PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (15:08): My question is again to the Premier. Why, under his leadership, is the government donating taxpayers' money to libraries in Puglia while cutting $1 million in funding to our own South Australian public libraries?

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (15:09): Here is the thing: this was publicly announced in 2007 in a press release and it has taken you 3½ years.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The Centre for Australian Studies is based in southern Italy and there is a $10,000 donation of books and South Australian Film Corporation movies to that university, the University of Lecce. It makes sense. We are trying to make the relationship work. We now have a massive multiple billion dollar relationship with places like China. That started because John Bannon started a relationship with Shandong. We have now had enormous dividends—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I warn the member for Unley for the third time.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —from the relationship that we started with India where we have an office and a training board.

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order.

Ms FOX: Madam Speaker, I know this will seem slightly ridiculous but standing order 131 is about members interjecting. I cannot hear a thing and he is sitting right there.

The SPEAKER: I uphold that point of order; I cannot hear a thing either.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Have you finished your answer, Premier?

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Yes.