Pairing Arrangements

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (15:20): Not all of us will remain in this parliament for as long as we would like. Some of us stay and some of us go; some of us are remembered, others are not. However, you can guarantee that two members will be remembered in the life of this parliament once we are all gone, and they are the current Government Whip and the Manager of Government Business.

I have had a bit of experience in dealing with a government whip. I was the last manager of government business in the former government. I have to say, if I were planning a vote that required an absolute majority, I would have had discussions with the Government Whip well in advance to say, 'Ensure you do not issue any pairs that would in any way inhibit the government from achieving that absolute majority required.'

However, if I had not spoken to my whip and told the Government Whip to do that, and he had then issued a pair to an ill member of parliament, and I then turned to that Government Whip and said, 'No, we need 24 votes; do not revoke the pair,' I would expect the Government Whip to turn to me and say, 'I'm sorry, I have issued a pair. That's bad luck; you should have spoken to me.'

The fault would have been mine. The fault would have been entirely mine, and I can tell you that the current member for Playford and the former member for Newland would not have allowed me to get them to break a pair because all that matters in this business, all we have in this business, is our name and our word. That is all you have, that is all you come here with and that is all you leave with: your word. Your word is your bond.

There are celebrated cases around the world. The most recent celebrated case is Brexit, where Tory whips were instructed by the leadership of the government to abandon long-term pairs to ensure that the votes were maximised for Brexit. What could be more important? What did those Government Whips say? No.

The integrity of this parliament requires those informal arrangements that bind us together for the smooth operation of this parliament to be honoured. Why? Because the parliament is elected once every four years on a fixed date, and it is very important that those votes and the reflection of the will of the people at that time is maintained for those four years, so that we cannot lock people out and we cannot trick them into not voting; so that if you are sick, your community is still represented in this parliament; so that your voice is heard here, regardless of whether you are pregnant, or ill, or have a sick father, mother or child; and so that pairing arrangements mean something.

The government washed away that practice of over 100 years. I am advised it is the only government in Australia to have done so. The only other example is an opposition in Victoria, the Guy opposition, and what great company they now keep. I know that the members opposite have been approaching me and the Government Whip almost apologetically, not understanding the strategy. What was gained from that yesterday? The Premier spoke on a motion that he had magnified, and it gave him one of the worst days in government. What an act of genius, to throw out 100 years of tradition for that!

What is the other reason? To cover up for a minister who quite frankly should not even be a minister anymore. We are not talking about someone who is accused of wrongdoing: we are talking about someone who has had a finding, a conclusion, a recommendation—any words you want, it is in the body of that royal commission for life.

Alongside that blackened name will be the names of the member for Morialta and the member for Hammond. I feel a bit of sympathy for the member for Hammond because I suspect he was not informed. Either way, they have changed this parliament now for the next three years. Indeed, they may have changed it forever. I understand that in Victoria pairs are still not issued between the opposition and the government. Why would you, given they are only a convenience for when the government needs them, rather than an act of giving your word? This parliament has been changed forever through the actions of 24 people and they will regret it.