STANDING ORDERS SUSPENSION

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:30): I move:

That the house suspend standing orders at the completion of grievances to allow a half an hour debate in accordance with the Leader of the Opposition's requirements.

The SPEAKER: As there is an absolute majority of members present, I accept the motion.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: As I said, in the view of the government, this is a stunt. Had it wanted to make the River Murray the priority of the day, the opposition could have approached the government at 12 noon today—in line with normal procedures of the house—and requested that we not have a question time. It could have said that the most important priority of the day was, indeed, a debate on the Murray. It did not do that. It preferred to ask questions in question time because that was a higher priority.

This government will not be dictated to by the opposition as to when we have debates. We are a fair government, and, had we been approached at midday today, we would have been more than happy to suspend standing orders to allow question time to be put to one side to allow the opposition to have a fair dinkum debate over the Murray—if, indeed, as it says, that is its highest priority. Clearly, it is not: it is a stunt. We are happy. We have backbenchers who have issues they want to raise, as we know members opposite do. If the opposition does not want to use its grievances, we will do six grievances on this side.

Backbenchers get very limited opportunity to participate in a free and open debate on matters that affect their electorates. This government does have a care and concern for its backbenchers and we want them to have their moment, given that this is the last—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

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

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: This is the last sitting week before the break, and it is only appropriate that backbenchers be given a chance to get issues that concern them and their electorate on the record. At the end of that we are more than happy for the Leader of the Opposition to have his half an hour. That is a sensible procedure and orderly behaviour and program for the house. I look forward to the leader participating in that debate.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (15:32): The government has had its opportunity to vote in favour of a debate on the River Murray, and the Premier and the Treasurer have debated against it. I will tell you how the opposition will deal with this matter. We will grieve—

The Hon. K.O. Foley interjecting:

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: It will not wait until 4.30. We will have ours right now. We will get up and speak right now as part of the grievance process. If you want to participate in the debate by having three grievers address the issue of the Murray, we can have our debate—five minutes, five, five, five, five and five. If you want to play games, push it off until after 4.30, or thereabouts, to suit you to make some odd point. I just say to the Premier that, if he is serious about meeting his commitment to debate me, stay here now and be first griever. Come on. Let's have the debate.

They can do whatever they like. We're going to get up and speak about the River Murray right now. We will use grieves to do it, and we will argue our case with three speakers right now. If you want to be part of the debate, do so. If you want to get up and talk about arboretums at Salisbury, or the condition of the footpaths in Salisbury or some other stupidity then go right ahead. Just signal to the people of South Australia whether or not you are serious about the River Murray. You can do so now by getting your three speakers—five, five and five. Let's debate the Murray. It is too important to wait until whenever you decide that orders of the day are over.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:34): I have a right of reply. Standing orders provide that I get a right of reply.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I do. Fair dinkum, the Leader of the Opposition really does make an embarrassment of himself. He is now saying that he does not want a half hour debate, and he has accused us of playing games because we are allotting him a half an hour. It just happens to be half an hour later than the half hour he wanted. Give me a break! What land am I in? Am I in some sort of twilight zone? I mean, where is this guy coming from? Tactically, he is no genius.

As I said, if the most important, pressing, urgent order of the day was the debate on the River Murray, he could have approached the Acting Leader of Government Business (me) or the Premier and said, 'Get rid of question time, give us an hour to debate it,' and we would have agreed. So, clearly, debating the Murray for him today was not the most important priority of the day. Secondly, for him to deride and to be derisory of local members wanting to make contributions about their local electorates is offensive; not just to local members, but to constituents and to residents who want issues raised. I would not think the member for Flinders would agree with what you just said, given that she quite effectively uses grievances to raise issues of passion and importance for her electorate.

Seriously, if you were fair dinkum and not about playing games, you would have come to us at midday and you could have had an hour. You do not come to the Premier, as question time is about to begin, and say, 'Hey, I'm going to suspend standing orders, this is what I want to do.' This is a parliament where the government of the day has the majority. We are a fair government when it comes to giving opposition exposure to debates. We have done more for an opposition to give you access to parliament than any other government. I was in opposition for eight years. We guarantee ten questions a day. When I was in opposition we never got that. We would be lucky to get four or five questions. All I say to the Leader of the Opposition and his three stooges sitting up there in the gallery, who love to laugh and carry on, is get your tactics right, then you might be in a position to show that you have some political smarts.

As for today, we intend to have the debate at 10 past 4, or whenever it is. If the opposition chooses not to turn up, that will show how big a sham it was and how much of a non-priority this issue is for you.

Motion carried.