Question Time

Nuclear Waste

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:28): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier confirm that his government's support for a nuclear waste dump is contingent on support from the state branch of the Labor Party?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:28): Sir—

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Newland is called to order.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —the South Australian government's position in relation to this matter is that we are engaged in a community discussion where we are seeking the views of the community about this most crucial issue, which will ultimately be decided as a matter of policy, from our perspective, by the people—not by any one political party, not by your political party, not even by the Leader of the Opposition, but by the people of South Australia as expressed through a referendum. That is the position that we have adopted.

The reason we have adopted that position is that we believe that we should empower the people of South Australia to make this most important choice and not be shut down by the Leader of the Opposition or some of the other voices that have sought to close down debate in this matter. My request to those opposite is simply to remain open-minded about this important question.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, one of the advantages on this side of the house is that we actually had a state conference where we openly discussed this question, and I was given permission to discuss this issue. Can I just contrast that with the process that those opposite engaged in? What we saw in The Advertiser—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: They don't want to hear this, Mr Speaker. They don't want to hear this, but this is the contrast with those opposite and their policy-making processes: in The Advertiser in the morning, 'All but dead and buried'; at 8am on FIVEaa, 'Well, let's see what happens in the Liberal party room on Monday'; at 10am, 'The project is now dead.' Those opposite must be relieved there was not a fourth media conference because he could very well have gone out and said everybody should vote Labor.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Before the next question is asked, I call to order the members for Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Davenport, Mitchell, Unley, Kavel, Schubert, Hammond, Chaffey and Morphett. I warn the members for Morialta, Adelaide, Unley and the deputy leader, and I warn for the second and final time the deputy leader and the members for Morialta and Adelaide, and I call to order the Treasurer. Leader.