KordaMentha

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:20): My question is to the Premier. Will the two KordaMentha liquidators, Mr Chris Martin and Mr Mark Mentha, have the power to direct any public servant? Surely that is something you would know, since you are responsible for the Public Sector Act.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir: standing order 97 does—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left! Standing order 97, yes, for?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Several standing orders. These interjections are utterly disorderly but, secondly, standing order 97 does not allow the sort of blatant, gratuitous commentary that was in that question.

The SPEAKER: Could I have the question again? There was interjection during the question. Could I have the question again, please, member for Kaurna?

Mr PICTON: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Will the two KordaMentha liquidators, Mr Chris Martin and Mr Mark Mentha, have the power to direct any public servant?

The SPEAKER: The Premier will be seated for one moment. Has the member for Kaurna corrected a potential question that was in breach?

Mr PICTON: Yes.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. The member for Kaurna—just so I can understand what's going on—has altered the question. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:21): As you would appreciate, that was, in its most recent form, orderly, unlike the earlier question, which was disorderly.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left will be quiet. The Premier has the call—

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I have already answered two questions on this line.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: —and will be heard in silence.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I will give a similar answer to this question as I have to the previous two questions; that is, I am very happy to take up this issue with the Minister for Health and provide an answer to the house.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Fourteen minutes in, they have run out of questions. They are asking the same question over and over again. Where are the questions about TAFE or the education system?

The SPEAKER: Premier, there's a point of order. Could the Premier please be seated.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Debate, sir—

The SPEAKER: The point of order is for debate. I have the point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —and relevance.

The SPEAKER: Before I adjudicate on the point of order, I warn the member for the Badcoe for a second and final time. I understand that the Premier has made some comments that may have provoked the opposition, but I ask him to be better behaved than that or members will be departing today. I ask the Premier to respectfully return to the substance of the question. Thank you.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The substance of the detailed question would have been better directed, of course, to the Minister for Health in another place, but they have run out of questions. Get on the blower. Ask your mate in the Legislative Council to ask the minister.

Mrs Power: Or just read Hansard from yesterday.

The SPEAKER: The member for Elder is called to order. The member for Kaurna and then the member for Hammond.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Yes, the member for West Torrens is the father of the house and knows better than to act like that. If he continues in this manner, he will be leaving the chamber.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir: I would ask the Premier to withdraw that insult about mental illness.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: What was the insult?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: That I wanted to get therapy, sir. Withdraw it.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Angrier and angrier and angrier.

The SPEAKER: Has the Premier withdrawn that comment?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Yes.

The SPEAKER: The Premier has withdrawn that comment. I would like to get on with question time, if that's okay, members on my left and my right. We will move to the member for Kaurna and then we will switch to the member for Hammond. The member for Kaurna has the call.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is called to order.