Holiday Penalty Rates

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:29): Supplementary question to the Premier: if the Premier is genuinely thankful for the service of our ambulance officers during the course of this year and COVID, why does he believe they shouldn't get penalty rates this Christmas Eve?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:29): That's something that I think is currently before the house.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier raises a point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! It is also within—

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I am happy to address it, but I don't want to—

The SPEAKER: It does invite reflection on a debate of the house. As well, there have been interjections which involve, within my earshot, unparliamentary language.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Without wanting to canvass or reflect on a matter which is currently before the house—

The Hon. V.A. Chapman: It's not a bill.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —sorry, reflect on a vote of the house—what I can say is that we have entered into a position which is not dissimilar to the exact position that the opposition had when they were in government at this—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Whilst we are not going to extend the penalty rates for all South Australians, I think we have adequately dealt with this for all of our public servants—our hardworking public servants—who are required to go—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: As I said, sir—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —I won't reflect on a vote of the house, as I am precluded from doing, but I am happy to say that the arrangements that we have put in place are not dissimilar from, I think, exactly and precisely what the previous government, the Labor government, put in place on five—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —separate occasions. There is a word—it starts with 'h'—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader on a point of order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —which summarises the approach of the opposition at the moment.

The SPEAKER: Premier, please be seated. The leader on a point of order under 134.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: Standing order 98: my question was with regard explicitly and specifically to Christmas Eve, where the Premier's policy position is that his thanks to ambulance officers is to take away penalty rates on Christmas Eve. I am asking the Premier about Christmas Eve, which has been a public holiday in South Australia now for almost a decade.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The proceedings on a point of order are that I hear the point of order. There are a number of interjections. It has been observed that there was a vote of the house, and I understand the Premier has been seeking to comply alternatively with that standing order. Premier, I will draw your attention to standing order 98 and we will come back to the substance of the question.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It's very difficult to answer this question, sir, as you would appreciate, without reflecting on a vote of this house which will then be subsequent to a vote in the other place.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: All I can say at this point is that I refer—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Lee!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —the Leader of the Opposition to my previous answer and matters already on Hansard in this chamber.

The SPEAKER: Members, I draw your attention to standing order 119, which does concern reflections on a vote of the house. I have earlier indicated to members that I would be seeking the call on the member for King.