Buckland Park

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:28): Supplementary, sir: when the Attorney-General as Minister for Planning approved, on 29 September 2016, the extension of time for the terms of the development for the Buckland Park development—

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Point of order, Mr Speaker: the member for Bragg has not sought an explanation. She hasn't asked her question.

The SPEAKER: Can the deputy leader ask a question?

Ms CHAPMAN: When the Attorney signed and approved the application, had he received a submission from Walker Corporation upon which he based the decision to grant the extension and, if so, will he make that available?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for Consumer and Business Services, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (14:29): The answer is that the way this normally happens is that when people wish to have decisions made by the Minister for Planning, whoever that might be—

Ms Chapman: It's you, isn't it?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: It is me presently, yes. When somebody wishes the Minister for Planning to make a decision, the collection of the material and analysis of the material occurs by, as you would expect, officers of the department. They consider whatever has been put forward and they make recommendations to the minister based on the material that they have. My normal practice is to sit down with the relevant departmental officers and discuss with them verbally what the issues in the—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Strangely enough, the Attorney-General never has to do this sort of thing; it's the planning minister. We have one of these meetings and we have a discussion about the issues that might be—

Ms Chapman: Did you do that in this case?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Yes, and so there is a discussion. I form an opinion at the end of the discussion and I make a decision, and that's what happened in this case. This happens to me as planning minister roughly once a week. Sometimes it is less frequently, sometimes it is more frequently; it just depends on what is going on. Whilst I do recall that there was one of these conversations about this matter, and it was in September, I don't presently recall exactly what was sitting in front of me and what wasn't.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader seems to be defying my ruling that he make utterances only within standing orders. Deputy Premier.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I think that basically covers off the process.