West Java Memorandum of Understanding

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (15:05): Supplementary: can the minister outline to the house what the difference is with the original sister-state MOU and the one that is about to be signed with West Java ?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (15:06): I will come back to the house with a considered response.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: I would just say this to a Leader of the Opposition who puts himself out to the people of South Australia as a businessman, it is a little bit underwhelming for this line of questioning because he has done absolutely nothing.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Well, you asked the question.

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order. This is definitely debate.

The SPEAKER: I do not uphold the point of order because the minister was responding to a barrage of out-of-order conduct, including that of the deputy leader; so it does not lie in her mouth to say when he responds to that wall of noise that it is debate. Well, yes it is, but I am not going to take the point of order.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Thank you, Mr Speaker, because this Leader of the Opposition and his trade spokesman have described our Shandong relationship as a 'media opportunity'. They have got no interest in supporting farmers or small business to sell their products. They have done nothing to promote exports or trade, and they are not even communicating with the Hon. Andrew Robb in the federal parliament to better understand the efforts he is undertaking.

What we are doing is growing trade and exports, helping small business—our West Java relationship. You could not have an opposition more out of touch with the business community than this one, and that is why they are still in opposition, have been there for 12 years and probably will be for another 12 years. They are completely out of touch, led by somebody who doesn't get it.

The SPEAKER: The member for Morphett.