House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Members Members Member for Mackillop, Naming MEMBER FOR MACKILLOP, NAMING The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Then I name the member for MacKillop. Does the member wish to be heard in an explanation or an apology? Mr WILLIAMS House of Assembly Mr WILLIAMS: I certainly do, Madam Speaker. I wish to be heard. I do not wish to make an apology; I have no apology to make. The fact that the government trampled over this house in a manner that it did not understand what it was doing and trampled over the Constitution Act of this state, I do not see why I owe the house any apology at all and I do not see why I should have to remove myself. As I said, I am legally here representing the people of my electorate. It is not their fault that this government is incompetent. It is not their fault. It is the fault of this Premier who thought he could run roughshod over the laws of this state and try to suppress the opposition. Madam Speaker, I put to you—and I have invited you to consult the Constitution Act—and I put to you that I would be letting down the people who put me in this place if I left here when I was not obliged to. They expect me to be here representing them. That is my explanation to the house. I call on any member who thinks that this matter has been done lawfully to stand up and explain to the house how and why it has been done lawfully. The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I note that in the past the opposition have called for a debate on such matters. I indicate that we are prepared to have a five-minute debate on either side, if that is the opposition's desire, before I will move that the explanation not be accepted. We're quite happy to debate it. Mr WILLIAMS House of Assembly Mr WILLIAMS: Debate what? Have you consulted the Constitution Act? The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! I would understand that they are not interested in a debate from that. Do you wish to debate this, with five minutes each side? The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly Elder Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Minister for Housing and Urban Development The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:40): I move: That the apology not be accepted. The house divided on the motion: AYES (28) Atkinson, M.J. Bedford, F.E. Bettison. Z.L. Bignell, L.W. Brock, G.G. Caica, P. Close, S.E. Conlon, P.F. Fox, C.C. Geraghty, R.K. (teller) Hill, J.D. Kenyon, T.R. Key, S.W. Koutsantonis, A. O'Brien, M.F. Odenwalder, L.K. Pegler, D.W. Piccolo, T. Portolesi, G. Rankine, J.M. Rau, J.R. Sibbons, A.L. Snelling, J.J. Such, R.B. Thompson, M.G. Vlahos, L.A. Weatherill, J.W. Wright, M.J. NOES (18) Chapman, V.A. Evans, I.F. Gardner, J.A.W. Goldsworthy, M.R. Griffiths, S.P. (teller) Hamilton-Smith, M.L.J. Marshall, S.S. McFetridge, D. Pederick, A.S. Pengilly, M. Pisoni, D.G. Redmond, I.M. Sanderson, R. Treloar, P.A. van Holst Pellekaan, D.C. Venning, I.H. Whetstone, T.J. Williams, M.R. Majority of 10 for the ayes. Motion thus carried.