House of Assembly: Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Contents

AUSTRALIAN BREASTFEEDING ASSOCIATION

Mr PISONI (Unley) (14:56): My question is to the Minister for Health. Is the backflip on the cut for the Australian Breastfeeding Association funding an admission that the government failed in its pledge to consult, failed to consider the impact of its decision on South Australia and failed to be any different from the 'announce and defend' Labor style South Australians have suffered over a decade?

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I have a point of order.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Sit down, member for Unley.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I'll wait for you to stop yelling then, shall I?

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Unley continue then.

Mr PISONI: I seek leave to explain my question, Madam Speaker.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I rise on a point of order.

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order, Madam Speaker. The question was replete with argument, contrary to standing order 97. I simply point out that now it would be unfair for the minister to be constrained from debate given that the question was utterly replete with argument.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, Minister for Transport. I will uphold that.

Mr PISONI: The minister was the Chairman of the Australian Health Ministers' Conference and signed off on the production of the Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy 2010-15 which I have here and which relies heavily on the Australian Breastfeeding Association for that strategy to be successful.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Health.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts) (14:57): Of course, the member for Unley's question was one question too late because I actually addressed the issues that he dealt with. Can I say that, as someone who benefited from breastfeeding as a very young person, I understand, acknowledge and support and encourage women to be able to breastfeed where ever they choose to do it, might I say, and there should not be any limits, controls or regulations or restrictions on the rights of women to be able to breastfeed. I can assure the house that I fully support the rights of women and—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: —their right to be given information about and support for these natural processes. I have indicated to the house that I have requested my department to take a different approach to dealing with issues around funding for third parties, and that is exactly what we will do. I am not sure that I can add anything further, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: I am advised that someone in the gallery has been taking photos of members of the gallery, and I would just warn them that it is against what happens in this place. If anyone in the gallery did object to having their photograph taken there could be serious consequences. I advise you to be very careful about that.