Address in Reply

Address in Reply

Adjourned debate on motion for adoption (resumed on motion).

Mr BASHAM (Finniss) (15:53): It is a privilege to rise in support of this motion and to congratulate and thank His Excellency the Governor for opening the 54^th Parliament of South Australia. I also take this opportunity to congratulate you, Mr Speaker, on your election to such an important office. I am humbled and privileged to represent the people of Finniss. Finniss has a unique and special place in the history of South Australia. For uncounted centuries, it has been the territory of the Ramindjeri people. For millennia, the land provided an abundance of food and resources to support their society. Their culture was rich and enduring.

As we all know, British settlement brought a very different culture to the land, with tragic results for the Ramindjeri way of life. The impact is strongly felt to this day. This is something we must all acknowledge, and our actions in this place must reflect its importance. An important date in our history is 8 April 1802. It is the day British explorer Matthew Flinders had his encounter with French explorer, Nicolas Baudin. Finniss is where this encounter took place. As we know, Flinders named the location Encounter Bay. Finniss is also where another British explorer Charles Sturt reached the end of the River Murray.

The explorations of Flinders and Sturt led to the settlement of South Australia, but it was in Finniss where the people of European origin first started living and working. These first visitors were whalers and seal hunters. Whaling is offensive today and was abhorrent to many even then, but it was a thriving global industry in those much less enlightened times, and it was vigorously pursued around Encounter Bay and Kangaroo Island for a generation before the arrival of the Buffalo and the proclamation of South Australia.

The contrast with today could not be starker. The value of whales to Encounter Bay lies not in slaughter but in tourism. Many thousands of people visit the south coast every year to watch these majestic animals in their ancestral waters as they gradually recover from the brink of extinction to which our own ancestors brought them.

Speaking of proclamation and the years that followed, it is only by a turn of fate that I am delivering this speech in Adelaide and not in the electorate of Finniss. The electorate is named after Travers Finniss, South Australia's first premier. He began his career in the colony as one of Colonel Light's surveyors. Light was set on Adelaide as the colony's capital. Governor Hindmarsh did not agree and argued for Encounter Bay, with its proximity to the Murray Mouth. Light sent Finniss to survey the area and he reported it was poorly suited for settlement; however, Hindmarsh suggested the report had already been dictated by Light. It is a historical irony that Finniss sought to trash the reputation of the area that now bears his name.

This was an argument that raged for more than a century, during which communities like Goolwa, Port Elliot and Victor Harbor were firmly established as working ports. They transferred goods transported down the Murray for shipment to domestic and foreign markets using Australia's first ever public railway to do so. The steam train, the Cockle Train, still runs today.

Adelaide won out, of course, but in the earliest days of the colony, it was not a certainty by any means. It was in those very early days that my ancestor, William Basham, arrived in the district. The son of a convict transported to Van Diemen's Land, he bought property near Adelaide in the late 1830s, where Hindmarsh Stadium now stands actually, but soon after he took his family to the south coast. My family has always been in the district from that date.

Our family first began dairy farming in Hindmarsh Valley in 1848 and we have been associated with the industry ever since. We established a butter factory and a flour mill in those very early years, remnants of which survive even now. My family moved into the Pleasant Banks property, next to what is now called Basham's Beach, in 1856. It had been built by South Australia's governor at the time, Sir Richard MacDonnell. It is still in the family today. The Bashams grazed their dairy cows in the lands around Pleasant Banks for generations, lands which now make up the townships of Middleton and Port Elliot. My family are very much locals of the district and so am I.

After being born in Victor Harbor, my first home was in Middleton and my first school was in Port Elliot. I was just seven when my parents, Judy and Roger, purchased the current family farm at Mount Compass. I remember it quite well because Storm Boy was being filmed at the time. A new community meant a new school, the Mount Compass Area School, after which I boarded at St Peter's College and then attended the University of South Australia. But the call of farming was never too far off, and I went back to Mount Compass in 1989, where I have been dairy farming ever since.

The family farm has been my life, my career and my home. It is where I watched my father work hard as the vice president of the South Australian Dairyfarmers' Association, developing my own strong interest in representing the state's dairy producers. When my parents retired, I took over the farm in 2006. I was already heavily involved in dairy industry representation at the local level. With fellow dairy farmers in the district, I formed the Fleurieu Dairy Farmers' Collective Bargaining Group in response to poor-performing local milk companies paying farmers below the cost of production and less than the world price.

In response to this obvious market failure, we received ACCC authorisation to sell milk as a group. This was unprecedented for Australia's dairy industry and had a lasting impact nationwide. Milk prices rose not only on the Fleurieu but all across the nation. It was an amazing outcome, and it was not long afterwards that I became president of the South Australian Dairyfarmers' Association, closely following in my father's footsteps. SADA has been a great organisation to serve over the years. While I was president, we were successful in getting every dairy region drought-declared during the terrible year that was 2007. No dairy region in South Australia had ever been declared before.

In 2013, we developed and launched the SADA Fresh milk brand. It was a monumental effort to provide South Australians with a tangible way to support their local dairy industry. It started with a meeting in the office of Hon. Robert Brokenshire, himself a dairy farmer at Mount Compass, including John Durkan from Coles and my friend and colleague, former SADA CEO Ken Lyons. Ken is in the gallery today, and it is great to be able to acknowledge the critical role he played. Together, we developed one of the most popular milk brands in the state. It provides income for our dairy farmers and supports local research and development for the industry.

SADA Fresh milk can also be found on the supermarket shelves in China. This was a pet project of mine long before the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement was finalised. We wanted to prove such a thing could be done. I only had to visit China once, but I took several trips to meet with buyers in Sydney. I remember googling the protocols of meetings with Chinese businessmen over lunch and the need to have waiters translate conversations because they were the only ones who spoke both languages.

I also distinctly remember that it was on the Mount Compass farm where my interest in politics was first sparked by a visit from the local member for Alexandra, the Hon. Ted Chapman. Ted represented the seat with distinction for almost 20 years. He served as the minister for agriculture and forests in the Tonkin government, and he paved the way for his notable successors in what became the seat of Finniss. I acknowledge the presence of Ted's daughter, the member for Bragg, in this place. I am confident that Ted would be immensely proud of her achievements in becoming the first woman in South Australia to hold the office of Deputy Premier and Attorney-General.

Ted's successors also served the people of Finniss with distinction. The electorate has given me a singular honour in following them. The Hon. Dean Brown AO had already served as a member of parliament for many years before becoming the member for Alexandra in 1992 and then Finniss in 1993. He has left a considerable legacy to our state, particularly in his service as premier of South Australia. I thank him for his support and guidance to me over the years.

I also thank my immediate predecessor, Michael Pengilly. As many in this place would acknowledge, Michael would not hesitate to confront friend or opponent alike, sometimes in the strongest terms, with the truth as he saw it. However, there was another side to Michael that a few people saw. This was the unmatched compassion for constituents who needed his help. He often went to extraordinary lengths for them; sometimes, he went to unbelievable lengths. Michael understood a simple truth in this respect: politics is first and foremost about people. His support and advice have been very helpful to me, particularly during a whole year of campaigning.

I mention one more representative of the area—the first single member for Alexandra, George Connor. He was the president of the organised dairymen's association of South Australia, so it would appear Finniss has come full circle. I had only been president of the Australian Dairy Farmers for a brief time when Michael told me he would not be contesting the 2018 election. Another simple truth about politics is that timing is everything, so I decided to put my hand up as a candidate. It turned out that the timing was good.

For this, I must also thank and congratulate the new Premier of South Australia, Steven Marshall. He has been the leader of the Liberals for more than five years, persevering through volatile polls, experiencing a narrow loss at the 2014 election. As opposition leader, he presented a true alternative government for the people of South Australia. He developed genuine policies and held the previous government to account at a time when government accountability was at its worst. He ensured that the Liberal Party remained an effective voice for our state's regional, rural and remote communities at a time when they were increasingly ignored, and he led us to victory in a most unprecedented election contest, never losing sight of the need for change in South Australia.

I am very fortunate and immensely proud to represent the best electorate in South Australia as the member of the Marshall Liberal government. Finniss is a beautiful place. It has amazing beaches, rolling green hills and a well-tilled countryside basking in a lovely climate. Finniss has thriving communities, where so many people are always working to make it better every day. It has been a holiday playground for South Australians since the 1800s. In summer and on long weekends, the roads are full of visitors. Surfers come to the coast all year round, chasing waves they cannot find on city beaches. So many South Australians have crossed the causeway between Victor Harbor and Granite Island. It is the people and the communities of Finniss that make me most proud to represent the electorate.

I should note that it is one of the fastest growing regions in South Australia. In the past 10 years, the population of Victor Harbor has increased by 47 per cent, Goolwa has grown by 31 per cent and Mount Compass by a whopping 61 per cent. They are not all coming here to retire. They come here to live, work and raise families and to enjoy the unique lifestyle the region has to offer. They are industrious, committed, welcoming and friendly. The people of our region embody the term 'community spirit'. They truly care about their neighbours and their town. They strongly support their local businesses. They do not hold back when engaging with their elected representatives at any level of government. They take a keen interest. This was something I already knew, which was driven home again and again as I doorknocked the electorate.

