Parliamentary Procedure

STANDING ORDERS SUSPENSION

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (10:32): I move:

That standing orders be so far suspended as to enable me to move the second reading of the Adelaide Park Lands (Facilitation of Development of Victoria Park) Amendment Bill forthwith.

The SPEAKER: I have counted the house and, as an absolute majority of the whole number of members of the house is not present, ring the bells.

An absolute majority of the whole number of members being present:

The SPEAKER: There being an absolute majority of the whole number of members of the house present, is the motion seconded?

An honourable member: Yes, sir.

The SPEAKER: Does the Leader of the Opposition wish to speak to the motion?

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Yes, I do, sir. I put to the house that this bill, listed well down the Notice Paper, must be brought forward and considered first in proceedings this morning. I do so, Mr Speaker, because the government has announced a very expensive infrastructure proposal for Victoria Park involving a $20 million temporary grandstand, which will be used only as a corporate box during Clipsal 500 races. It is doing so because the government has walked away from a better proposal—a $50 million government commitment—for a much larger proposal to build a stand that would be genuinely available to all people because it would be used on 30 occasions a year by the South Australian Jockey Club for twilight racing.

This bill would enable the government to acquire a lease of the Parklands area so that it could go ahead with its original proposal. The bill has passed through the other place; all that is required is for the bill to pass through this house and the parliament and the government can have its wish, that is, to go ahead and build a grandstand and joint-user facility at Victoria Park.

We need to debate this bill this morning, Mr Speaker, because the government is out there blaming the council. Well, the council has to represent its ratepayers. The government, through this bill, has an opportunity to represent the people of not only the whole of the City of Adelaide but the whole state, and what they want is infrastructure in the Parklands so that they can be used. We have an opportunity to debate this matter this morning, but what must occur is that the government must understand—

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, my understanding is that the Leader of the Opposition is speaking on a motion to suspend standing orders to allow this item to be debated: he is actually debating the substance of the bill. We are quite happy to give leave for this bill to be debated, but I think the Leader of the Opposition is out of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: We are happy for you to debate it.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Premier will take his seat. I have listened to what the Leader of the Opposition has been saying, and I do not think he has said anything so far in terms of debating the bill. I do remind the Leader of the Opposition that he does need to speak just to the motion to suspend.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will continue because I will not know until the end of my remarks whether the government will allow this matter to go on.

The Hon. K.O. Foley interjecting:

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Is that an iron-clad commitment?

The Hon. K.O. Foley interjecting:

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: All right; so we will deal with it now.

The Hon. K.O. Foley interjecting:

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Well, if the government is prepared to allow this debate to proceed, I am happy to proceed, but it must be dealt with immediately.

The Hon. K.O. Foley interjecting:

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Okay.

The Hon. K.O. Foley interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! One other member can speak. Normally, it would pass to the other side. The member for Mitchell is standing, but I will give precedence to a member on the government side if the government wishes to respond.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: If I give the member for Mitchell the call, he is the only other person who can speak on the motion to suspend.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: This is a matter for the government and the opposition, sir. I would like to take the call.

Mr HANNA: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: before we deal with that, I thought that the point of having another speaker on a procedural motion like this was to have a debate for and against, rather than two speakers in favour of the motion.

Members interjecting:

Mr HANNA: It is not Stalinist Russia, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Order! Just before the Deputy Premier speaks, I take the member for Mitchell's point. Perhaps it is something that is lacking in the standing orders; however, I think that the government does need to be given an opportunity to respond even if it is just to agree with the motion. If I were to allow the member for Mitchell to respond, the government would not be able to have a say. I apologise to the member for Mitchell for that. There seems to be a shortcoming in the standing orders that perhaps we should have a look at. The Deputy Premier.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Sir, the government supports the opposition's right to have this issue debated.

The house divided on the motion:

AYES (42)

NOES (2)

Majority of 40 for the ayes.

Motion thus carried.

The Hon. R.B. SUCH: I rise on a point of order, Mr Speaker. I ask for your ruling as to whether this is a money bill, given that this is bill No. 118, and given that it requires the Treasurer to be involved in leasing and authorising the use of the land for motorsport, horse racing and other functions, which would involve expenditure by the government. Is this a money bill that can be introduced only by a minister of the Crown?

The SPEAKER: My knowledge of constitutional law is a little bit rusty. I will have a look at it. I do not think it is a money bill, but I will have a look at it and take some advice. In the meantime, I will allow the debate to proceed.