Nuclear Waste

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:42): My question is to the Minister for Regional Development. Would the minister like a second chance to voice his support for the Premier's plan to create a nuclear waste dump in South Australia?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Adelaide is warned and the member for Davenport is warned.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:43): As the business community in South Australia begins to realise that the Leader of the Opposition does not have the courage of his convictions, they are losing confidence in the Liberal Party in South Australia. Fundamentally, they understand that leadership, amongst all other things, is a character test, and in the last state election they saw a leader running away and refusing to face scrutiny. They saw a leader who, under pressure, folded, and they saw this week a leader—

Mr PENGILLY: Point of order, sir: I ask you to rule on whether the Premier is debating the substance of the question.

The SPEAKER: I have ruled on that point of order previously, and I refer you—

Mr Williams: It's a different question.

The SPEAKER: The member for MacKillop interjects that it's a different question. Well, it's the same question to a different minister.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: What we have here is a Leader of the Opposition who has demonstrated that, at the first sign of political pressure or opportunity, he will fold. I think people understand that's the sort of character of the person who is seeking to offer himself to represent the people of South Australia.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order, sir.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is warned for the second and the final time, and the point of order is?

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Surely, talking about the Leader of the Opposition's character in the context of the question is debate?

The SPEAKER: I would ask the Premier to move on. The Premier has finished.

Members interjecting:

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