I am confident that the people of Finniss will place me and the Marshall Liberal government under a high level of scrutiny. They have been waiting for a state government that considers regional and rural South Australian communities no less or important than Adelaide. They have been waiting for a government that listens to regional communities and that allows them the autonomy to make their own decisions about what is best for them in terms of health, education or natural resources management. I welcome the scrutiny of the people of Finniss because they have placed enormous trust in me and this government.

Another important feature of Finniss is that it sits at the very end of Australia's largest river system, the Murray-Darling. The Murray River is our state's most important natural resource, supplying water to communities from Paringa in the east to Ceduna in the west, including Adelaide itself. The river is critical to the future of South Australia. To ensure the survival and the recovery of the Murray-Darling we must disregard state borders and dispense with the politics as well. We must work together.

Finally, Finniss is an electorate and a region with great potential. With the right support, the right infrastructure and, above all, the right vision, our region will grow into much more than it is today. There is a lot of room for more all year round and diverse tourism offerings. Tourism will always be a major industry in Finniss. I am looking forward to working with councils, businesses and other stakeholders to grow and modernise it, offering more and more visitors unique experiences that they will always remember.

However, as a farmer I see great potential in agriculture industries in Finniss. The region enjoys rainfall that is usually more reliable and abundant than in many areas of the state. It enjoys good soils and the closeness to export links in Adelaide. I have a vision for agriculture in the region: greater diversity and more commodities; high-value, low-volume exports; value-adding, finished food and beverage products; and fresh produce that is the safest and cleanest in the world, produced under a famous regional brand. I see an agricultural industry in Finniss that could offer huge employment opportunities and people would come from all over the world for the unique food and wine experiences.

I see Finniss being a home for cutting-edge agricultural research and development, where schools offer opportunities for education and careers in the sector. There is no more important industry in the world than agriculture. It produces the one thing that everyone needs: food. It has been one of the most important economic contributors to our state since its proclamation and it is the biggest contributor today. Grain, wool, wine, beef, dairy, seafood and citrus are among our most important and lucrative South Australian exports. In quality terms, they are among the best in the world because our farmers are among the best in the world. They are innovative, resilient and they deserve the recognition and support I am confident that the Marshall Liberal government will deliver.

I hope that I have provided a glimpse of the journey I have taken to get here. This is not a journey I have taken alone. I have had the support of my colleagues in this place, the people I have worked with in the dairy industry over the years and the Liberal Party of South Australia. I have been fortunate to have the support of a great local team of Liberal Party members and volunteers in Finniss who put in a tremendous effort during a year-long campaign. I have had the support and guidance of close friends. I thank all of them, some of whom are in the gallery with us today.

Most importantly, I have been lucky with two great inspirations in my life: my father, Roger, and my grandfather, Bunny Basham. Men of the land and dedicated to family, they are great thinkers, hard workers, decent and compassionate. They have provided the best role models I could have hoped for. I could not be prouder to follow in their footsteps. Above all, I have had the strongest support and love from my family. To my amazing wife and partner, Kate, I could not have done this without your unwavering support, hard work, sacrifice, advice and love. To my beautiful daughters, Evie and Annabelle, it is for you more than anyone that I come here to work for a safe and prosperous future.

Honourable members: Hear! Hear!

Mr KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (16:15): It is good to be back. I want to start by acknowledging, first and foremost, my family. As all members know, as they travel through the journey of political and public life, those who are the passengers in this unwanted journey that we have put them on are often the ones who suffer the most. I am blessed to have been married to a beautiful woman, Anthea, who has put up with the scrutiny of political life.

It is difficult. I can only imagine what spouses go through on either side of the chamber. It is a very difficult journey. We have had two beautiful daughters throughout this journey. We have lost a son through this journey. It has been very difficult, but of course it has kept us together. At the end of the day, whoever the members are, whichever side of the parliament you sit on, you go home to a loving family who do not care who you vote for or what it is that you did that day. Their love is unconditional.

I also want to thank those who served me, who gave up their time and labour to work for a political party. It is not easy being associated with a political party. Right now, the Liberals have their tails up, as they should. They are in power at both a commonwealth and state level. Staff are excited about the opportunity to work for those governments, to work for a party they believe in. The same can be said for those on the Labor side of politics.

Of course, many of our staff have lost their jobs and are now attempting to find employment, of course with a stigma, in a town where there is a new administration in place, and carrying that stigma of having worked for a former Labor government. I remember talking to former Liberal Party staffers after the 2002 defeat about how difficult it was for them. I wrote some personal references for some of those staff members because I know how difficult it can be because staff often get unfairly tarnished with what it is that their employers do.

I have been very lucky in my political career, which has now extended beyond 20 years, to have been served by some remarkable staff. Jarrad Pilkington, my former chief of staff at the time of the election, is an exceptional young man with a very bright future. He started as a media adviser and rose up through the ranks and worked for the premier of this state and for me. Lucy Hood is now working for the opposition. She was a journalist and a cadet from Naracoorte in the South-East of South Australia. She worked for the premier of South Australia after leaving The Advertiser and then worked for me.

My staff, who have come with me along this journey, include Nick Antonopoulos, who started with me at the very beginning. He is a young man I went to school with. Emma Schwartz is a former journalist who became my energy adviser. She is off to bigger and better things. Again, leaving OZ Minerals to come and work for a government that had a redistribution that, for all intents and purposes, put it in opposition, saying that we needed a swing to us to be re-elected, took courage, and for that I am very thankful.

Peter Labropoulos, my adviser who worked with me in the finance area, is an exceptional young man whom I hope one day to see in this chamber. Mr Chris Russell, former business editor of The Advertiser, someone who is devoted to South Australia, worked exceptionally hard for me. His counsel was of course very important. David Russell, a young man with a very bright future, was my media adviser to the very end. He is a very loyal, hardworking and very smart young man who has a very bright future as well.

To my electorate staff, Betty and Zoi. With ministers, electorate staff are often the people left behind in the electorate offices. As Liberal frontbenchers are now starting to become aware, the pull of ministerial office can be overwhelming. The centre of gravity is in your ministerial office and it often takes you out of your community and your electoral office. The people who are left behind to deal with the complaints, to deal with the issues, to deal with what is being asked are your electorate staff. Betty and Zoi have handled themselves exceptionally well. They went through a statewide blackout, they went through Gillman, they went through all sorts of things that were foisted upon them—and, of course, we were able to get a swing to us in the seat of West Torrens. I put that down, in large part, to their hard work.

To my former chiefs of staff Robert Malinauskas and Tom Carrick-Smith. These two young men have very bright futures; they are exceptional young men. Tom now works for Senator Don Farrell and, of course, Robert works for Beach Energy. These young men are the future of the Australian Labor Party, and the work they do for us and the work they bring to the Labor Party are exceptional.

Of course, you become very close to your personal drivers in this job. I have had the same driver for most of my career, a gentleman called Geoff Mundi. Geoff watched me get married, saw the births of my two daughters, saw the passing of my son. He has been there with me through the highs and the lows and he knows exactly what I have been through. I have been the same with him. I have seen his daughter marry, his son get married, him become a grandfather.

These relationships, these bonds you build through the time of public service, become very tight. I spent more time with Geoff than probably anyone else, driving throughout regional South Australia. One time we drove to Ceduna to make a speech and then drove straight back so I could get on a flight to go on a trade mission. That was very tough on Geoff indeed. These people are exceptional public servants. I thank them all for their time, and apologise for not mentioning everyone who served with me over my last nine years as minister.

To the public sector. I think the public sector in South Australia is one of the very best in the nation—as I hope ministers opposite are discovering—and I want to single out the Department of Treasury and Finance. I think it is fair to say that the Department of Treasury and Finance is not a hotbed of socialism and is not a hot bed of left-wing activity. The people there dedicate their lives to serving South Australia and they dedicate their lives to serving the government of the day. They do an exceptional job from the top down, and I was very pleased to see a lot of those permanent public servants remain.

I want to congratulate the Premier and his government on their election. It was an exceptional campaign and they did exceptionally well. I think the Premier should be very proud of what he was able to achieve in the election campaign. Taking your party into government is a special occurrence; I think the only other living Liberal premier who did that was Dean Brown, who took his party from opposition into government. I do not think Steele Hall did that; I think he inherited a government, or did he bring it—

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Well, Steele Hall and Dean Brown—and now Steven Marshall joins the ranks of people who have taken their Liberal Party into government. It is a remarkable feat and congratulations to him.

To the Speaker, I congratulate him on his appointment and his election victory. He did it tougher than most Liberals, being up against one of the most high-profile candidates, insurgent candidates, you have ever seen. Congratulations to him. We tried to sneak in victory behind the back of it all, but that did not work. All the very best to Grace Portolesi and to Nick Xenophon, who served our state with distinction over the last 20 years.

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: No, I am not joking. He is someone I think deserves recognition—

The Hon. V.A. Chapman interjecting:

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Good to see you have risen to the position of Deputy Premier. I also want to congratulate the Chairman of Committees on his elevation. I have a great deal of time and admiration for the member for Flinders. I hope that does not hurt him in his local constituency. I think he is one of the quiet achievers in the Liberal Party. He works very, very hard, and every time I travel to Port Lincoln or travel anywhere on the Eyre Peninsula he was spoken very highly of by his constituents, something I cannot say for most members of parliament, but congratulations. I am glad that the member for Flinders has received this office. He is well deserving.

