Service SA Prospect

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (14:09): Thank you, sir. My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. On 20 September 2018, did the minister write to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure setting out her opposition to the cabinet decision to close the Prospect Service SA centre?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:09): This, again, makes us realise—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —that the opposition hasn't figured out that it is in opposition and actually how government works. What happens is that people in this chamber, ministers on the front bench—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —are responsible to the parliament for their ministerial duties. Yes, you are correct that the member for Adelaide wrote to me about concerns that she has in relation to a Service SA centre. How is this news?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Well, guess what? That's exactly what a brilliant local member does, and exactly doing what the member for Adelaide has done—

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Badcoe!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —is exactly what she did prior to 2010. Where is Jane Lomax-Smith these days? Where is David O'Loughlin? Where is Jo Chapley?

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Being a great member for Adelaide, standing up for her electorate,

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —is exactly what she should be doing. But I tell you what is most interesting—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Minister, please be seated. If the member for Badcoe and the member for Playford continue to shout across the chamber they can do so outside.

An honourable member: But they won't be in the chamber.

The SPEAKER: That's right—that's the point. The Minister for Infrastructure has the call.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: I know that Kevin Naughton in the background and the rest of the brains trust today would have been thinking, 'What's the headline going to be in tomorrow's paper?' I think it's very clear it is going to be, 'Local MP writes to minister about issue'. Can I tell you that I get about 10,000 letters like that a year, so this idea that somehow this is something special or unique is absolutely wrong.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: If you read the letter, what it says is, 'Hey, if you're going to close a Service SA centre, there are a number of things that you should look at to make sure that the community has the access to the services it needs.' Everything that the member for Adelaide has proposed are actually the things we are already looking at—looking at different service delivery models, looking at working with other service delivery providers like Australian Post, looking at other ways to be able to provide postal service or extra online services—exactly what we are looking at doing. But doing things—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens!

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —like the member for Adelaide has done, who writes to me on very regular occasions, is to stick up for her community, put good ideas on the table and work together to make sure we get the best outcome.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens and the member for Badcoe are warned.

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe is warned for a second and final time.