Matter of Privilege

Matter of Privilege

Mr KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (16:37): I rise on a matter of privilege. On 9 May, the Leader of the Opposition asked this question of the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government: 'Does the minister stand by his commitment to deliver the Regency to Pym project by 2020?' The minister answered the question with one word, 'Yes.' He then went on to detail his answer and ended it with:

We expect to deliver this project on time, but this is the easy project to do it on. The other projects are a lot more difficult because—

Then there is a picture of me interjecting and the Speaker calling for order. The minister went on to say 'once again, we need to do our homework, and we fully accept that'. Then, on 29 May of this year in the house, there is a response to a question from me. That question was:

My question is for the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Given the federal Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities confirmed in Senate estimates that just $10 million would be allocated for the Pym to Regency projects in 2019-20 and $20 million in 2021, does the minister stand by his promise that the project will be completed by 2020?

In that answer, he says:

To clarify, like I had to clarify the last time I had a question of this nature asked, the commitment that I gave and the question that was asked of me was, 'When will this project commence?’ and commence construction, because what I would say is that the project has actually commenced, and that consultation in relation to the compulsory acquisitions for those adjoining landowners around the Regency to Pym projects has already begun.

However—

he goes on to say—

the question I was asked—

that is, the minister—

was, 'When is this project going to kick off, in terms of construction phase?' At this stage, late 2019 is when the construction is slated to begin. Construction work will also continue into 2020. In terms of the final completion of this project, that is something that potentially could be longer than 2020, which is consistent with what I have been saying all along; and, in fact, it is an answer I gave two weeks ago if the member for West Torrens would like.

I think he meant to go on to say 'to check'.

The statements to the house are inconsistent and only one can be accurate. I have searched Hansard to see if the minister indeed had been consistent on the time line for the completion of the Regency to Pym sections of South Road, as he claimed in his answer of 29 May, to substantiate his claim to the house that:

…the final completion of this project, that is something that potentially could be longer than 2020, which is consistent with what I have been saying all along; and, in fact, is an answer I gave two weeks ago if the member for West Torrens would like.

And then he stops speaking.

I believe the minister has deliberately and intentionally misled the House of Assembly and that a prima facie case exists for the establishment of a Privileges Committee. I ask that you give consideration to my matter of privilege and rule if a motion to establish a Privileges Committee should be given precedence over other business in the House of Assembly.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for West Torrens, I have listened to your matter of privilege and it is something I will ask the Speaker to adjudicate on. I ask the member to bring any other evidence he might have and we will present that to the Speaker and I will ask him to come back to the house with his findings.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Clarification, Mr Deputy Speaker: I am assuming that the material that has been read from are the documents that have just been handed to you, and on that basis I do not have any further request.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry, I missed the last bit of your contribution there.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: If the documents that have just been handed to you by the member for West Torrens were all the documents that have been referred to in the quotes identified by the member in his request for precedence to be established on a privileges matter, then I do not ask that any further documents be provided. If that is the case, I will not take the matter any further: if it is not, then any other material could be presented.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is essentially what I asked of the member.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: All the material I provided, sir, is from Hansard.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Okay, thank you—

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Yes, I am sorry. Can I clarify then, because I understood what you said, Mr Deputy Speaker, that if there are any other documents upon which he wishes to rely could he present them—I paraphrase what you said there. That is different from presenting to you the documents from which he has quoted. so we do not require the member for West Torrens to immediately present any other material. He is entitled to do that anyway, and we do not take objection to that. We simply want to know that what he has quoted from he has provided, and that appears to be the case.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: It appears to be the case. Thank you, minister.