I want to thank, again, also people who served me in the portfolio. I have held many portfolios in my time in this parliament: obviously Treasury, finance, mineral resources and energy, road safety (my spiritual home), transport and infrastructure, and correctional services, which I think was one the most rewarding portfolios that I ever held. If there is ever a portfolio that a backbencher or someone wants to get their teeth struck into, this is a portfolio where you can make a real difference.

This is about taking an opportunity to change people who have committed crimes, who are being held in our facilities, and the question for us is: what happens to them when they leave? Do they reoffend or are we able to make an impact on their lives? Crime and punishment are very topical issues, and no doubt every member of parliament has their views on these, but I think that corrections is an area where we can do more and we should have done more.

When I first joined the Labor Party I aspired to be the transport minister. It is a job that I always wanted, and I had it for at least, I think, 13 months in the parliament before the last parliament. It is a great job, and congratulations to young Stephan Knoll on his promotion.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Point of order, Mr Speaker: members need to be referred to by their electorate.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Affectionate, but never again. There you go. Good to see that you have risen to the position as well. Congratulations on that appointment. We will be looking forward to holding those people to account.

I want to congratulate, on our side, our former premier, the member for Cheltenham. It is a tough job leading this state, indeed, as the current Premier will find. The member for Cheltenham did a remarkable job as leader of this state under very difficult circumstances. There were a lot of economic headwinds, a lot of hostility from Canberra, a lot of hostility in this parliament, and I think that he conducted himself exceptionally well and can be very proud of the legacy that he has left.

Leaving the political bitterness to one side, I think that time will judge the former premier very kindly. He was ably assisted by his deputy, a man who was a legitimate contender for that job. He was someone who the Labor Party could have quite easily gone to to lead us and who I think would have been just as successful.

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: I will get to that in a moment. I think that the deputy premier served us well, especially in his role as attorney-general. I think that everyone on this side of the parliament can be very proud of the reforms that he made as attorney-general. I am exceptionally proud that he made it to be deputy premier. I remember that one of my first campaigns in 1993 was establishing the Netley polling booth, which was like the Nuremberg rallies in terms of the amount of posters and stuff that we had up. Netley did not fall in 1993, but fortunately for us in this parliament that election campaign for the then aspirant candidate for Hindmarsh was unsuccessful and he entered the parliament as the member for Enfield.

I am also very pleased to be in here with my very good friend, the member for Playford. The member for Playford and I started out together a long, long time ago in Young Labor as very young men, plotting and scheming to take over the party, to destroy our enemies, but, of course—

An honourable member: In the party.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: In the party, yes. We were not interested in the Liberals at that stage. We were only interested in the people internally.

An honourable member: You needed to cleanse your side first.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, we needed to cleanse internally first. Unfortunately, we were not successful, but we did grow in our roles and, of course, some of those people we targeted we became very close friends with and indeed have served them quite well. I have always believed that Young Labor is a remarkable training ground for this place and for the union movement because, as I have always said—not that I want to talk about factionalism—to our young ones in the Labor right, ‘If you can beat the left, the Liberals are easy.’ Some of the members of the left are the most tenacious campaigners and hard workers that I have ever met.

I also want to congratulate Ms Clare Scriven. Ms Clare Scriven was the former electorate officer who worked for Michael Atkinson, who was the member for Spence, from 1989 to 1993. She was one of the people who first got me involved in Young Labor. She was a very early mentor in my life in terms of how to get involved in politics, and I am very glad and very pleased to see her giving her inaugural address today. It has been a long journey for Clare. It is long overdue, as it was for the member for Playford, who waited far too long to come to this place. I am very glad to be serving with both of them, as I am glad and pleased to be serving with all my other colleagues who have been returned and, especially, with the new ones.

I of course have to give a shout out to the giant of Mawson, the man who should not be here, the man whom no-one predicted could win but did. It is a remarkable testament and, I think, a good lesson for every member of parliament in this place on the power of local advocacy, the power of being a good local MP and what that can achieve. If anyone has any doubt that an individual can make a difference, look no further than the campaign in Mawson. That seat was drawn by the Electoral Commission to be a Liberal victory. Make no mistake about it. They drew the boundaries deliberately to hand that to the Liberal Party, and the member for Mawson said, 'I'll see about that,' and went out and campaigned and won. He did a magnificent job.

I also want to thank Reginald Martin, our fearless leader, our campaign manager, a man whom I have complete faith and trust in. This is a young man who has devoted himself to the labour movement and the Labor Party. It is a great movement. I am proud to be a member of it, and I am proud to be associated with a man like Reggie Martin, a man who does everything he can to get Labor elected and Labor candidates elected at a federal and state level.

He is ably assisted in his office, and I want to also thank Mr Aemon Bourke for the work he did. Of course Aemon is the partner of Ms Emily Burke, who is also giving her inaugural address here, I think tomorrow. She is another exceptional young woman who is entering the parliament. I also want to thank Darren Moss. Darren Moss was the creative brains behind our campaign. After 16 years in office, to achieve a swing to us in a losing election is rare.

Again, this was a unique election, so we should not read too much into it. Both major parties had swings against them on their primary votes, and both major parties recorded record low primary votes. It is nothing for either of us to be exceptionally proud of. Yes, the Liberal Party were able to achieve a two-party preferred vote, but in terms of raw first preference votes a majority of South Australians did not vote for the Labor Party or the Liberal Party.

There was a very definitive break-up of their allegiances—about 38 per cent for the Liberal Party and about 32 per cent for the Labor Party—which mean a vast majority of South Australians did not vote for us or the Liberal Party. That is something we have to look at. We have to ask ourselves: why is it that so many South Australians are choosing a third option over the oldest political party in Australia, the Labor Party, and the second oldest political party in Australia, the Liberal Party? What is it about us that is allowing these insurgent movements to try to take votes off us? We have to address that.

I think the way we address that has been ably assisted by the election of our new leader, the member for Croydon. I have known this young man for most of his adult life. I have played some small role in his entrance into this chamber and to the other, making sure that we did not lose him to the federal parliament, and I think the people of South Australia are the better for it. The most impressive thing about the Leader of the Opposition's message to the people of South Australia is that it is values based. It is not politically based. He wants us to talk about our values: what Labor values are. People are happy to debate what these values are. Obviously, members opposite do not endorse all Labor values.

I am not one of these members of parliament who thinks we all come here and only the Labor Party strives for goodness and greatness for people and the Liberal Party is out to hurt people. I do not believe that at all. I think we all enter this parliament with aspirations for our communities to try to do the right thing by the people of this state and we all aspire to do great things, grow the economy and create jobs and prosperity. There are just different paths to Mohammed at the top of the mountain. Of course, for this party on this side there is some serious soul-searching for us to do. A lot of our base voted for someone else and we have to ask ourselves why. What is it?

The Hon. A. Piccolo: Not in my electorate.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, though not in the member for Light's electorate. They stuck with him in droves, as they should, but in large parts of South Australia we got it wrong and we have to ask ourselves why that occurred. I completely endorse the Leader of the Opposition's plan to go out and listen to South Australians, to take a moment to pause and understand the defeat. Let's make no mistake about it, it was a defeat. Yes, the boundaries were against us. Yes, we were asking for 20 years. Yes, I think there were some prejudices against us. But by and large the electorate came to the conclusion quite early that it was time for a change, not that it was some great ringing endorsement for members opposite, given the primary votes were so low on both sides.

So I think when we get back to base values we have to ask ourselves some fundamental questions. By and large, I think we got a lot of our policies right but we got some dramatically wrong. I think the Premier was right when he talked about Oakden being a great shame and that it was inescapable. I think every minister in that former cabinet, when reading that report, was horrified to know what was occurring under our watch. It was terrible. No member of this place would say that it was acceptable behaviour.

It is terrible to know, especially when little children are being hurt or being preyed upon by predators under our watch. It is horrific. I hope no member opposite ever has to live with a phone call to their ministerial office to say that a little boy or girl has been hurt on their watch, because it is horrific. Being the parent of young children, I can tell you that each and every one of us in this chamber felt it personally. The idea that somehow we did not care or were not interested is simply ridiculous. Of course, we do, as do members opposite. Fundamentally, we have to ask ourselves: how did that occur, and what can we do to make sure it does not occur again?

In terms of my portfolios, I am a passionate believer in the resources industry, not because I like digging things up out of the ground or I like wrecking aquifers or I like the idea of tearing up the beauty of the landscape for shareholders' profit, but because it creates jobs and wealth and we have a need for these resources. As a developed country, we have a responsibility to the world to develop our resources to lift people out of poverty and where we can to export these resources to countries where they cannot mine these resources safely so that their communities can be lifted out of poverty.

I think one of the great mistakes the Labor Party made in the 1980s was opposing the establishment of Olympic Dam. I think that was a mistake. I have said publicly many times about minister Goldsworthy that the courage he showed in getting that mine up should be congratulated, but I also think the decision by this government to ban fracture stimulation in the South-East of this state is a mistake. Why? It is not based on science.

The moment you start making political decisions based on emotion rather than on science, the people who tried to stop Olympic Dam from being built are vindicated because you are not basing the decision on prosperity. You are not basing the decision on some advice that you had that this cannot be done safely or adequately. You are simply doing it because you want votes, and I think that is a shame. Yes, we are politicians, we are in the business of votes, but sometimes leadership is about standing up and telling people who vote for you that they are wrong, and that is difficult.

