PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Mr HANNA (Mitchell) (10:32): I move:

That standing and sessional orders be and remain so far suspended so as to enable all Private Members' Business—Bills: Orders of the Day listed for this day to be taken through all remaining stages, without any further debate, forthwith and that all Private Member's Business—Other Motions: Orders of the Day listed for this day be taken into consideration and the question put, without any further debate, forthwith.

This is a motion in similar terms to that which I moved yesterday. It seems to me that when the house is to be prorogued we lose the opportunity to debate or vote on all the matters listed on the Notice Paper which have not been dealt with up to the point of prorogation. It is a sad day for the parliament because members are robbed of the opportunity to contribute on the various issues.

I realise that yesterday the government had no concern about the remaining items, which were mainly standing committee reports, disappearing into thin air upon the parliament being prorogued. So, I moved the motion yesterday to ensure at least that committee reports would be noted before parliament rose for the break, and that was rejected by the government and also the opposition, I might add. I am sure that the government will have no compunction in throwing out this motion today which otherwise would at least get a vote on the many private members' items which are before the parliament.

To give an idea of the significance of what we are talking about, not only is one bill yet to be moved: 32 bills are already on the Notice Paper asorders of the day and, in terms of other motions (leaving aside those motions which have not yet been put), we have no fewer than 38 motions which have been moved and yet which have not had the opportunity of a decision by the members of this house.

It seems to me that it would be a neat way to wrap up a parliamentary session if we were to have a vote on outstanding matters. I realise that this, of course, is not acceptable to the government, but there has to be a better way of dealing with business than having people move bills and motions and then having those items sit there for months on end only to have them finally vanish. That may be a perfect state of affairs for incumbent governments from time to time but it is not good for democracy. That is why I have moved this motion: to see that we get a decision on some of these important issues that non-government members have brought to this house.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (10:35): The government opposes this motion as the member for Mitchell has outlined. We oppose it for the same reasons we opposed his motion yesterday. In a good democracy bills are debated and members' views are heard. To have those views heard is important for the democratic process, as it is important for the parliament and the people of South Australia to hear the views of all 47 members of this house. To simply guillotine debate, which is what in effect the member for Mitchell wishes to do, I think takes away our democratic freedoms. I think that using the guillotine—and this may haunt me one day—is an abuse of the parliamentary system and a measure that should be used sparingly, unless it is in the public interest.

An honourable member: Good point.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, I was thinking that as I was saying it.

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: But I do not think you will be around to use it by the time I—

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: That's right. I oppose this motion and I also inform the house that it has been a practice and a tradition of this house that, when the parliament prorogues, all these things are taken off the Notice Paper. It has always happened in the past; it will happen again in the future. It is simply the way the house has chosen to manage its business. There may be better ways of managing it; we agree with the member for Mitchell in that respect—and I see the father of the house listening to my speech probably for the first time in his career—but I think the important part about bills and motions from private members is the debate and, by guillotining that debate and simply voting on matters without having any debate, we lessen our influence in this place. So, while I am sympathetic to the member for Mitchell—

Mr Hanna: How meaningful the debates are.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: How meaningful the debates are is important. That is why we have Hansard, that is why we have the galleries open, so that people can hear our views.

Mr Hanna interjecting:

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: The member may say that, but the government opposes this, it is undemocratic. Guillotines should be used sparingly rather than as a rule.

Motion negatived.