House of Assembly Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Goods and Services Tax Goods and Services Tax Mr MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Goods and Services Tax Mr MULLIGHAN (Lee) (15:01): Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is again to the Premier. Does the Premier stand by his comments just made in the house about how his government communicates with the federal government? Just earlier, the Premier advised the house that he does not do that through the media like the former Labor government did. Is the Premier also aware that the Treasurer, the Hon. Rob Lucas in the other place, made his comments about GST distributions in the media in an article in InDaily? The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Premier, you have a very wide scope with a question like that. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly Dunstan Premier The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (15:01): Thank you, sir. I find it incredible that these are the questions that are coming from the opposition. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER Order! The Premier will be heard in silence. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I think that they are going to be in opposition for a very, very long period of time. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER Order! The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: If that is a legitimate question— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will be seated. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —from those opposite— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The Premier will be seated. I have allowed the question. It does presuppose a fair bit of data. I would ask the Premier to be heard in silence to directly answer the substance of the question. Mr Mullighan interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER Order! The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It is incredible. It is absolutely incredible that, with all the issues confronting our state, those opposite— Mr Mullighan House of Assembly Mr Mullighan: The GST is not important? The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Lee is on two warnings. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —would ask a question related to how we communicate our position— Mr Mullighan House of Assembly Mr Mullighan: You just misled the house. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and when we give a very clear position, a crystal clear position, on our— Mr Mullighan House of Assembly Mr Mullighan: You just misled the house. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Did the member for Lee say, 'You just misled the house'? Mr Mullighan House of Assembly Mr Mullighan: Yes, twice. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I ask the member for Lee to please withdraw that comment. An honourable member House of Assembly An honourable member: And apologise. Mr MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Mr MULLIGHAN: I withdraw and apologise unreservedly. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Thank you. That is not a licence for anyone else to interject. The Premier is addressing the question. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Our position on GST is very, very clear. We have made it very clear to those in Canberra, and we don't say that, because we have made it clear directly, we can't also make it when a journalist asks us a question about it. This is a ridiculous line of questioning from a ridiculous, pathetic opposition— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER Order! The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —who six weeks into their new term in opposition have already run out of decent questions. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Flinders and then the member for Elizabeth. The member for Flinders.