One of my political heroes, former President Kennedy, wrote a book called Profiles in Courage where he talked about politicians who lost their seats because they advocated for positions they thought were morally right but that their constituency fundamentally disagreed with. To this day, a Profile in Courage Award is handed out to politicians who make brave decisions in the face of overwhelming public opposition because they have a conviction that it is the right thing to do.

Members opposite need to ask themselves: are they banning fracture stimulation in the South-East of this state because it is the right thing to do, or are they banning it because it is popular? That is a tough question to ask yourself because, as a new member of parliament, when you come into this place and you are told by your shadow minister, minister or caucus that we took this to the election and it is very important and we have to honour it and you have to vote for it, the first thing you are doing is outsourcing your thinking to someone else and outsourcing your judgement to someone else. That is fine if that is what you want to do, but, when it comes to issues, the one thing I have admired about the Liberal Party is this sense that the individual is greater than the whole. I do not necessarily agree with that.

I believe in our system of solidarity. I believe in our system of working together for the greater good, but the Liberal Party have always held to this true form that no member is bound by any decision and I think, quite frankly, that it has served the Liberal Party well. It is a great escape valve. We have it on conscience issues. The Liberal Party have it on all issues—congratulations. I am yet to see it in practice in this place, but I am told that it is a very deeply held belief by members.

I would say to members: what is the intellectual, honest answer when you ban unconventional gas in the South-East while not banning it somewhere else? What is the honest answer? The honest answer is that you can do it safely there and in the South-East, but we want votes in the South-East because we do not want an Independent to win those seats. We want the Liberal Party to win those seats and it is very popular down there, so we do not want to speak truth to power, so we outsource our thinking to others. I am sure many of you have a great admiration for the Lock the Gate ideologue, but, given that you have outsourced your thinking and your legislative program to them, I am concerned about what is next.

In terms of transport and infrastructure, I am very concerned that in tonight's budget there will not be $1.4 billion worth of money. I hope there is. If there is $1.4 billion of infrastructure money for South Australia over the next four years in the federal budget tonight, that is a massive victory for South Australia and I will be the first to congratulate the government on being able to achieve that. If it is not in tonight's budget, we have been conned. It is pretty simple.

It was not us who made the promise to complete the north-south corridor within a decade: it was the Liberal Party. To complete it within a decade, they need to start work now and get their skates on. That money needs to be in the forward estimates, and our matching money needs to be in the September budget's forward estimates. The question we have to ask ourselves then is: can the state afford $1.4 billion worth of expenditure on the north-south corridor over the next four years with matching federal money?

The minister says that the Pym Street to Regency Road piece of infrastructure is funded at 50:50 because projects on either side of it were done at 50:50. Well, Darlington was done at 80:20. I look forward to the commonwealth government tonight having that infrastructure money running through the member for Elder's electorate being funded at 80:20, otherwise she can explain to her constituents why we are borrowing more than we need to to fund that piece of vital infrastructure, using the words of the Minister for Transport (member for Schubert).

I wish the government well. I hope they do well. I hope they grow the economy and create jobs. We are here to keep you to account, but I believe in the words of former prime minister, Paul Keating, who stated that governments begin to die the day they are born. The question for us is: how long will this government live and when will it die? I hope that we are able to convince South Australians that we are ready to return in four years' time with our new leader and his team offering fresh visions for South Australia based on our values, not necessarily on what is popular but what we believe is right. That, fundamentally, I think is the difference.

I remember the former member for Elder in this place, the Hon. Pat Conlon, in his valedictory speech as he was leaving the chamber saying, 'There is a fundamental difference between the Labor Party and the Liberal Party and it is in Waltzing Matilda. In that song, if you are for the troopers, you are a Liberal. If you are for the swaggie, you are Labor.' I am not sure if that is right or not, but I would like to think it is. The other night, my daughter brought home a book that had the words to Waltzing Matilda in it. She was fascinated by it, and I showed her a YouTube video of our former prime minister Bob Hawke, who is in hospital, singing Waltzing Matilda.

I want to use the last two minutes of my speech to wish him a very speedy recovery because he is, I think, a great influence on this nation, a force for good. He is someone who brought economic sanity to the Labor Party. He is someone who made reforms in the 1980s and 1990s that still hold this country in stead for consecutive periods of economic growth. He is someone to whom this country owes a huge debt. I hope I get to hear him sing Waltzing Matilda one more time in person because there is no better experience in life than to see our former prime minister get up and sing Waltzing Matilda.

In my final remarks, I want to thank the Labor Party. It has given me more than I have given it. I am a loyal servant of her, and I will always fight for her because I think overwhelmingly she is a force for good. I commend all members for the next four years to serve this parliament and their constituents well.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (16:46): I, too, rise today to speak on the Address in Reply, which has laid out the Liberal government's reform agenda for this 54^th parliament. I would also like to acknowledge many people for the recent state election and for the great opportunity for not only me but all the newly elected Liberal Party members, and, of course, for the front bench. It is a huge honour bestowed upon us that I think the previous government had taken for granted for 16 years.

I acknowledge the outstanding role His Excellency Hieu Van Le continues to play for South Australia, of course aided by his wife, Lan. They are a great asset to South Australia. I would also like to congratulate people behind the scenes in the outstanding victory. It cannot be stated lightly that this party was ably led by the honourable Premier, Steven Marshall, member for Dunstan. In his five years as leader, he displayed incredible courage. He displayed incredible leadership that people continually supported but, at some point in time, being the Leader of the Opposition is probably one of the worst jobs going.

As a friend of the Premier, as a colleague being elected in the school of 2010, it has been great to see him grow, as have the other members elected in 2010: the Hon. Dan van Holst Pellekaan; the member for Flinders, Peter Treloar; the Hon. John Gardner, Minister for Education; the Hon. Jing Lee in the other place; and, of course, the member for Adelaide, the Hon. Rachel Sanderson, who has had outstanding courage in what has been a tumultuous battle, right from 2010 up to the 2018 election, to be re-elected for the third time. Of course, we were all ably assisted by a team headed up by the president, John Olsen. John Olsen is obviously renowned not only for being a past premier and a federal senator but also for his leadership and calmness, ably assisted by the party director, Sascha Meldrum. I think they have done an outstanding job.

All those in the now Premier's office—back then, it was the leader of the opposition's office, the leader's unit—have done an outstanding job. The Premier, through the course of his five years up to this past election, promoted unity and promoted a vision and our values. While we were very encouraged by all the documentation that came out, it gave us a focus. It gave us a focus to be the best we could be with Liberal values and, of course, to remember those values to govern in our own right.

One of the boldest statements that the now Premier made leading up to the election was that we would govern in our own right, that we would not do a deal and that we would not be compromised. It was one of the strongest statements that he made. People had to make a decision when they were voting: 'Are we going to vote for more of the same—16 years of disconnect?' Coming into the election, the previous government had disconnected with the people of South Australia. They had become very arrogant, they had become tired, and I think they had also become believers in their own mischief.

Over that time, the people of South Australia had to make a firm decision. Did they want change? The answer was yes. Did they want that change to enable a new government to govern in their own right? The rest is history. It is great to see that the South Australian Liberal Party has now been able to step into the fray and govern in its own right.

People came to me prior to the election and post election regarding our Liberal values. On reflection, we were there to govern for the people; we were not there to govern for a political ideology. Free speech—we are a cabinet-led government, a government that will promote confidence and not a people's bank picking winners. For far too long that is something that I have seen.

For the eight years that I have been in this place, the previous government has been about picking winners. South Australian taxpayers have been used as a bank. In regional communities, when governments pick winners they always create a divide: those who do and those who do not, or those who have and those who have not. As I said, for far too long we have seen it in businesses, within industry, but particularly in small regional communities it has been amplified, and it creates that division. Those who have a bigger resource are able to infiltrate ministers, government departments and be more eligible for those grants and funding streams and to be able to promote themselves to go further.

This government will be about governing for all South Australians. It is about a government that will be getting out of the way. It will be about a government that is going to promote infrastructure over individuals. It will be about a government that promotes the betterment of industries rather than picking winners. In my very short time sitting on this front bench, it has become very evident that people are now just waiting for the next stream of money so that they can make a decision as to whether they are going to expand their business, open a business or be part of a new business venture without actually being prepared to put skin in the game when it comes to looking for government assistance.

I will put on the record that we will not be a bank and we will not be picking winners. We will be out there for the betterment of industry. We will be out there for the betterment of small business. If it is to be large business, they will be treated accordingly. South Australia will be at the front and centre of what we are about. We will be there creating confidence within the business sector, creating confidence within my portfolio—within agriculture, the primary industries, the regions that have been sadly neglected for so long, for 16 long years. The former premier has been widely reported as saying, 'There are no votes in the region, so why do we support them?'

We have seen the former government for so long kicking around something that is dear to my heart: the lifeblood into the Riverland, into South Australia—the River Murray. It has been used as a political football for way too long. For me to travel to Canberra with the Minister for Environment and Water was an absolute godsend. We have a minister who went there and presented himself, looked the federal minister for water in the whites of his eyes and said, 'We will work for the betterment of the Murray-Darling Basin. We will work and we will fight for South Australia's rights. We will work for South Australia's best interests, but we will work to implement a basin plan. We will work for water reform and we will lead by example.' That is exactly what he did.

