House of Assembly: Thursday, May 01, 2008

Contents

NORTHERN SUBURBS

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:15): My question is to the Premier, or a pretender, or whoever. Will the Premier appoint a minister for the northern suburbs and will he give him more attention and resources than those given to the Minister for the Southern Suburbs? Yesterday the opposition asked the Premier whether he endorsed the comments of his colleague the member for Little Para who said that if northern suburbs identity Jimmy Barnes thought government infrastructure in the northern suburbs was so run down, as reported in Mr Barnes' letter in the Sunday Mail last weekend, then Jimmy Barnes should put his money where his mouth is: 'Put up or shut up,' she said.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:16): This is a very sad moment for me and a very difficult moment. I would ask for indulgence and some sympathy, because I first saw Cold Chisel and Jimmy at the tender age of 16. I snuck into the Lady Largs Hotel—

Mr Koutsantonis interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I didn't drink. I first saw Jimmy on stage with his bottle of scotch. I am, I believe, one of the greatest Cold Chisel and Jimmy Barnes fans ever to be in this place. In fact, when the ABC (that publicly funded broadcaster) was asking people about their favourite song and favourite pieces of music, John Hill said it was Mahler and Mike Rann said it was Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. They asked me, and what did I say—Jimmy. I saw Cold Chisel return in the round at the Entertainment Centre. I have been a great fan of Jimmy Barnes. I have all his records. I have 'records' of Jimmy Barnes! I have the Circus Animals record. I have a number of DVDs. I have followed all Jimmy's career, so it saddens me now—

Mr Williams: I bet he is not following yours.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No, that could well be true. I have seen The Tin Lids, too. However, I have to say that it pains me to criticise Jimmy, but Jimmy needs to be criticised because I concur completely with my colleague: he was out of line and wrong, plain wrong.

An honourable member: He should be Treasurer!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: And I should be fronting a band.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: And what part would you play in the band?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I would be the lead singer because 'I'm a working-class man'. He is wrong because we are doing a lot out north. We have a battalion of soldiers heading north to protect us. A lot is happening out north, a hell of a lot. Jimmy just has to realise that—

The Hon. J.D. Lomax-Smith: Playford.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Playford North. We are building houses out there, lots of them.

The Hon. J.D. Lomax-Smith: Schools.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Schools: we have superschools; PPP superschools. PPPs, not privatised: they are PPP schools.

An honourable member: Northern Expressway.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Northern Expressway. I actually also like John Swan, his half brother. Jimmy Barnes' half brother is John Swan, Swanee.

Ms Breuer: I like David Campbell best!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: That's his son. We are doing lots out north and I hope Jimmy can take the opportunity—Marty, where are you going? Don't you like Jimmy?

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Not been a good day for Marty.

The SPEAKER: The member for Davenport.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the—

The SPEAKER: I apologise to the member for Davenport. I did not see the member for Morialta on her feet. The call does pass to this side.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Mr Speaker, I have a point of order. You did give me the call. You may have seen the member for Morialta, but you gave me the call.

The SPEAKER: The call does pass to this side of the chair. The member for Morialta.