State Liberal Cabinet

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:20): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Does the minister agree that the cabinet is dominated by MPs who do not have the best interests of country South Australia at heart? With your leave, and that of the house, I will explain.

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

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order for argument?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: The proposition is reeking with argument. It's inappropriate. It doesn't meet the standards of 97.

The SPEAKER: One moment. There is a fair bit of argument in the beginning of that question. If the leader could just adjust that first part and seek leave, I think you will get where you want to go.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: I seek leave, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Could you just amend the front part of that question? The leader is seeking leave.

Leave granted.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: Today's editorial in The South Eastern Times states:

The conservative bloc of MPs has not just stood up for regional communities, but interestingly defied a wet, or moderate, controlled cabinet who they claim do not have the best interests of country South Australia at heart.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order: in no way does that question meet any of the requisite requirements of standing order 97.

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition did not pull the first part of the question. I am trying to be lenient here. I am trying to be lenient. You have sought leave for the second part of the question. Leave has been sought for the second part of the question. I am going to allow the Premier the right of response.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:21): Thank you very much, sir, and I thank you for the opportunity to address the issue of cabinet representation from our regions. I know that they had a huge number of Labor people from the regions represented in their cabinet!

Mr Odenwalder interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Elizabeth is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Oh, that's right—none, ever.

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell: Excuse me!

The SPEAKER: The member for Mawson is called to order.

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell: I'm from the regions.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: You were never in Adelaide, my friend. You were never at a cabinet meeting. You weren't here.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: You were overseas drinking Portuguese wine.

The SPEAKER: Member for Mawson and the Premier, please!

Mr Pederick: It was Argentinian.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It was Argentinian; I correct the record.

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Education is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It was not Portuguese wine: it was Argentinian wine. He is spending a lot more time in his electorate now that he is not a cabinet minister. We have a fine representation of our regions in the South Australian cabinet. In fact, I doubt there has been more representation in a cabinet until we go back to Playford.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I would like to thank all of the members who contribute to our cabinet from the regions. Every cabinet minister—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan: There are four more who should be in there.

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —is vitally interested in the affairs of the entire state. As I stated yesterday—and I will continue to state every time I get an opportunity—it's the Liberal Party in South Australia that is running a government that represents all South Australia and not narrow interest groups. That was the problem with the previous government: there was lots of focus on looking after mates and looking after special interest groups. There wasn't a focus on looking after all South Australians.

The Hon. J.R. Rau interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Enfield is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We went to the last election with a suite of policies around how we would support regional communities, especially in critical areas that they spoke to us about almost every single day—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —with issues like health. That is why, since we came to power, we have done everything we can to return governance and control of our health system in South Australia to regional communities. We are part way through our plan to put six boards in country SA.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We have already announced a massive upgrade and are dealing with the emergency backlog of maintenance that was required in hospitals right across regional South Australia. We know that we need to do a lot more in terms of our schools.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: That is why recently we have announced two entrepreneurship specialist schools in country SA: one down in Mount Gambier and one in Murray Bridge. The member for Heysen sometimes thinks he's in the country, so we put one at Heathfield as well, just so he didn't feel left out.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: People were also very concerned about mobile phone blackspots in the country.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: This causes a lot of problems in the country and that's why we work very hard to put money into our first budget, a tough budget, but we had to return the budget into a balance situation where we put money—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and of course a lot more focus on country roads in South Australia.

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: And that's precisely what we did. I again want to highlight that there are many people who sit in our cabinet who reside in the country or who were born and grew up in the country. The deputy leader is a very strong advocate for the country. Rob Lucas was born in the South-East. David Ridgway, in the other house, again—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It is sort of unbecoming of the opposition with the commentary that they provide—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I suppose it's what happens in the first year of a four-year cycle or a 16-year cycle in opposition—I am not sure.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Well, let me tell you, if you came in here and started asking questions in the interests of South Australians, you might make greater progress.

The SPEAKER: The minister's time has expired. Before I call the member for King, I call to order the member for Ramsay and the Leader of the Opposition. The member for King has the call.