Steel Industry

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:28): Given the minister's indication of commitment to the steel industry in South Australia, will he now ensure that the O-Bahn project is redesigned to enable South Australian steel to be used in that project?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:28): Can I thank the deputy leader for her ongoing interest in this matter. Of course, her suggestion today is slightly changed from her previous position which was that the project should be halted until the particular type of steel that is needed to be used for one part of the project—the sheet piling, which cannot be manufactured here in South Australia—could be manufactured elsewhere in Australia. Of course, that completely neglects the fact that approximately—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: The deputy leader and the member for Unley—

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned for the second and final time, as is the deputy leader.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —offered this question to the leader, he turned it away, and now he wants to have his two cents' worth. Make up your mind on the front bench over there. Who asked the questions? Both of them would be dreadful.

Mr Whetstone: How much Australian steel was in all your other infrastructure projects?

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is warned.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: As I was saying—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader will withdraw from the house under the sessional order for 45 minutes. I remind members that there is the power to name also.

The honourable member for Bragg having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: As I was in the course of saying, around 1,700 tonnes of steel to be used in the O-Bahn project is to be sourced locally and approximately a similar amount (just under 2,000 tonnes) to be constructed of sheet piling. So, nearly 50 per cent of the steel to be used in the O-Bahn project is to be sourced locally, as opposed to the other position of the opposition, which is not to invest in any infrastructure at all, because they regard it as a false economy. Seventeen-hundred tonnes of steel—

Mr GARDNER: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order, member for Morialta.

Mr GARDNER: The first offence in the current arrangement was the minister debating—

The SPEAKER: The minister will be seated.

Mr GARDNER: Standing order No. 98.

The SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order. Does the minister have anything further?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: The point is made, Mr Speaker.