South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:12): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier stand by the comments made by his assistant multicultural affairs minister that the selection process for SAMEAC was 'very thorough'?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:12): As per usual, we never get a complete quote from those on the opposition benches. That is probably why they are on the opposition benches.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I went through the process yesterday. It was a cabinet consideration and it was an important board that we were recruiting for. The previous members of the SAMEAC board's time came to an end on 30 June. We took that opportunity for a total refresh.

Mr Malinauskas: Super fresh.

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: As I said in my previous answer, I am surprised at the opposition, with their very poor track record in taking responsibility for the outrageous comments—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —not of members that they have appointed to boards—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —but of their own team, the people they sit next to in cabinet. Where is the shadow minister—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left will cease interjecting.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Where is the shadow minister for women standing up saying that the behaviour, the language and the attitude of her colleagues in her caucus is completely outrageous? Where is the statement from Labor? Where was the resignation—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: In fact, the double standard is so delicious. It's just so delicious. Where was—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Could the Premier please be seated.

Mr Odenwalder: Good ruling, sir.

The SPEAKER: The member for Elizabeth is warned. The Premier can continue.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: What is the point of order? This better not be a bogus point of order.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Personal reflections on members, sir. The Premier is insinuating that members of the opposition have made remarks offensive to women.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: Point of order on the point of order.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: The rulings of successive Speakers have been that, if a member takes offence at something specific to them, they can raise that point of order. The member reminds us that he has been here for 21 years, and he should know better.

The SPEAKER: I uphold that point of order. The Minister for Education is correct. I asked the Premier to sit down because he was being constantly interjected by members on my left. I will not hesitate to intervene if I need to restore the house to order. Premier, please continue.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Thank you very much, sir. I was just pointing to my incredulous response to the continuing line of questioning from those opposite. It goes without saying that I would have thought that, if they are so ropeable about this current scenario that effected a resignation within an hour, they might have had a similar attitude towards some of their fellow members of their caucus who had senior roles in the former government: cabinet ministers sitting alongside the Leader of the Opposition.

There's been a lot on, and maybe I got it wrong, but I cannot recall the Leader of the Opposition, I cannot recall the shadow minister for women, making comments about the suitability of the outrageous comments made by their former cabinet colleagues. If they—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Which comments?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Which comments? Well, I think most of us recall a certain fracas that occurred on Leigh Street, inside and outside Rigoni's.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Now, I'm not going to repeat in this—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I am not going to repeat—

The SPEAKER: Thank you. Do not.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —in this house precisely what was said. But let me tell you, it was outrageous. I'm not going to repeat the words that were referred to in the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption's comments in his final report regarding Gillman, but it goes without saying that the former treasurer had to apologise for that. Did he lose his job? Is he still on the front bench? Actually, he's pulling the strings of this dodgy opposition opposite.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The reality is that those opposite are absolutely hypocritical on this issue.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: They all seem very upset today. They've got their grumpy faces on, and that's because—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: They've got their grumpy faces on—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The leader will not interject.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —because they've realised that the people of South Australia will be judging them as the hypocrites that they are.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the Leader of the Opposition, I call to order the Minister for Transport, who has been doing it all day. The member for Badcoe is warned, the member for Kaurna is warned, and I call to order the Minister for Child Protection. The Leader of the Opposition has the call.