He got a commitment from the federal minister that he would work together in a bipartisan approach, as he would have done with all the other states' water ministers, because for far too long we have seen politics played out in what has been one of the biggest reform agendas in the history of this country. There is nothing more sure than when the basin plan is fully implemented and reformed that every Australian will be better off. Not only will we have a healthy, working river but we will have much more healthy economies.

We will have communities that are engaged, but will remember those communities that are giving up their water, those irrigators who are selling or have sold some of their water but are now part of the process to make sure that their businesses are better for the water that they have contributed back to the environment. It is about a collaborative approach. It is about the river. It is about the environment. It is about the economy. It is about monitoring. It is about all levels of government. It is about everyone coming together to make sure that we have a healthy, working river in 100 years' time.

It is very easy and flippant for me to say that we need a healthy, working river in 100 years' time. We will go through drought once again. We will go through hardship, hard times, lean times once again, but we will also go through recovery phases. We will go through high rainfall events and we will go through flooding and we will go through drought once again. I must say that the platform and the reason why I am in this place is for the betterment of the River Murray, particularly in South Australia.

Regional South Australia, as I have touched on, has clearly been neglected for a great period of time. The line is that for 16 long years we have had a government that have reflected on their interests and have sadly pushed regional South Australia to one side. We have seen a centralised mentality when it comes to all services: when it comes to health, when it comes to education, when it comes to all of the front-line services and when it comes to the greater good of South Australia. We look at the crumbling infrastructure in regional South Australia while we are gold plating infrastructure projects in metropolitan Adelaide. The great wall of Gepps Cross and the tollgate continue to resonate in the ears of the people of regional South Australia. For far too long, they have been so forgiving of a government that has continued to ignore them.

This government's agenda is to make sure that our mandate is to govern for all of South Australia. It is going to create huge opportunity, not only for industry but for our resources sector and for our energy sector. It is going to create huge opportunity for what is perceived that we can do to grow our economy and our exports and services that we can export to overseas countries. Dealing with new opportunities, with free-trade agreements, with trade-specific partnerships, they are there for the taking.

We look at what we have seen in the Northern Hemisphere with the political unrest through Brexit. They are opportunities that here in South Australia we must take hold of, we must grasp, to make sure that we can generate something from nothing. Until the split between Europe and the UK, there were a lot of industries that were in lock step and they were very comfortable where they were. The breakaway will mean that here in Australia, particularly in South Australia, those opportunities will grow.

Our food and beverage sectors and our international education have created opportunities that we can offer the world by coming to South Australia to gain an education that they will experience nowhere else. It is not just about education; it is about the package and what they experience here, a life experience, as well as South Australia being a great education state.

Of course, regional South Australia will grow and prosper. One of the great parts of our great nation is regional South Australia and the opportunities it presents. I know that moving to the regions and back onto the land as a reasonably young fellow created opportunities for me and for other people by my employing them. At certain times of harvest, I would have 20 or 30 families on my farm working for me. It was about not just employing a person; it was about employing families.

The husband and wife would come out, and their children would come out after hours, on weekends and during school holidays. Nothing made me prouder than to give these people that opportunity. Today, I look around and see that those families have now bought farms, where they are raising their children and creating opportunities for their children. I think that is something that many of us in South Australia take for granted.

We must remember that 50 per cent of the state's GSP is created by just 28 per cent of the population for almost 60 per cent of the state's merchandise exports. In terms of this government's commitment to our regions, I remember meeting with the Premier at the Limestone Coast only a week after I had been sworn in as the minister. The Premier turned up at the Limestone Coast in his usual fashion—promoting regional South Australia, listening to the constituents within the wine industry, looking within the manufacturing industry and the ways he could promote what they do and ways that he could instil confidence in those sectors.

Last year, the Premier made over 50 regional trips around South Australia. That is incredibly important because he practises what he preaches. Not taking away from metropolitan Adelaide—he lives and breathes metropolitan Adelaide—he was prepared to put up what he presented as a Recharging Our Regions policy document that has been very well received. It is a comprehensive policy document that is looking at how we are going to grow jobs and how we can promote South Australia's economy. It is a renewable asset in regional South Australia, when we look at agriculture and the beverage sector, because #regionsmatter.

What really matters is that the primary industries that have been long neglected are now feeling a sense of confidence, that someone does care about them, that someone wants to help them grow, help them employ more people and create more opportunities for exports. They want to retain our youth in regional South Australia and, on that point, in South Australia, when it comes to up-skilling, making sure that we are ready for defence contracts, making sure that we are ready for our renewed export contracts for wine, food, extra beverages and services for which we need skills to export that high-value, low-volume product, it is extremely important that our policy agenda is rolled out.

Obviously, within primary industries some of the policies that were announced include providing support for the food and beverage industry by increasing funding to Food SA—a great organisation—to up to $1 million per annum. Not only is it about working with Food SA and the initiatives they are using and the promotions, the hard work that they do in our international markets, but it is about coming back with the intel, making sure that our exporters or our wannabe exporters are ready to export.

There is nothing more disheartening than if—and my previous role was in making sure that if we are going to export food and beverage these people, these businesses, are ready to export, and that they do not go overseas unprepared—they are not ready to be part of the big game, because exporting is tough. It is a very tough industry and in some way, shape or form it can be quite soul destroying if you do not get it right.

It is a matter of this government supporting and promoting exports. It is about helping those exporters to help themselves, making sure that they are ready. It is about undertaking an independent expert review into the GM moratorium and taking a scientific approach. We do not want these ideologies that we have lived with for the last 16 years. That has to stop. As a conventional farmer, I had organic farmers as my neighbours. I had farmers who had taken that alternative approach, and we lived with one another; we coexisted. There is no reason why the scientific evidence cannot substantiate what South Australia should be doing to give those growers, those farmers, the choice, remembering that that choice is about looking at one commodity, and that is canola, nothing more, nothing less.

Of course, we look at biosecurity. My recent trip to Brisbane, to the AGMIN meeting, really did highlight to me the importance of biosecurity, obviously dealing with free trade agreements, dealing with exporting, dealing with more imports coming into this country, dealing with cross-border interaction and making sure that we have border protection when it comes to agriculture, horticulture and the fisheries sector, that we do have provisions in place. Yes, we will be putting in more quarantine bins for fruit flies into the Riverland. We will be increasing our monitoring and our education to make sure that we continue our market advantage, the importance of that market advantage we have of being fruit fly free.

Undertaking a business case for the wine and food centre in the Riverland is very dear to my heart. In terms of wine, the Riverland produces 25 per cent of the nation's vintage. It is over 60 per cent of the state's vintage. We are the engine room of the wine industry. We do not always produce the premium beautiful high-end wines, but in the Riverland we do produce the base, the platform, the foundations of the wine industry: 460,000 tonnes of wine grapes per annum. This year was down a little, but what it does highlight is that the Riverland is the base for our export program in wine.

There are many other issues that we want to talk about, such as looking at wild dogs and implementing extra trappers. We all know that wild dogs are heading south and having a bigger and bigger impact on our livestock herd as we speak. I will be introducing farm debt mediation into parliament and meeting with the New South Wales primary industries minister to look at ways that we can utilise the knowledge and expertise that New South Wales has used for some time now, with amendments that have just come into their parliament. It is about supporting and helping our primary producers to make sure that if it does hit the fan we have people there who will give them that mediation to help them get through the tough times.

Other issues are undertaking an independent review for PIRSA's cost recovery and establishing new representation for recreational commercial fishers. That has been a very contentious issue. As a very passionate recreational fisher, I met with most of the commercial fishing sector. It is there to be reformed. As a new government, we need to do more listening and act with care, not just have a knee-jerk reaction. Rather than dealing with the scab, we may as well deal with the illness. At the moment, the fishing sector is doing an outstanding job.

When I met with the fishing sector, I saw that the collaborative approach between the commercial sector and PIRSA is absolutely outstanding. I was so buoyed to see that it is a can-do approach: how can government help the sector and how can the sector help government? There is the real-time data, particularly in the rock lobster sector, understanding the pressures, of course, on our fish stocks and helping the commercial sector adjust. We do have a reducing fish stock number, so it is very important that we deal with it now before it is too late. The industry is working extremely well with the state government and the commonwealth government to understand how we can better adjust and adapt to the growing needs of the fishing sector.

We always look at ways to reduce treated water being pumped out to our gulf. This has adversely impacted on seagrasses, so my department is looking at the impact of that on our fishing sector. Working with nature-based groups and looking at ways that we can create new habitat for the fishing sector is, I think, a really exciting proposition. Not only can we promote, rebuild and rehabilitate reef structure and fish habitats, but we can create industries around that. We can create a great environment to rebuild fish stocks and have the ability to make sure we support the industries. It is not just about commercials and it is not just about recreation; it is about a sustainable environment. It is about making sure that our regional communities are supported: more tourism, more fish. It is all about more sustainability.

