Members

Members, Naming

The SPEAKER: Accordingly, I name the members for Unley, Hammond, the leader, MacKillop and Chaffey. Could I have a minister to move—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Would the members for Unley, Hammond, the leader, and the members for MacKillop and Chaffey like to be heard in apology and explanation?

Mr PISONI: I will give you an explanation, sir.

The SPEAKER: I have not asked you yet. The member for MacKillop.

Mr WILLIAMS: I do not want to be heard in apology, but I certainly wish the indulgence of the house to hear me in explanation. If we cast back to the election in question almost 12 months ago, when a flyer was distributed throughout the seat of Elder where the candidate for the Liberal Party was one Carolyn Habib the flyer showed a bullet-ridden wall with the words across it, 'Can you trust Habib?' To my recollection every political commentator in South Australia suggested that that was a racist piece of advertising campaign. The member for Elder, I believe, sits in this house at least to some degree because of that campaign. The member for Elder—

The SPEAKER: And that is the justification for calling her a racist?

Mr WILLIAMS: I am not having a debate with you. I am making an explanation to the house as to why I referred to the member as a racist.

The SPEAKER: Would the member make his case, other than the member for Elder was elected?

Mr WILLIAMS: I am absolutely making my case.

The SPEAKER: I would like some causation. Unless the member makes out causation, he will be asked to be seated.

Mr WILLIAMS: I thought I had leave to make an explanation—

The SPEAKER: To be relevant to the allegation that the member for MacKillop made that the member for Elder is a racist, something that the member for Elder did.

Mr WILLIAMS: That is what I am doing.

The SPEAKER: Well, you have not come to it yet.

Mr WILLIAMS: The member for Elder, sir, stood at an election as a Labor candidate, endorsed by the Labor Party of South Australia, where a piece of material was circulated, authorised by the Labor Party in support of her campaign, urging people to vote for her on the basis of a piece of racist material.

The SPEAKER: That is clear. The member for Unley.

Mr PISONI: I endorse the comments of the member for MacKillop, and it's not just the member for MacKillop from this side of politics; it is also Ed Husac, the Muslim member of the federal—

The SPEAKER: Husic.

Mr PISONI: I am sure Hansard will pick it up, sir, thank you. When he called for the Labor Party to apologise about the campaign that they ran in the seat of Elder—

The SPEAKER: Would the member for Unley attach his remarks to the member for Elder.

Mr PISONI: I certainly can, sir. The member for Elder was an active member of that campaign, the campaign that ran the postcard—

The SPEAKER: Okay, that is clear. Would the member for Unley be seated.

Mr PISONI: No, sir, I am not finished. If I may—

The SPEAKER: No, the member for Unley will be seated. The leader.

Mr MARSHALL: Thank you, sir. The member for Elder who sits in this chamber at the moment is the chief beneficiary of the campaign—

The SPEAKER: It is not a question of beneficiary; it is a question of causation.

Mr MARSHALL: Well, I make this point—that she has had almost 12 months to distance herself from that campaign that was run. She hasn't at any time chosen to come in here and distance herself from those clearly racist comments—

The SPEAKER: Okay, that is clear.

Mr MARSHALL: —that were made in her name in that campaign.

The SPEAKER: The leader has made his case clear. I do not accept the explanation. Treasurer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:14): I move:

That the apologies not be accepted.

The SPEAKER: It is moved that the apologies not be accepted.

Members interjecting:

Mr PISONI: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: The motion is that the explanations not be accepted.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:14): I move:

That the explanations not be accepted.

The SPEAKER: Does the member for Chaffey wish to contribute?

Mr WHETSTONE: I certainly do, sir. My remark across the chamber was that it was a racist campaign. I did not—

The SPEAKER: No, no; you got up and said that you adopted the allegation that the member for Elder was a racist.

Mr WHETSTONE: No; the comment I made across the chamber—

The SPEAKER: No; I'm sorry, you did. So you won't mislead the house.

