Members' Behaviour

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:55): My question is to the Premier. Should any parliamentarian who engages in sexual assault or sexual harassment immediately resign?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Point of order, Mr Speaker: this question is a hypothetical and offends standing order 97.

The SPEAKER: Point of order on the point order.

Mr BROWN: It is clearly not a hypothetical question asking for the Premier's views.

The SPEAKER: I am going to allow an answer. Would someone like to answer on my right?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:56): Sorry, can you repeat the question?

Dr CLOSE: Does the Premier accept that any parliamentarian who engages in sexual assault or harassment should immediately resign?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We need to ascertain what the facts are in each individual case that the deputy leader is referring to.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: There is a broad range of issues. Harassment—there were multiple accusations of harassment under the former government. We know that for a fact.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I think that those opposite—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —when they were in government looked at the facts in the individual situations and then formed an opinion. We've got to get those facts on the table, and that is precisely what is happening at the moment.