China-Australia Free Trade Agreement

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (14:47): Supplementary: given the Treasurer has said that 'we are at one', Premier, can you advise whether you supported the motion and how many of South Australia's Labor MPs supported the motion?

The SPEAKER: I am not sure that any minister is responsible for any member other than himself or herself supporting a motion, but is the Minister for Health going to answer?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I was going to say, sir, that neither the Premier nor is any minister responsible for the way he or she votes at an ALP event, ALP function, not responsible to the house.

Mr PISONI: Point of order: it is very relevant how cabinet members vote at the ALP conference because ALP members of parliament are bound by decisions of the conference.

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley will be seated. I take the view that it is part of a minister's public conduct and therefore the minister is responsible for his utterances and vote or her utterances and vote, but not responsible for any other minister or member. So, is the question of the member for Chaffey directed to the Premier?

Mr WHETSTONE: Yes, it is, sir.

The SPEAKER: Alright. Premier?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:48): I participated in the first two days of the ALP National Conference and made a contribution in relation to a very important issue for South Australia, which is the question of the Future Submarines project and promoted—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I wasn't at the national conference—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: No, I had other commitments.

The SPEAKER: Premier, will you be seated. If the deputy leader moves her lips out of order again in the next 30 minutes she will be ejected under the standing order. Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I was asked a question directly about my contribution to the debate and I was not at the national conference for the purposes of that debate. My contributions were made at the debate concerning the Future Submarines project where I advocated for a 30-year continuous shipbuilding program and a 30-year continuous submarine building program for the Labor Party should they form a government. It is my intention, whoever happens to form a government and whoever is seeking to form a government in the lead-up to the next election, to advocate strongly for both of those propositions in the lead-up to the election. I will also be powerfully advocating, whatever the position of federal Labor or the federal Liberal Party is, for a strong position in relation to local jobs.

Mr Marshall: What about the free trade agreement?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, that's what I'm talking about. I will advocate strongly for projects that are built here in South Australia to have a workforce which is working on those projects to be an Australian workforce. That will be my position. I will be strongly advocating for that. There are ample—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Let me tell you: there are ample state safeguards to ensure that the South Australian workforce and South Australian standards are applied to any project that is built here in South Australia. So, whatever the commonwealth government's ambitions are, whatever the federal Labor Party view might be about this, my position in South Australia is that we will use state-based regulatory processes and ensure that we maintain standards. That includes—

Mr Marshall: Do you support the free trade agreement with China?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Of course I do, but that includes protecting—

Mr Marshall: So you support the free trade agreement with China?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: We have been here with a ministerial statement supporting the free trade agreement. What we do not support is the bringing in of overseas labour to South Australia to work on projects here in South Australia in contradiction of the standards and occupational licensing arrangements which are governed by the state and territory governments. That's something we will insist on, and there will be no federal regulation or federal strictures that will prevent us from doing anything other than insisting on those obligations. I support the free trade agreement because it is a positive for South Australia and is consistent with the approach that we have taken in relation to internationalising the South Australian economy, but it won't be about compromising Labor standards or jobs for South Australians here on South Australian projects.

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I would like to congratulate the member for Schubert on his excellent interjection, which probably wasn't captured by Hansard, and I call the member for Schubert.