ROBIN BRIDGE

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (15:08): My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Now that the Robin Bridge at Nuriootpa has been painted at a total cost of $2,000, will the government show its gratitude to the Barossa community by spending the estimated $600,000 it budgeted for this purpose on a dialysis machine for the community? The Robin Bridge in Nuriootpa had not been repainted for more than 45 years. The Labor government had been lobbied to paint the bridge and did absolutely nothing. Many residents of the Barossa regularly travel great distances to receive dialysis treatment. The savings the government has made in not having to paint the bridge would benefit the region greatly if spent on a dialysis machine for the Barossa.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (15:09): I must take this question quite seriously because the member for Schubert has, he thinks, had a bit of a laugh painting a bridge cheaper than the department would have done it. The reason that occurred is that the member for Schubert, despite being advised a number of times, was told that the bridge had been painted with lead-based paint and there are strict measures enforced—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: —when someone cleans a bridge. Now, of course, the Leader of the Opposition says it is too expensive to observe those protocols and, of course, that's what we did in the past. It was too expensive.

Mr GARDNER: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta.

Mr GARDNER: I think that the minister is coming dangerously close to accusing the member for Schubert of—

The SPEAKER: You're saying he's coming close. He hasn't actually done so and I would also remind members on my left, who I can hear muttering in the background, that the question did include several references to the painting of the bridge, so the minister is answering.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: An allegation that he has saved the state money. What the member for Schubert did do was completely ignore health and safety protocols and environmental protocols that are there for good reasons. I'm sorry, that's what he did.

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, Madam Speaker. If the minister has evidence that he wants to refer to somebody, then he should do that. This is not the time for him to be making accusations.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order in that. You can bring that up afterwards. Minister.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: For the rather confused and floral member—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: —the evidence is that the department advised me, and we subsequently advised the member for Schubert, that the painting of the bridge would have to be done by operating proper protocols with safety equipment to prevent the fugitive escape of lead from the lead-based paint. I am told that the EPA has serious concerns that the actions of the member for Schubert have released fugitive traces of lead into the river beneath.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Madam Speaker, protocols on health and safety and on environmental safety exist for very good reasons. They are not there for the humour or for the stunts of a local member trying to get a headline. They are there to protect people from the dangers of these products. These are the reasons—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: It was too expensive for James Hardie to have proper safety measures in their asbestos factories, so they killed people. That is what we're talking about, Madam Speaker. It is not the subject of a stunt. They exist for good reasons and the member for Schubert should never have done what he did and I hope that he doesn't find himself in trouble over it.

Mr GARDNER: If you're talking about killing people being equated to what the member for Schubert did then it is utterly inappropriate.

The SPEAKER: Order! Thank you. As I said, the question did refer a number of times to the painting of the bridge, therefore the answer was inclusive of that.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! There will be no shouting across the chamber. The member for Port Adelaide.