Regarding forestry, South Australia has in the last few years been particularly off-footed with the sale of the forward rotations down in the South-East, and that has really taken some adjusting to. However, the government is committed to working to ensure the future is sustainable with replanting options, to ensure the mills have sawlog made available to continue a local timber economy. It is about growing jobs—it is about growing local jobs. It is not about just putting all our timber on ships and sending it away for another country to value-add.

As we talk about the food sector, in my short time here it was very exciting to announce the collaborative partnership between federal, state and industry when it comes to the Fight Food Waste CRC that will be headquartered at the Waite Institute here in South Australia. Currently, there is $20 billion worth of waste. Just imagine if we can have the headquarters here to create an economy that would value-add to our food sector, grow jobs and give more and more businesses the opportunity to export. It really is a great opportunity.

As I said, through the Governor's speech, under this South Australian Liberal Party, we are going to support private businesses. We are not going to be looking at taxpayers for financial support before making investment and growth decisions. As I said, a Marshall Liberal government does not intend to be a bank, and we are not going to be considered a bank on behalf of the private sector. We have a very robust plan to slash taxes to create better conditions to back our businesses. I think that is what businesses have been lacking. That is what they have missed out on for so long: the confidence.

We have had a previous government that has just wanted to put in bank taxes—more taxes and increase charges. Everyone, particularly in my electorate of Chaffey, looks around and says, 'The border is 12 kilometres over there. How much easier is it going to be to do business across the border than it is to remain in this state under a government that doesn't care?' It is really important that this government has hit the ground running. The Premier has led by example with a business background, and I share his congratulations to his father for doing his apprenticeship at GMH, just as I did. The success of the Marshall empire is evident when you look at the Minister for Industry and Skills and his apprenticeship. It just shows you that anything can happen when you are not looking.

Again, I would like to put on the record that I thank the great electorate of Chaffey and the people who voted and put their confidence in me. I thank them for putting up with me for a third term. I live it and I breathe it. I love the electorate: the river, the horticulture, the agriculture, the people and the culture are so, so dear to my heart. For the last eight years, I have given life and limb—almost limb—to my constituents, and I will continue to do so.

In the lead-up to the election, there were a number of promises made, and one of the local policy commitments was, in particular, drug rehabilitation through a matrix pilot program that will be implemented in the Riverland. This is coupled with a new roads program. What that means is that the scourge of ice will be put under the microscope. The matrix program has been implemented in the US for 30 years. It is a great program and is successful, and it will be implemented into the Riverland very soon.

The electorate produces the majority of the state's citrus, stone fruit, wine grapes, avocados, the horticulture, but what I would like to say is that the Loxton Research Centre is alive and well. To those people who have seen what it has produced in history, I will be working very hard to ensure that the Loxton Research Centre continues to be front and centre. Roads will be a part of our regional infrastructure program, and I look forward to making a further contribution when I talk about the great work the people of Chaffey are doing.

Ms COOK (Hurtle Vale) (17:16): I take this opportunity to congratulate not just yourself, Mr Deputy Speaker, but also the Speaker on ascendancy as adjudicators of this place. I wish both of you every success in that role. I also congratulate the government and all its members, and all our members as well, new and old. It is a wonderful place to work. Every day is different and you will get so much out of it. Congratulations, and I look forward to working with you more closely.

I rise as a member of the house in the 54^th South Australian parliament. I will reflect on my time formerly as the member for Fisher, and on the many victories we were able to achieve in our local community, and also reflect on the 2018 election campaign and reaffirm the commitments, goals and motivations that inspired me to put myself forward as the member for Hurtle Vale.

Firstly, thank you to my community, the wonderful electors of Hurtle Vale, who have given me an amazing gift by putting their trust in me to represent them here in this place. As I made mention throughout my campaign just once or twice, I am a lifetime local of the Adelaide southern suburbs. My family and I have lived in the same Woodcroft house now for nearly 30 years. I have been and will continue to be an active member of many sports, social and community clubs across Morphett Vale, Woodcroft, Old Reynella, Reynella East and Happy Valley. All these wonderful suburbs come together to make the seat of Hurtle Vale.

With the boundary changes handed down by the commission, Happy Valley and Morphett Vale sadly now find themselves split across two electorates, Happy Valley into Hurtle Vale and Davenport and then Morphett Vale into Hurtle Vale and Reynell, divided down the middle by Main South Road. This second division creates many logistical issues from an information delivery point of view, apparently, because it is such a vast suburb. It was an issue brought to light in the Hurtle Vale campaign, when residents in the Reynell part of the electorate received newsletters and information and other material from the Liberal candidate for Hurtle Vale, causing them a great deal of anxiety and worry. They were not quite sure what was going on. This is something we may need to address in the future.

It is, of course, an honour to be given the privilege of representing the good people of Hurtle Vale and I thank them for that today. I also thank my wonderful family. They continue to sacrifice so much to enable me to perform this job: my husband Neil, our children Sheree, Ty and Sid. Thank you for your support, your love, your encouragement, your understanding during long nights at parliament, the chaos of campaigns and the busy weekends when I am out and about in our community, sometimes dragging you along with me. My apologies to my beautiful little boy Sid, who I fall asleep in bed with many nights after coming home late from parliament and just popping in for a quick minute.

Of course, my wonderful son Sam, taken from us on 4 May 2008, 10 years ago last Friday, continues to be my biggest inspiration, motivation and driver for the work that I do in this place. He is always here with me. Also during the course of the previous parliament, I lost my dear mum. Mum sat in here and very proudly listened to me give my maiden speech. Parliament can be a funny place at times—adversarial, friendly, loving, joyful—but, when you go through awful personal circumstances, there is wonderful support from members on all sides, and I know many of you here have shared that journey as well. I thank all members for their support when I lost mum.

I want to take the opportunity also to thank the hundreds of volunteers who have supported me throughout my time as the member for Fisher and in the lead-up to polling day this year. If you manned a polling booth, made phone calls, doorknocked, stuffed envelopes, attended shopping centres, donated, attended an event, dropped everything and came out to show mass support on short notice or any and all of the above, thank you so much for your help and for your support.

I give thanks for the support and dedication also of our union movement more broadly but particularly United Voice, the Australian Services Union and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Union, South Australian Branch. Their hard work not only helped me in my campaign for Hurtle Vale but it also helps people every day—everyday South Australians fighting for fairer wages and conditions. I thank them for their support and I reaffirm my support helping them to change the rules.

Every campaign has a great campaign team. I must take a brief moment to thank my campaign manager, Ellen, who, together with my staff and also former staff, including Katherine, Tristan, Ella, Kelsey and Jess, helped me make the Hurtle Vale campaign a success. They are a dedicated bunch of staff. I could not wish for more. They have a great blend of youth and experience and wisdom. A couple of special mentions: for Ella, who supported me through some huge changes last year and assisted me with amazing work when I was an assistant minister to the minister for housing and infrastructure, Stephen Mullighan.

The work around affordable housing and solutions to combat homelessness will be more than useful as I journey now as shadow minister covering many of these matters. I would also like to recognise Katherine. She took on the role of office manager for me at short notice in a time of rapid change. She is crazy at times and very loud, but she is joyful, friendly and superefficient. She brought in procedures and check mechanisms that have made a huge difference to the way that we can serve our community. I feel so very lucky to have her.

Hurtle Vale is an amazing electorate. I could not be more proud or more humble to be representing that community. Our community in the southern suburbs is one that we are extremely proud of as a group of southern MPs. I see this every day from fierce competition and camaraderie at the Southern United Netball Association at Morphett Vale's Wilfred Taylor Reserve, to the true sense of community through Happy Valley's Old Cottage Playgroup, the community centres, the siren song of a Panthers' home game at Hickinbotham Oval. It truly unites the south and the southern MPs who I also work alongside.

I am pleased that, as first the candidate and now the first member for Hurtle Vale, I was able to commit to and secure a number of programs and projects in our local community that will start rolling out in the coming months and years. They will make a huge difference. We were lobbied really hard about the Hurtle John Potter Reserve in Woodcroft to provide somewhere for young people to spend time. We were also lobbied really hard about the mural at the youth centre at Old Reynella that was vandalised, and we were able to secure some funds to repair that as well. That means a lot to the community. We also secured $290,000 to repair the leaking roof at the Morphett Vale basketball stadium at Wilfred Taylor Reserve that has caused great risk and injury to players.

I am also really pleased that the Liberal Party throughout the course of their campaign matched that commitment to repair the basketball stadium roof so that it was happening no matter what. Also, the commitment of $1.3 million towards establishing a nature play adventure playground at Wilfred Taylor Reserve was matched by the Liberal Party, and I look forward to further discussions between the government, the City of Onkaparinga and myself on making this commitment a reality.

I will also continue to lobby the government on a number of key priorities around Hurtle Vale that we committed to throughout our election campaign, including female changing facilities at the Morphett Vale Football Club and a commitment to improve and streamline a very dangerous kiss-and-drop area at Woodcroft Primary School and surrounding areas. It causes a great deal of anxiety for many parents and students at the school, so I will continue to discuss that.

I also note the government's commitment, made throughout the election campaign, to install service lights at the intersection of Main South Road, the Southern Expressway, Kenihans Road and Panalatinga Road. I look forward to receiving an update from the minister regarding the time line of that important upgrade.

