Federal Election

Mrs POWER (Elder) (14:31): My question is to the Attorney-General. Can the Attorney update the house about cases of bullying of political candidates over the last 24 hours?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General) (14:32): I thank the member for her question; she was clearly a candidate under fire, when she came into this parliament, of the tactics used against candidates. Nobody in this room—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —would be objectionable to understanding that during a political campaign there will be robust debate, there will be comprehensive questioning and there will be scrutiny in relation to announced policies; everyone accepts that. But the information that has come to my attention in the last 24 hours of the most disgraceful display of material across the campaign office of the member for Boothby is utterly shameful. It should be condemned by everyone in this house. For those who haven't been apprised of what has occurred, please be aware that the most crude and offensive descriptor has been sprawled across the front of the campaign—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Well, you can say, 'What does it say?'

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Attorney has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my left and right, be quiet. The Deputy Premier has the call.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: The dollar fee claimed for a sexual act is also sprawled across the campaign office, across and traversing the posters of Ms Flint. This behaviour is not acceptable by anyone's standards. Every one of us welcomed two members of parliament to this parliament recently, one of them, the member for Enfield, a woman who has stood as a candidate for the Labor Party in the election. Neither she nor anybody else should be the subject of this type of behaviour. It is not acceptable, therefore, that when a federal candidate, the member for Boothby, Ms Flint, is the subject of this disgusting behaviour, that she, too, should have universal condemnation from all sides of politics.

We stand to say that this behaviour is offensive, it is abusive, it is rude, it is unacceptable, it is ugly, and it must be condemned. I ask the Leader of the Opposition to make a very clear statement that he also condemns this. We don’t know yet who is responsible for this disgusting behaviour, but it should be universally condemned, and I am appalled that the Leader of the Opposition has not come out and made a statement to that effect.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left and right! I know that the federal election is imminent. I expect the decorum of this house to lift in the next half an hour, or members will be departing today. The member for West Torrens has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my left, be quiet, or you will be leaving the chamber. I don't care who you are; you will be leaving the chamber if this continues. The member for West Torrens has the call.