Member for Waite

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): My question is to the Premier. What is the Premier's, as a member of the South Australian Liberal Party state executive, opinion about the member for Waite coming back into the South Australian Liberal Party?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir: it is the framing of the question. Standing order 96 invites members to ask ministers questions about public affairs, and the Leader of the Opposition has very specifically excluded any public affairs from the substance of the question by tying it only to the opinion of somebody who is a member of the Liberal Party state executive.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left and the Deputy Premier! I am conscious of standing order 96 and I uphold the point of order so far as it was framed in terms entirely outside of the Premier's duties in his capacity as Premier. Does the Leader of the Opposition wish to reframe the question? I will give the Leader of the Opposition the opportunity to ask that question again.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: My question is to the Premier. As the Premier of South Australia and the leader of the parliamentary Liberal Party of South Australia, does the Premier and the leader of the parliamentary Liberal Party have a view about the member for Waite being a member of the Liberal Party?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:12): I think I have made several public comments on this issue and I stand by every one of them. The behaviour of the member for Waite in the parliament that evening was completely and utterly unacceptable. This was unacceptable behaviour. The member for Waite is not a member of the joint party room and he is not a member of the parliamentary Liberal Party. He is an Independent member of this parliament.