Before entering this place in 2014, as many of you know, I worked as a nurse for nearly 30 years. I am extremely thankful for that experience in the profession, which has provided me in my work as a member of parliament with much great reflection. I am honoured to be able to maintain my strong nursing roots through my annual International Nurses Day morning tea or lunch at Parliament House, amongst other things. I am sad to farewell the previous member for Elder, Annabel Digance, a midwife by profession and a fantastic advocate for women's and babies' services in our community. I will continue to work for midwives on her behalf here in parliament, and I will honour International Day of the Midwife regularly as well.

Nurses and midwives work at the coalface where health and social policy meet real-world application. They assist and support the sick and the injured, the mentally ill and the elderly. They are there to support those in mourning or suffering significant grief and loss and to celebrate the miracle of new life and extraordinary recoveries. They work incredibly hard across long shifts in trying circumstances and in health systems that are under stress and often undergoing significant change and rejuvenation.

My experiences as a nurse have served me well as a member of parliament and help me to listen to and understand concerns of my electors as well. My time as a nurse has instilled in me a passion for both health and social policy and has dovetailed nicely with my former portfolio as assistant minister for housing and urban development as well as my new role as shadow minister for human services.

I would like to take this opportunity as well to commend His Excellency the Governor, Hieu Van Le, and Mrs Le for their outstanding commitment and for all the hard work they do for our great state of South Australia. I would have to say, though, last week, when I sat and listened to the Governor read the speech covering the government's vision, it raised some red flags for me. My palms began to sweat, and I began to feel unwell. While sitting in the other place listening to that speech, I was reminded of my year 11 economics teacher, Mr Marin, in his efforts to teach me trickle-down economic theory. I really have not heard economic speak so disconnected from the economic imperative required for our state since that time.

If I examine my own economic values and explain them to you, you might understand why. If I fill out anything to do with the political compass, I land somewhere between Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, so I really have difficulty with trickle-down theory. The opposition, I know, is committed to supporting business investment, entrepreneurship and innovation, but the notion that the blunt instrument of tax cuts, like the mooted cuts to land tax—cuts that will benefit the state's most wealthy—will somehow trickle down and support South Australian workers, and support vulnerable South Australian people, for me is laughable.

I have enjoyed and appreciated the work of the current Minister for Human Services from the other place from a distance. Her commitment to equality, equity and access over her time in the parliament must be commended. I am very concerned that she will not have the capacity to stand up to the economic conservatives who sit around her cabinet table and ensure that South Australia's most disadvantaged do not suffer for the benefit of the big end of town.

I will work constructively with her, and I will support her to get her voice heard as a social advocate amongst trickle-down economics theorists. Her cabinet is led by a Premier, Premier Steven Marshall, who, when asked on 4 March 2014 which social issues were important to him, answered, 'Social issues? To be quite honest, I didn't go into politics for the social issues'. Well, minister Lensink in the other place, frankly, I did go into politics for the social issues and I have your back. I, along with my community sector friends, will have your back as your pleas for assistance for vulnerable South Australians potentially will fall on deaf ears.

I have relished my time as a shadow minister this past month, and I am looking forward to working with the minister in the other place to ensure South Australia remains an inclusive and equitable place to live. I am committed to holding the Marshall Liberal government to account while pursuing positive, socially progressive reforms to the sector that really only a Labor government delivers. I thank my caucus colleagues, and in particular our leader, Peter Malinauskas, for placing confidence in me with this awesome portfolio of human services. I could not be happier.

As a shadow minister with oversight of portfolio areas, including communities and social inclusion, disabilities, social housing, volunteers and youth, I have spent the past month meeting and consulting with dozens of peaks and stakeholders from the sector. I could not be happier. I feel like I am in the place that was written for me.

As our leader, the Leader of the Opposition, has made mention that Labor is committed to listening to both the public and to sectors to learn more about what went wrong for us in the March poll and how a Malinauskas Labor government can come in 2022 and better represent and deliver on their behalf. To this end, I am committed to engaging and listening to the sector over the coming weeks and months to better understand the sector and Labor's role in facilitating positive, progressive change where necessary.

I also wish to echo the Leader of the Opposition's commitment to work cooperatively and in good faith across many areas with government. We will not take that Marshall and Abbott approach of opposing for opposition's sake. We understand that the people of South Australia are best served when the parliament works and delivers for them. That is my pledge here today. But, should this government seek to target or forget the most vulnerable in our community, should the agenda seek to discriminate against low and middle income earners, against teachers, nurses, health, education and critical social services, or should it hurt our people, we will be there and we will put up one hell of a fight.

We on this side of the house are here to represent every South Australian, regardless of their income or circumstance, and I would urge the government to choose their policy settings wisely moving forward. I know I will be working hard every day throughout this 54^th parliament, not only representing the constituents of Hurtle Vale but fighting for a fair and reasonable cost of living for all South Australians and better support for the housing and homelessness sector, as well as continued investment in key Labor initiatives that will have a substantial economic and social benefit to the people of South Australia, including our former Labor government's virtual power plant program.

This is same program that the Premier axed within days of coming to office only a few weeks ago, a program that must be reinstated. It is a fantastic partnership that will shield our most vulnerable and the broader community from the high cost of living. It was foolhardy to axe it, and there is no embarrassment in reversing that decision—we will support it.

I look forward to working more closely with the disability sector, and I put on record today Labor's in-principle support for the Disability Inclusion Bill. I hope it will return to parliament in short order. I will work more closely with the youth sector throughout South Australia. I have already convened a Hurtle Vale youth forum—you all know who you are. Thank you so much. You are an incredible bunch of young leaders. You will advise me on areas of concern for young people in Hurtle Vale and more broadly.

I think everyone comes into this place for the same reasons: we all want the same outcomes, and we all want the best for the people of South Australia. We just have different priorities, different journeys and different ways of getting there.

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (17:33): Mr Deputy Speaker, colleagues, family and friends, it is with a great sense of pride and privilege that I rise and deliver this Address in Reply to His Excellency the Governor's speech opening the 54^th Parliament of South Australia. Congratulations to you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and to the Speaker on your appointments to high office. I trust and am certain that you and the Speaker will undertake your duties with diligence and integrity. Congratulations to all newly elected and returning members from both sides of politics.

At the recent election, the Liberal Party, like South Australia, welcomed a fresh start, new ideas and new faces. Eleven first-term members sit on this side of the chamber. Each brings a diverse range of skills and experiences due to the broad cross-section of life and employment journeys undertaken prior to entering this place. I believe that this diversity in background and thinking is of utmost importance to good decision-making, and I will touch on that in more detail later.

It would be remiss of me at this point not to acknowledge the hard work undertaken by other candidates who do not sit in this chamber with us today. They, like us, willingly put their lives to one side in the hope of seeing a Liberal government here in South Australia. Our candidates in Wright, Lee, Torrens and Badcoe, to name a few, are not absent from this chamber through lack of effort. Their work was just as important in realising our collective goal, and this must be acknowledged.

I stand here today in this place humble but prepared, ready to make the most of the immense opportunity that the good people of Colton have provided me. It is honestly an honour and a privilege to represent my local community in this parliament, a community that my wife grew up in—and Lizzy is here today—where I fell in love and where we plan to raise our children.

I want to acknowledge the former member for Colton, Paul Caica, for his 16 years of service. I am a firm believer that there are two things that really matter: firstly, what you do; and, secondly, how you go about it. While I did not often agree with Paul's politics, I have great respect for the way he went about his work. He always exercised humility and passion and was never afraid to stand up for our community. I think the people of Colton expect this from their local member, and I endeavour to meet their expectations.

Colton captures the suburbs of Henley Beach and Henley Beach South, Fulham and Fulham Gardens, Kidman Park, Lockleys, and the newly distributed suburbs of West Beach and Glenelg North. While I am biased, I am certain that at the very least a few in the chamber today also believe I have the privilege of representing the best electorate. You only need ask the many who move into the area, never to leave, about the laid-back lifestyle, the community feel and the fantastic coffee and coastal charm that combine to make Colton and the western suburbs special.

Colton is home to individual communities, each with a different character and feel. These communities are underpinned by the many and varied clubs and community groups that entertain and serve the western suburbs. Our fantastic two surf clubs, West Beach and Henley, take pride in protecting all who use our beaches and are focal points for community sentiment and culture. Our sporting clubs—whether it be the Sharks, the Demons, the Tigers, the Eagles or one of the many others—provide grassroots sporting opportunities for our youth but also play an important role in defining the identity of our community.

While the numerous service clubs provide opportunities to unite around shared interests and goals, behind each of these clubs are local legends, people who have committed themselves to serving their communities. I met many of them through the campaign period and I want to put on record my thanks to them for what they continue to do for all of us.

Colton is a mix of Riverside suburbs. Kidman Park, Lockleys and Fulham are tied together by the banks of the River Torrens. Linear Park is always littered with dogs and their owners leisurely making their way to the river mouth. The beachside suburbs of Henley Beach, Henley Beach South, West Beach and Glenelg North share a unique stretch of coastline, a stretch of beaches that attract not just locals but visitors from all around our great state, our country and, in fact, the world. Our beaches are the economic powerhouse of the western suburbs and their future is vital to the prosperity of our region. It is a stretch of beaches that should be in better shape, if not for the previous government's refusal to admit that a new approach to coastal management is necessary.

