Grievance Debate

State Liberal Government

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (15:33): I appreciate the opportunity to be able to address the house regarding the government's problem—because this government has a big problem. I am not talking about the set of crises that is now completely overwhelming this government and their capacity to execute the function of delivering services to the people of South Australia.

The crisis and the scandal that we have progressively learnt more and more about over the course of this week regarding the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure really pale into insignificance in comparison with the real crisis this government has, which is a clear lack of leadership—a clear lack of leadership. What South Australians are progressively becoming more familiar with is the consequence of inaction that we see from a Premier who merely pretends to be in charge.

One of the harder, more unheralded jobs within this building, is the job of a political staffer. These are not easy gigs. These are jobs performed often by young people who are committed to their democracy, idealistic about the future of their state and the values that they share with their party. Often, they are working purely for their love of the cause in which they believe. They are motivated by the future of their state.

It is a thankless task, often bringing with it long hours into the evening and over the course of the weekend. That is why it is important that those staff enjoy the ability to perform their duties without a cloud hanging over their head and, because this Premier refuses to accept his responsibility regarding their welfare, now we have an aspersion cast upon all Liberal Party staffers in this state.

The allegations aired in the other place by the Hon. Tammy Franks, combined with the fact that they match up almost identically with the concerns and allegations raised in the equal opportunity report, speak to the fact that there is clearly an issue regarding an allegation of gross illegal, indecent exposure within this workplace. The Premier's response? 'Well, I haven't had a formal complaint.'

So, having been presented with this information, the Premier's response is to say, 'Well, unless I get something formal and in writing on my desk, it's got nothing to do with me.' Now that aspersion is cast upon all staffers within the Liberal Party in a way that is truly unfair. What we need is a Premier to accept the function of leadership is his responsibility. That does not just extend to looking after the interests of his own hardworking staffers. That actually extends to the interests of policy writ large throughout state, and I think every South Australian—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, Minister for Innovation and Skills!

Mr MALINAUSKAS: I think every South Australian is increasingly worried about the fact that we are seeing hundreds of millions—

Members interjecting:

Mr MALINAUSKAS: I note this, Speaker. I note the bias of this Speaker—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Playford!

Mr MALINAUSKAS: —is being demonstrated by the member for Unley. I appreciate the bias of this Speaker being demonstrated by the member for Unley. But what we know from the front page of today's Advertiser is that now hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars that belong to the taxpayers of South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Innovation and Skills!

Dr Close interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! In the course of the grievance debate, I am loath to interrupt the member on their feet. For that reason, I am loath to ask the leader to resume his seat in order that I might intervene to restore order. Interjections on my right, including from the Minister for Innovation and Skills and the Minister for Trade and Investment, in the last minute, will cease.

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!—as will interjections in reply on my left, including from the member for Playford.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Interjections on both sides will cease. It is a rare event for members to be directed from the chamber in the course of the grievance debate. That is the consequence for continued interjection. I am conscious of the prejudice to the leader in having to have interrupted the leader's contribution to the grievance debate, and I will be conscious of that in exercising some discretion in relation to the time for the leader to conclude his remarks. The leader has the call.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: The consequences of inaction extend well beyond the aspersion cast upon all Liberal staffers now. The consequence of inaction from this Premier regarding the GST deal that he actively endorsed at the time of its execution is now playing out upon every South Australian.

Recurrent income for the state is critical to the state being able to perform its functions. We have a health crisis on our hands as we speak. This state is not equipped to be able to handle the current load on our health system, let alone a future one living with COVID. We need more staff in our hospitals: we need more nurses, we need more doctors, we need more ambulance officers. That means we need income to pay for them, and this Premier has actively endorsed a policy that sees hundreds of millions of dollars—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey!

Mr MALINAUSKAS: —each and every year go to our Western Australian brothers and sisters who have just amassed a war chest of funds to be able to invest in their health system. And what has this Premier done? Literally nothing. It is an extraordinary consequence of inaction.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr MALINAUSKAS: What we need is a Premier willing to stand up to the commonwealth. We need a Premier to stand up to appalling behaviour occurring within his own ranks. We need a Premier to acknowledge the problems that exist under his watch and execute the function of leadership. For as long as all his Liberal Party colleagues—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Chaffey will resume his seat.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: —continue to ignore that fact, they hand the opposition a valuable opportunity to win the next state election because we are going to go into the election with a policy of vision and the leadership to execute it, and I look forward to South Australians making that choice.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Chaffey.