition meet John Howard (we were told), but did he even raise the issue of the drought or the irrigators with the Prime Minister? No, because that is the difference—Dean Brown puts state before party, and all you want to do is play games.