I spoke with thousands of locals during the campaign, not just paying lip service but listening to the things they view as important for our local area, ideas to improve our part of the world and the things that frustrate them. Listening is an important skill for any leader, for anyone who represents a group of people. It is something that we as elected representatives must never forget or take for granted. I am committed to continuing to engage with our local community over my time in this place, to doorknock, to hold community meetings and, as simple as it may sound, to turn up for our community.

It was clear from my discussions with the people of Colton that, like most South Australians, they wanted a change and a new government—a government focused on reducing costs; creating jobs not through picking winners but with the government as the custodians of a competitive business environment, an environment that provides the private sector with the opportunity to grow and sustainably employ more South Australians; providing better services; but, more than just this, taking the time to understand what services are important to South Australians, a feature that was absent towards the end of the previous government.

I am truly excited about the opportunity that lies in front of me—to be part of a Liberal government focused on delivering these vital changes and to be part of a government that delivers for all South Australians. My journey to this place, my life so far, has been shaped by events, circumstance and opportunity. My parents, also here today, associate as working-class people. My mother, a teacher born in Wangaratta who made her way to Adelaide in her youth, found her lifelong passion for teaching straight out of school and celebrates her 43^rd year in the classroom this year.

My father was a 1965 ten-pound Pom. Well, my grandparents were. Dad's memory recalls that the fare was waived for children. Dad originally worked as a typesetter before turning to graphic art and starting a small business with two friends. They successfully ran the business for 13 years. I witnessed firsthand the effort and work ethic required to keep a small business afloat. I vividly remember, as a young kid, helping dad enter thousands of product codes into a sales brochure on a Sunday afternoon. When work needed to be done, it was all hands on deck.

From these experiences grew a respect for South Australian small business owners. They, at the end of the day, are the backbone of our economy. More needs to be done to make things easier for those willing to take a risk, willing to create their own futures and wanting to employ more South Australians, and I am proud to be part of a government that is delivering in this area.

In December 1988, my parents faced the unexpected. Their first-born son was born premature and different from most kids yet, significantly, perfect in their eyes. I owe my parents, Peter and Vivienne, a debt that I will never be able to repay. They have given both my sister and I every opportunity to succeed in life and provided me with support beyond measure. For this, I must publicly say thank you.

Importantly for someone in my position, they taught me the value of independence and self-belief at an early age. This was done through simple tasks like learning to tie my own shoes or to open jars. Although menial, day-to-day tasks for most, they were not always easy. Learning to do these things by myself and understanding that I should not rely on others was critical.

I got involved in sport at a young age, originally leg-dominated sports like soccer and Little Athletics. Swimming was simply something I did for water safety because of our backyard pool. However, it became evident that I had some talent and I progressed quickly through Learn to Swim and moved into squads. My interest and passion for the sport grew as I raced and sometimes even beat other able-bodied swimmers.

The next 16 years of my swimming career were spent in one way or another under the direction of Pete Bishop, my long-term coach, friend and confidant. Pete, or Bish as he was known on pool deck, is just as responsible for my athletic success as I am. Over this period, I swam millions of laps, worked on my strengths and weaknesses and developed strokes and techniques that compensated for the absence of my left arm. Every 4am start, every session, was completed under the watchful eye of Pete and made possible through my dad's dedication and commitment as a swimming parent undertaking early morning taxi duties.

I had the great privilege of representing our state and our country at three Paralympic Games (Athens, Beijing and London) and three Commonwealth Games (Melbourne, Delhi and Glasgow) and a range of world championships. I never took these opportunities for granted and I achieved more than I ever could have expected or have dreamed. I got to do something I loved for a long time. What is more, I got to do it with fantastic and inspiring people.

On reflection, one gold medal does stand out above all others. My parents, for various reasons, never had the opportunity to travel and watch me race at international competitions. They had, instead, been glued to the television, the live stream and the live results webpage at home. Towards the end of the London Paralympics, one of my sponsors clued to the fact that my parents were not in London and, unbeknownst to me, organised to get my parents to the games. They had the opportunity to watch the 100 metre freestyle, my final race of the London 2012 Paralympics.

That day, and that event, will always be the most special of my swimming career. In fact, it ended up being my final Paralympic gold medal, making it even more significant. To share that race and that medal with two people who sacrificed so much to get me to that point—I cannot even begin to describe what that gesture meant to both me and my parents. When I look back at my time in the pool, I realise just how much I grew as a person. Over the years, I learned the importance of dedication, persistence, resilience and attention to detail—all things that have served me well since.

I was also supported over the journey by so many other people, and I cannot not mention David Baker. David has been the chair of the South Australian paralympic committee since I started my career. His passion and exuberance for life are evident in everything he does, and I thank him for his friendship and continued support. Another thing that my parents made a point of doing was ensuring that I always had one eye on life after sport. My mum, being a teacher, always stressed the importance of education. While still competing, I completed school and double degrees in law and media at the University of Adelaide.

It was during this period that I started to develop an interest in politics and government. This led me to apply for and take up a fellowship with an experienced US congresswoman from Miami, Florida. My experience in Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's congressional office was transformational. I learnt the ins and outs of a very different form of politics and political world, but also about the passion and work ethic needed to be successful in public office. Ileana is as motivated to influence change as she is passionate, but she also knows that small things and taking the time can profoundly change any conversation, which is why every visitor to her office is greeted with a cafe Cubano and a smile. After 26 years, congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen is retiring in November to spend more time with her husband and grandbabies, as she would say. I want to take this opportunity to thank her for her generosity and wisdom.

Many young people came through her office: some have gone on to serve other constituencies. I am certain that the experience had just as much of a profound impact on others as it did on me. On returning from the US and while still swimming, I started my professional career at KPMG here in Adelaide. I joined the government advisory practice, motivated by a desire to see government services and processes delivered more efficiently and with greater return on investment for the public. I can credit KPMG with a large part of my professional development. Technical skills and industry knowledge were built up over the years. There is no such thing as a standard day in consulting, and I imagine that will be the case in this place too.

Once retired, I found I had more time to dedicate to other passions. I joined the board of Variety SA, a charity organisation that provides opportunities for South Australian kids in need. I had the privilege of managing our Commonwealth Youth Games team in 2015 and 2017, and I appreciated the chance to assist the next generation of Australian athletes as they began their careers.

My journey to this place was made possible by a team of fantastic people, who have shaped my life, my values and my future. I would also not be here without the support I received during the long and at times gruelling campaign process. Campaigns are a testing time, not just for the candidate but also for their family and friends around them.

I want to specifically recognise my wife, Lizzy—she is my best friend; she is my rock—and so many other families and friends for their understanding and contribution over the past year or so. I must congratulate and thank South Australia's 46^th Premier, Steven Marshall, the member for Dunstan, for his frequent visits and belief in my team and our campaign in Colton. The Premier's work ethic is unquestionable and his leadership and vision for the future of South Australia, refreshing and practical. I hope we can continue your visits in our new capacities for many years to come, and I am sure your mum and dad, Tony and Barbara, will be happy to have you drop by, too.

I was lucky to have the support of so many. The Deputy Premier (member for Bragg), the Treasurer in the other place, and the Minister for Education (member for Morialta) all provided invaluable support and counsel. My southerly neighbours, the members for Black and Gibson, were always happy to provide assistance and advice, as were many other now colleagues. I must also thank Senator Simon Birmingham for his ongoing support. Our Colton campaign team did a stand-up job. We letterboxed and doorknocked thousands of households. Many in the group went above and beyond to deliver a victory in Colton, the first in 16 years.

It was a privilege to have such a diverse crowd helping on election day—branch members, family and those who joined us along the way—all handing out flyers, many of them for the very first time. To my volunteers, including Bec Lynas and Madeleine Church, thank you for your dedication to the cause. It is one thing to do what is necessary and another entirely to enjoy doing the hard work together. I am certainly richer for the experience from both a professional and personal standpoint. To Priya Pavri, thank you for your ongoing friendship and for starting me on this journey.

I have spoken frequently about the importance of opportunity and those that were presented to me. During my time in this place, I will endeavour to provide opportunity for others: opportunity for those less fortunate, opportunity for those willing to work hard to benefit from it and opportunity that transforms our state for the better. The notion of opportunity underpins core Liberal concepts—for instance, that government should provide citizens with the opportunity to succeed and put the economic and social settings in place that allow all South Australians the opportunity to forge their own success through hard work.

I also want to be an advocate against government waste no matter who is in power. Waste is simply a lost opportunity to deliver more services, better services or to provide a tax break to stimulate growth or help those in need. I will be working to ensure that the skills I have acquired over my time do not go to waste in this area. I hope that my presence in this chamber and work that I undertake will add credence to the notion that diverse crowds make wiser decisions. I hope to be a catalyst for increased diversity within both the parliament and the Liberal Party. Our parliament is a representative body and we need to do more, both as individuals and as groups, to ensure that our leaders are more representative of our state and community.

In conclusion, I want to again thank the people of Colton. I am in this parliament to participate, to challenge and to improve our great state. I believe in the power of the individual and in efficient government. I believe we can be more than we are now if we work together and grasp the opportunity with two hands. It is and will be a privilege, and ultimately a responsibility, to represent the people of Colton and our state in a different and new capacity.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

Debate adjourned on motion of Mr Pederick.

At 17:55 the house adjourned until Wednesday 9 May 2018 at 10:30.