CONSTITUTION (REFORM OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND SETTLEMENT OF DEADLOCKS ON LEGISLATION) AMENDMENT BILL

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:47): Has the Premier spoken to the Attorney-General about the Attorney-General's failure to maintain a majority in the house last night when he knew that the government's constitution bill, which was to be voted on, required an absolute majority to be present?

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON (Croydon—Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:47): Mr Speaker—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: There were many members from both sides absent last night for one reason or another—some paired, some not. The government needed to obtain a constitutional majority of 24 and did not do so at the relevant time through my fault, through my own fault, through my own grievous fault. For Anglicans I will translate that: We are very sorry for these our misdoings; the remembrance of them is grievous unto us; the burden of them is intolerable. We managed lawfully and—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: —through proper procedures, using precedents used by previous Liberal governments within my memory—precedents that were used by former ministers Brokenshire and Evans—to recommit the bill validly. We were in the same position—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Bragg!

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: —this morning with the Legislative Council reform as we intended to be this time yesterday.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: First of all, the member for Bragg accuses us of not using our numbers and then she accuses us of using our numbers. The fact of the matter is that I have been in this place almost 20 years and nearly every day standing orders are suspended. But I think that we have to have a long, hard look at the generosity of granting pairs. We have to ask ourselves why, instead of leading the Parliamentary Liberal Party from the front, the Leader of the Opposition was at home during discussion of a constitutional bill.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: We have to avoid the situation in future where the Leader of the Opposition is summoned from her bed and returns to the chamber dressed in a combination of pyjamas and gym gear.

Ms CHAPMAN: I have a point of order, sir. That is nothing but an insult and it is completely irrelevant to the question before the house.

The SPEAKER: Order! It is a discourtesy to refer to the absence of an individual member from the chamber at any time and I ask the Attorney-General to refrain from the practice.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: Government members were absent last night and opposition members were absent last night. The opposition was down to single figures in this chamber but, nevertheless, it was an error, a mistake, by the government not to have a constitutional majority at the relevant time. We accept our fault for that. We acted swiftly to remedy the matter—

Mr Hanna: Recalled the troops.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: Recalled the troops, indeed, wherever they were. Let us not lose sight of the issue that was before the parliament. The issue that was before the parliament is that the Rann Labor government wishes to reduce the number of state MPs—

Ms CHAPMAN: I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. This is a bill before the parliament and it is not to be a subject of question time. It is a matter still alive before the parliament. In fact, we are still on clause 1.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! If the house comes to order I will give a ruling. I will listen to what the Attorney-General says, but, yes, he must not pre-empt debate. As the member for Bragg rightly points out, the matter is still before the house.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: The opposition asked about the bill—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: The difference between the Rann government and the Liberal opposition is that we want to give the people of South Australia the right to vote on this question.

Ms CHAPMAN: I have point of order, sir. The Attorney-General is debating the substance of the bill which is before the house.

The SPEAKER: Order! I think the Attorney-General has finished in any case.