Riverbank Arena

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:17): My question is to the Minister for Energy and Mining. Does the minister provide unqualified support for the city basketball stadium?

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart—Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:18): Well, Mr Speaker, it—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the Premier!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: It is a long time since I have played basketball—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hammond!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —but let me tell you, it's still in my blood; it is still very much in my blood. More than that, I went to the Land Forces conference when it was held here in Adelaide, and it was an outstanding conference—an absolutely outstanding conference. So many of us on this side of the chamber were terribly disappointed when it would not be held in Adelaide again this year.

It is an extension to the Convention Centre that we are talking about—the Convention Centre that has been extended year after year by government after government. This is a continuation of solid, smart investment. We are putting more money into health, more money into education, more money into transport, more money into disability services, etc., and we are putting more money into extending the Convention Centre—and guess what? We will also be able to have some sport played there. We will also be able to have some sport there. So, yes, I do give my unqualified support to this project in exactly the same way as I give my unqualified support to the—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is warned for a second time.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: I do give my unqualified support, just as I do to the road building—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —just as I do to the projects that we are doing in Port Pirie, Port Augusta, Whyalla, the outback, the Mid North, Southern Flinders and all those places. This is something that regional people will benefit from. If those opposite had their way—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Giles is called to order.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: If those opposite had their way they would prevent every single regional person from coming to Adelaide Oval to watch Port Power or the Crows play. They would say, 'No, you stay there.' Regional people will benefit from this facility by being able to come down to do it as they currently do for lots of things in the CBD. They will thoroughly enjoy it, and regional people will benefit through the tourism opportunities, through the people who come from interstate and overseas into South Australia for conferences—and those conferences always have additional packages attached to them for people to go out and enjoy our food, our wine, our amazing scenery, our regional tourism opportunities. Regional South Australia will benefit from this very important project of extending the Convention Centre.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the member for Newland, I call to order the member for Davenport, I call to order the member for Hammond, I call to order the member for Chaffey and I call to order the Premier.