Police and Community Engagement Forums

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:57): My question is to the Minister for Police. Given that the minister has had a full 24 hours to reflect on his thoughts, can he name the senior staff member that he sent to attend the forum?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Police will be heard in silence. We have 10 minutes to go.

The Hon. S.S. Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier is called to order. Minister.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: This is your question time. Opposition members on my left, order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order! Opposition members, this is your question time. I am trying to hear the minister's answer. Minister.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:57): Thank you, sir, and I thank the leader for his question and I am surprised he hasn't started attacking staff members earlier than this today. He has waited to the last 10 minutes. It was the number one question. The first question he brought to this parliament as the Leader of the Opposition was to attack a staff member, and it is an absolute shame.

Members interjecting:

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: I would ask the member to withdraw and reflect on his potential misleading of the house.

The SPEAKER: Yes, minister—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Point of order. The member has taken objection.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order! I ask the minister to withdraw his comments and continue to answer the question. Please withdraw the comment.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Which comment am I withdrawing, sir?

The SPEAKER: The comment alleging that the Leader of the Opposition was attacking a staff member.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir: it is the standard of the house that if a member has been offended, then that member must be the one to draw attention to it. So, if the Leader of the Opposition has been offended, it should in fact be the leader who makes that point of order.

The SPEAKER: Is the leader offended?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Yes, that's true. Yes, the leader has asked. Please stand up.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Leader, you have to stand and ask for the withdrawal.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Order on my right! Leader.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: I think it would be a good idea if the member withdrew statements that weren't true.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: No, leader, you have to withdraw the specific statement. Is the leader asking the minister to withdraw the comment?

Mr MALINAUSKAS: Yes.

The SPEAKER: Minister, please withdraw that comment.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: I withdraw the comment.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. Please continue.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: I do refer, though, to the point that this question was asked of me yesterday. It was the very first question that the Leader of the Opposition asked in this serious question time.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Again, that will sit with him in his career for a very long time, and I do appreciate that. Because as a part of a team in this place—

The SPEAKER: Point of order. Minister, point of order. The member for West Torrens.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Personal reflections on members, sir, are out of order, and I ask the minister to withdraw and apologise.

The SPEAKER: I didn't hear it. Minister, please keep it to the substance of the question.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The minister will be heard in silence or I will ask members to depart under 137A(1). Minister.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Thank you, sir. In this place, working as a team, as I do and as the leader of my team, I take full responsibility for the work that my team does. As a minister—sorry, you might have forgotten what it was like being a minister, you have been over there a long time—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Have a shave.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee is called to order and warned for a second and final time. Minister.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: To have the Leader of the Opposition ask that question I think is quite insulting, knowing that I take responsibility for my actions and what my staff do. I had a very, very good staff member on hand doing that job, and the name of that staff member is not relevant to the Leader of the Opposition or this parliament. I take responsibility for their actions. In this role—and again, you may have forgotten, and it's good to have you down on the green carpet from being up on the red—as a minister, there are a lot of things we have to attend and a lot of things we have to get to. If I can't go, I will send a representative of my staff—a very capable representative.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: The fact that you ask that question—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —says a lot about what you are and who you are—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The minister will be heard in silence.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —as the leader of that party.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: So, in answering the question, no, I will not tell you who my staff member was. It is my staff member, part of my team. I take responsibility for their actions. They did an exceptionally good job—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member has answered the question.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —and I find it offensive that you will attack them.