Torrens to Darlington Project

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (14:32): My question again is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Were residents instructed not to speak to the media after a public forum regarding the Torrens to Darlington project held by the member for Badcoe and, if so, why? With the leave of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TARZIA: On 18 February, the ABC revealed that residents were also told not to speak with the media.

Ms Stinson: Except they were ignored.

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe is on a final warning. The minister has the call.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:33): I have never told any member of the public not to speak to the media. Why would I? The media in this country—this is not Putin's Russia. People are entitled to speak to the media.

Mr Tarzia: They were told not to speak to the media.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Well, Mr Speaker, I have never, ever—

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Badcoe!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —uttered those words.

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I may have said, 'Don't trust the media.'

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I may have said, 'You can't believe everything they say,' but I have never said, 'Don't speak to them.' I can't imagine a scenario where any member of the public attending any meeting would ever take that type of instruction. How could it be legally enforceable? It's not legally enforceable. This is a free country. The only time I've ever heard the term, 'Don't speak to the media' was when the previous government was in office and regularly government backbenchers were calling the media to talk about party rooms—after they got off the phone to me, telling me what was going on in the partyroom meeting. There are many famous occasions where these partyroom meetings started with, 'Don't let this get—

Mr TARZIA: Point of order, sir.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Too close to the bone?

The SPEAKER: Minister, please be seated.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I was going to give you an example.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Hartley.

Mr TARZIA: Standing order 98: this has got nothing to do with people being told not to speak to the media after this forum.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I have in mind standing order 98. I understand the Leader of Government Business is familiar with the standing order and I ask him to return to the question. The member for Chaffey well knows the standing orders.

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan: How come the residents get on camera and you can't?

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer is called to order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The exchange with the member for Hartley will cease. Minister.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The only examples I have ever seen up close of politicians telling other politicians in a meeting not to tell the media were former party room meetings. One famous case was when the then transport minister, Stephan Knoll, was in the witness protection program over the closure of bus stops—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —and wasn't allowed to answer any questions.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: The minister will be seated. There is a point of order from the member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Sir, this is silly. It's in breach of standing order 98 as well.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Hartley, I appreciate the advice.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I uphold the point of order and I remind the minister that he must answer the question.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I have never told a public meeting for members of the public not speak to the media. Members of the public should speak to the media. The media is a very important part of our democratic system. A free, well-resourced media is important, as is diversity of media—depending on your perspective, of course. It's very, very important that the media are kept well informed. I welcome media scrutiny. I think media scrutiny is a good thing, not a bad thing.

I don't think there is a single member on this side of the parliament who has at any stage not welcomed media scrutiny. You might not like it, it might feel a bit difficult at times, but it is one of the most important parts of our democratic system, and this government embraces media scrutiny. Why is that? I will tell you why: because we have seen what happens when governments attempt to try to push down media scrutiny. You saw the results on 19 March last year. It's a failure.