Mr WHETSTONE: Mr Speaker, you didn't hear me. You asked for anyone to accept that they had made a comment across the chamber. I made the comment—

The SPEAKER: So, the member for Chaffey is saying he did not call the member for Elder a racist?

Mr WHETSTONE: The member for Elder had a racist campaign.

Ms Hildyard: You called her a racist. That's unparliamentary.

Mr WHETSTONE: I beg your pardon?

Ms Hildyard: I heard you.

Mr WHETSTONE: I beg your pardon?

Ms Hildyard: I heard you.

Mr WHETSTONE: Sit in your chair and make the accusation.

Ms Hildyard: I heard you.

Mr WHETSTONE: Sit in your chair.

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey—

Mr WHETSTONE: How can you allow anyone to make a comment across the chamber when they're not in their chair, sir?

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey will be seated. As the member for Chaffey has changed his story, I no longer name him. The member for Hammond.

Mr PEDERICK: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Yes, I did acknowledge the member for Elder as a racist, and I do so, that she would have been the final arbiter, as I would have been if I was a candidate in the same campaign, of any material that went out. So she was quite happy to put out a racist campaign against a girl of Canadian and Lebanese descent.

The SPEAKER: I have got the member for Hammond's point. The Treasurer will now move.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey has altered his position so he's no longer the subject of naming. The members for Unley, Hammond, the leader, and MacKillop are named. The Treasurer.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Do you accept that explanation, sir?

The SPEAKER: I imagine the motion the Treasurer would be minded to move is that the explanations not be accepted.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:17): I do so move, sir:

That the explanations not be accepted.

The SPEAKER: It's been moved. Is it seconded? I'll put it at once. Those in favour say aye.

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order sir: it is the practice of the house that this motion is debated. I made that point to the former Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Standing orders is silent on the matter, and I have seen previous Speakers rule that, after the explanation or apology that this matter not be debated further, and I'm going to rule accordingly.

Mr WILLIAMS: Can I seek a point of clarification, sir? Can you name to the house who those previous Speakers—plural—were?

The SPEAKER: Not off the top of my head; I'm not the general manager of the universe. I'll put the motion.

There being a disturbance in the gallery:

The SPEAKER: Before I proceed to the division, under the sessional order the member for Wright and the Minister for Transport are able to vote in the division. I believe during an earlier removal of a member under sessional orders, a member of the gallery on my left made a remark. Would that person care to have the honesty to identify themselves? Thank you.

Would you come to the bar of the house, please? Would the Serjeant-at-Arms take him? Would you stand square on the bar? What did this member of the public say? What did you say?

Ms Sanderson: Can he have legal counsel?

The SPEAKER: No.

Male person: I wasn't happy with what he said in parliament.

The SPEAKER: Yes, but you used an expletive, didn't you?

Male person: I said I wasn't happy.

The SPEAKER: No, you didn't say that. Would the Serjeant-at-Arms please obtain that man's name and address and he will be banned from the parliament and conduct him out of the house precinct?

Male person: Thank you.

The SPEAKER: The motion is that the members be suspended, that the explanations not be accepted.

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, sir. Yes, that is the motion.

The SPEAKER: Yes, thank you, member for MacKillop, that the explanations not be accepted.

The house divided on the motion:

Ayes 24

Noes 19

Majority 5

Motion thus carried.

Mr WILLIAMS: Sir, it is my understanding that it is not permissible for a member of the house to leave the house whilst the bells are ringing. I believe the member for Elder left the house while the bells have been ringing.

The SPEAKER: The Opposition Whip has given me a satisfactory explanation. As the motion has been carried, the four members will now withdraw.

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, sir: is it not the case that the house now needs to move a motion that the members' service be no longer required in the house?

The SPEAKER: Yes, after they have withdrawn. You will be pleased to know that there is a mandatory minimum sentencing in the standing orders.