Independent Commissioner Against Corruption

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): My question is to the Premier. Is it appropriate for a premier of South Australia to be angry with an ICAC commissioner for doing his job?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:23): As we have stated on numerous occasions, we welcome the ICAC commissioner investigating any—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —single solitary thing that he wishes to investigate.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Premier, be seated for one moment. The member for Badcoe will leave for half an hour under 137A.

The honourable member for Badcoe having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: Leader, you have asked your question. I would like to hear the answer. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: As I was saying, we are very pleased that the ICAC commissioner can investigate any single solitary thing that he wishes to investigate in South Australia. That is his right or obligation, in fact, under the legislation. We welcome him looking at anything.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We provide the budget. We believe it's an adequate budget that is provided. Of course—

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford is on two warnings. We have the question.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I can tell you one thing: there wasn't any conversation—

Ms Hildyard interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Reynell is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Can I just make this point: we provide the ICAC with a budget each year. We believe that it is adequate.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: In fact, we believe that it has increased since we came to government, increased again in the most recent budget, but it is up to the ICAC commissioner to determine what he is going to investigate. So we are very happy that he can choose what he wishes to investigate.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Now, of course, he has provided us with a review. We have provided our response to that, both to this house and to the general public. We will have a report back from the interagency task force by the end of this year. We are 100 per cent committed to fixing up the mess that we inherited.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Those opposite have no interest—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —in fixing, no interest in coming clean with the people of South Australia on just how dire the situation was in South Australia when it comes to health. Nothing would give me greater pleasure from a political perspective than to have a royal commission into the mess that we inherited from the previous government in terms of health in South Australia. How would the opposition look if there was a thorough investigation into exactly and precisely the atrocities that were being committed under the previous government—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford is on two warnings.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and the hopeless financial mismanagement. It will be an absolute disaster. But we don't have time for royal commissions and the expense and the delay. We have a health system to fix. The people of South Australia were very clear at the election. They wanted us elected to get on and fix the health system in South Australia.

In fact, some of our political opponents at that election promised a royal commission. They were comprehensively rejected by the people of South Australia in that election. I don't hear the Leader of the Opposition calling for a royal commission, but it would make for very interesting reading. But interesting reading doesn't serve the interests of the people of South Australia. They are served by improving health outcomes in South Australia. That's why last week I was—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —at the Flinders Medical Centre. I was announcing $86 million worth of new money—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —going into fixing the mess that we inherited.

Dr Close interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We put that money in to fix the mess that we inherited from the previous government. The previous government closed the Repat hospital. They downgraded services at Noarlunga Hospital.

The SPEAKER: Has the Premier finished?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I have one more minute to go.

The SPEAKER: The Premier is still going. I will take the point of order. The point of order is for debate?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, sir. He has mentioned the previous government more than he has anger.

The SPEAKER: Again, that question was a little bit accusatory in nature. Hence, while I have given the Premier latitude, I ask for the interjections to cease and the Premier to wind up his answer. Premier.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I have only known one member of this parliament to actually have an ICAC finding about anger management mentioned about them. I think it was termed 'conversational stirring'.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I don't know what conversational stirring is; I can only imagine what it would be. Of course, we wouldn't use such grubby, gutter-type words on this side of the house.

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: But we are committed very much to improving health outcomes in South Australia. That's what we're going to remain focused on.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Innovation is called to order. If he is going to refer to members, do it by their electorate name. The member for Playford, you can leave for half an hour under 137A for leading that chorus, and then the leader will have a question.

The honourable member for Playford having withdrawn from the chamber: