House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Victoria Park Redevelopment VICTORIA PARK REDEVELOPMENT Mr HAMILTON-SMITH House of Assembly Waite Leader of the Opposition VICTORIA PARK REDEVELOPMENT Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:34): My question is to the Minister for the City of Adelaide. What is her current position on Victoria Park? In 2004, the Premier claimed—there he goes— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Mr HAMILTON-SMITH House of Assembly Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: —that he would protect Victoria Park from development and he introduced the Adelaide Parklands Bill. On 20 December 2006— The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: On a point of order, I know that we can withdraw leave to explain. Once again, the Leader of the Opposition is setting out in an explanation, which is inflammatory and involves comments not— Members interjecting: The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: If the Leader of the Opposition can contain himself (and I know that he is in difficult times at the moment), I point out that his question was: what is the position of the Minister for the City of Adelaide? His explanation was then something the Premier apparently said in 2004. I simply point out that, if he is going to engage in that, we should not get points of order about relevance or debate. If you are going to start a question with an inflammatory explanation that is unnecessary, you should not take points of order. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Just before I call the minister, I will respond to the Minister for Transport's point of order. I have to admit that I was not paying close attention to the explanation. I know—maybe I had better resign. I was not paying as close attention as perhaps I should have. Explanations should be contained to what is necessary to render the question intelligible both to the person being asked the question and to the house, and they should not be used as an opportunity to make debating points. However, I have in the past given a fair bit of latitude to members in their explanation without withdrawing leave, provided that similar latitude is extended to the minister in answering the question. Mr HAMILTON-SMITH House of Assembly Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will continue my explanation. In 2004, the Premier claimed that he would protect Victoria Park from development, and he introduced the Adelaide Parklands Bill. On 20 December 2006, he announced a plan to build a permanent grandstand at Victoria Park. On 6 December 2007, that commitment was publicly abandoned but, earlier this week, the Premier announced that his new vision for Victoria Park was to leave up the temporary grandstand on a more permanent basis. What is the minister's position? The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH House of Assembly Adelaide Minister for Education Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Minister for Tourism Minister for the City of Adelaide The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH (Adelaide—Minister for Education, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (14:37): I will respond to the Leader of the Opposition. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH House of Assembly The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: What I can say about my position on Victoria Park is that, unlike his and that of the opposition, it has never changed: it is absolutely consistent. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order!