PRIME MINISTERIAL VISIT

The Hon. P.L. WHITE (Taylor) (14:21): My question is to the Premier: Can the Premier detail to the house his discussions with the Prime Minister earlier this afternoon?

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) (14:21): I am delighted to discuss my conversation with the Prime Minister. I met with him for more than an hour earlier this afternoon. Obviously top of the agenda was the water situation and the River Murray. As to the River Murray, I was able to inform him about my visits both to the Riverland prior to Christmas with the Minister for the River Murray and also, of course, more recently, with the Minister for the River Murray and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries to the Lower Lakes. I was able to tell him about the dire situation facing people in the Lower Lakes. Obviously that visit recently showed both the deteriorating quality of water and quantity of water in the lakes, and I explained to him the perilous situation facing communities in the Lower Lakes.

I have to say that the Prime Minister was particularly well apprised of the situation. Obviously this is very central to his agenda. I know there has been a series of discussions between Penny Wong and a number of the people involved in this, including both with me and also Premier Brumby. Our position remains as it was over a year ago; that is, we fundamentally believe that central to any long-term, medium-term solution for the River Murray are two things: first of all, rain. It is absolutely essential we get some rain in the basin. That is something for which we cannot have responsibility; but, secondly and most importantly, there should be one commission—not a River Murray Authority with veto powers by various states and then a River Murray Commission. There needs to be one independent commission running the River Murray which is empowered to make all the hard decisions. Not just the day-to-day running of the River Murray, but also covering everything from entitlement flows, to environmental flows, to buy-backs right across the system.

So, my belief, right from the start, remains the same; that is, the absolute key to fixing the River Murray in terms of its management is to have a single commission that has independence with real power running the River Murray. That is something that is the same position as the federal Rudd government, as it was with John Howard. I am pleased that there have been discussions and progress with Premier Brumby. From a joint statement issued by Premier Brumby and Penny Wong in recent days, I understand that they have made significant progress in terms of having a single commission running the River Murray. So all power to Penny Wong.

Let us remember that Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong have done a damn sight more in 11½ weeks than the former government did in 11½ years—and that is the difference. I saw various statements being made. You did not hear it from that side of the house. Eleven and a half years—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —of inaction by the former federal government. Compare the progress in 11½ weeks to 11½ years of the Liberals doing nothing except talk about the River Murray, and that is the difference. It was all about spin, spin, spin. Other issues discussed were climate change. Obviously this is an area on which I was able to brief him as I did the Council of the—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Is that right? Let me just explain a few parliamentary procedures for those in the house that might not know. Can I just say that the parliament was sitting all this morning? The Leader of the Opposition did not seek to give a speech. He knows that under the rules of this parliament—probably for the last 100 years—you have to give an hour's notice to make a speech.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: So what we saw was a stunt.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will come to order and return to the question.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I should not respond to his interjections, inane as they are. On climate change, I was able to brief the Prime Minister that I expected that, during 2009, South Australia would reach a target of 20 per cent of our power coming from renewable energy, which would put us into a world leadership position and bring us ahead of the national target of achieving it by 2020. Our target is to achieve it by 2014, but I believe we will reach it in 2009. I also briefed him about the feed-in laws which, of course, were passed in this parliament just a couple of weeks ago, as well as a range of other initiatives that we are doing on the climate change front.

I was also able to brief the Prime Minister about last week's Council of the Federation meeting that was held here in Adelaide, partly as a joint exercise with the Canadians but also a very substantive agenda of the Council of the Federation. We talked about Mitsubishi and about the very strong collaboration between the federal and state governments in terms of a package of measures to assist workers as well as a package of measures designed to pool our resources (federally and at the state level) to get industry into the south. I am delighted with the outcome of the negotiations on a package, which I understand has been accepted by Mitsubishi workers. That is terrific; it is a good package. I am also delighted with the take-up of industries from around the country—particularly here in South Australia—who want to offer jobs to Mitsubishi workers. Ultimately, that is what it is all about.

A range of issues were discussed: mining, defence, water, the River Murray, climate change, the Council of the Federation, obviously COAG issues and Mitsubishi. It was a very strong meeting with the Prime Minister, and I thought that the house deserved at least a briefing on what just occurred.