House of Assembly: Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Contents

MITSUBISHI MOTORS

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (16:20): I think—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: I'm looking for bullet holes, sir. I think that was 'Operation Destruction', and I missed it. It just went bang!

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Right, sir.

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will come to order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I am on my feet.

The Hon. M.D. Rann interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier will come to order! The Leader of the Opposition will not preface his questions with remarks. The Leader of the Opposition.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: How will the Premier ensure that the mistakes made by the government during the implementation of the Structural Adjustment Fund, established to help Mitsubishi workers who lost their jobs at Lonsdale in May 2004, are not repeated with new funding provided to help Tonsley workers? Research provided—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Leave is withdrawn.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: You're going to start that one, are you? You're going to start that one.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: You won't get your legislation through for weeks if you are going to start that.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier.

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) (16:21): Can I just say that, considering the events of yesterday, I think the Leader of the Opposition's reference to bullet holes in his chest is a disgrace, and I think he should apologise. I think it is absolutely disgraceful. Shameful! I have never seen anything like it in this parliament in the 22 years I have been here.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The Leader of the Opposition asked how the Structural Adjustment Scheme to promote industry and jobs in South Australia, which will be offered to replace, of course, what has happened at Tonsley with the imminent closure of the plant, will differ from the mistakes made last time. Let me tell members that the difference will be that we are dealing with a federal Labor government. That is the difference. I know that Ian Macfarlane was very proud of the work that was done, and lots of good programs came out of the Structural Adjustment Scheme after the closure of Lonsdale. What we did by working with Ian Macfarlane, even in an election year, is not to play politics with it. You do not play politics with people's lives and jobs, and that is the difference between you and us.