Service SA Prospect

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:27): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. What evidence does the minister have that the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure misled the people of South Australia when he wrote to the minister informing his claims of a five-minute wait at Prospect Service SA was inaccurate?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I will allow that. It's on the edge. Minister.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The minister has the call.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:27): I haven't even started speaking yet.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: what responsibility to the house does the Minister for Transport have for the member for Adelaide's letter?

The SPEAKER: That is a bogus point of order. The member for West Torrens knows that any minister can answer a question that is asked of another minister.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It's not a bogus point of order.

The SPEAKER: It is a bogus point of order, member for West Torrens.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: May I ask a point of clarification, sir? All members of this house are responsible to this house for what they do.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I am asking the Chair a question: what responsibility does the Minister for Transport have for correspondence from the member for Adelaide?

The SPEAKER: I respectfully ask the member for West Torrens to leave for half an hour. That is a bogus point of order.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: That is a bogus point of order.

The Hon. T.J. Whetstone: He is a piece of junk.

The honourable member for West Torrens having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Infrastructure has the call.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order: the Minister for Primary Industries has made an unparliamentary reference to the member for West Torrens.

The SPEAKER: I didn't hear the unparliamentary reference. The minister has made a comment that is unparliamentary. I ask that he withdraw it. Rise and withdraw it immediately.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: I withdraw, sir.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. The minister has the call.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: What happens is that a member of parliament who is a minister is both at times a local member and at times a minister.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: No, well, I just had to explain because obviously members opposite don't understand that.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: So what happens is that we are responsible to this house as ministers for what happens in the undertaking of our ministerial duties. There is a clear delineation between what you do as a local MP and what you do as a minister. I am the minister responsible for looking after Service SA centres since 1 July this year. In reporting to the house on the question that was asked by the Leader of the Opposition, the answer is no.