Regional Growth Fund

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (14:54): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries. What message does it send to regional businesses and councils that their qualifying submissions were rejected for funding while uncompetitive grants, including one in the current minister's electorate, were approved for funding?

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order, sir.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I have heard the question. The Minister for Energy and Mining rises on a point of order.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Again, another question out of order under standing order 97.

The SPEAKER: I am sorry, Minister for Energy and Mining, I was unable to hear the opening of your remarks on the point of order. The minister has the call.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Another question out of order under standing order 97: the question contained a great deal of argument.

The SPEAKER: The question contained argument. If the member for Lee wishes to seek leave to introduce facts, I will give him an opportunity to do so.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will ask the question again. My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries. What message does it send to regional businesses and councils that their qualifying submissions were rejected for funding while uncompetitive grants, including those in the current minister's electorate, were approved? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Yesterday, the Auditor-General's supplementary report to the annual report was tabled in this place, and included in that report on page 3, for those who are interested, the Auditor-General says—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. V.A. Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Premier will cease interjecting.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: The Auditor-General says:

We found that the list of projects approved in Round 2 included two projects the Panel assessed as uncompetitive (using the criteria it applied to all applications) and did not recommend. PIRSA advised that these projects were approved by the former Minister using his discretion.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:57): I have listened to the questions that have been put to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, who I note to the house was not a member of the cabinet and not part of the decision-making and so I am not quite sure as to why the question came with an assertion that perhaps there was some type of favouritism given to one of the projects that was in the current minister's electorate area.

I point the member to the final two paragraphs on page 6, where I think the Auditor-General takes into account a detailed explanation that has been provided by the former Minister for Regional Development, and I quote:

The former Minister advised that he consulted with the Panel Chair to consider the next most worthy projects and subsequently approved the two replacement projects.

He goes on to say:

Having considered the former Minister's response I note the Panel report was not presented as a ranked list of projects after the initial 10 recommended projects. It is my view that the rationale to depart from the recommended projects should be documented as a record of the decision making process.

There is no finding against the former minister. There is no finding—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —against the cabinet decision for these projects.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Unequivocally—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee will cease interjecting.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The member should have read right through to page 4 before writing out his questions for today's question time. I just suggest that the member actually read a little bit further into the Auditor-General's Report. I note that they've obviously got some changes in their personnel. They don't have as many people writing questions up in the dream factory as they used to. Some people over on that side are hoping they can get Mr Naughton back as quickly as possible.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: He seemed to have a more logical flow—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —than what we have seen today and what we have seen in recent times. It is pretty embarrassing what is going on over there at the moment. One minute they can't write questions, the next minute they are running their own advertising campaign, Meet Pete. Have you seen this? Meet Pete. Nobody knows who Pete is, so they've got to run advertising programs right across South Australia—Meet Pete. I note that they're not saying 'Meet Tom.' Forget that. There is no interest in Meet Tom. Hide him under a rock. But now they've got to try to introduce the Leader of the Opposition three years into the electoral cycle. What a debacle over there!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for West Torrens will cease interjecting. The member for Lee and the member for West Torrens will leave for 20 minutes in accordance with standing order 137A.

The honourable members for Lee and West Torrens having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: The house will note, and I draw to all honourable members' attention, that any member is entitled to raise a point of order in relation to proceedings, including in the course of the time allocated for questions without notice, and I stand ready to rule on points of order as they are made. Should there be a significant departure from either a question with respect to standing order 97 or an answer with respect to standing order 98, then the Speaker may be moved to intervene. The Speaker will be somewhat slow to do so in the absence of a member rising to raise a point of order.

I just bring those matters to the attention of the house. I am otherwise listening carefully and remind all members that both the questioner and the minister responding to the question are entitled to be heard in silence. Does the leader seek the call?