Local Government Elections

Mr BROWN (Florey) (14:13): My question is to the Minister for Local Government. Can the minister provide an update on matters related to elected council members lodging campaign donation returns?

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Stuart—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Roads, Minister for Veterans Affairs) (14:14): I thank the member for Florey for this question. Members of this house will be aware that it was announced today that I will be introducing a bill proposing reinstatement of council members who lost office due to their failure to lodge campaign donation declarations by the legislated time frame. While I will not go into further details of the bill, it is important to inform members about why this bill is important. My determination to introduce this bill is motivated by two reasons. The first is—

Mr Patterson: Because my hands were off the wheel—the left one and the right one.

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Morphett!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Wright is warned.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: The first is out of respect for the democratic process and the collective decision of the people who voted in council elections. The bill proposes to reinstate people who were democratically elected to be members of a council across all of South Australia. Reinstatement avoids voters having to vote yet again, and for some they have already voted in elections four times in the last 12 months when you take into account the state and federal elections, the council elections in November and a state seat by-election afterwards.

My second motivation is the desire to avoid additional costs to the ratepayers of affected councils. It is money that is better spent on productive services and infrastructure that help their community and others across all of South Australia. Supplementary elections cost tens of thousands of dollars: for small councils in the vicinity of $10,000 to $20,000, while for larger councils it could cost more than $40,000.

The Local Government Association (LGA) wrote to the state government last Tuesday to seek a resolution. The LGA have been very constructive and have sought a solution and, as the president of the LGA, the Kimba mayor, Dean Johnson has said:

While the LGA accepts that individual elected officials bear personal responsibility for complying with their campaign reporting obligations, it appears the cost and consequence of not submitting paperwork on time is utterly unreasonable.

I agree with Mayor Johnson and I have appreciated the constructive and collaborative approach that the LGA have taken in this matter.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hurtle Vale! Order!

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: It is in stark contrast to the course taken by the member for Flinders. While positioning himself as a friend of local government, he has sought to blame.

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

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: At no time has the member for Flinders offered a—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, I will hear the point of order from the member for Morialta. The member for Taylor is called to order and warned.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: The question was relating to an update. The minister has been providing one. When he pivots to casting personal reflections on other members of the house, he is in breach of standing order 127 for reflections, and he is in breach of standing order 98 for debate.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Allegedly.

The SPEAKER: Order! Well, that may be. That is the submission that you have made to me. I have listened carefully. I will now listen carefully to the minister. The minister of course well knows that some compare and contrast is permissible, but of course standing orders 98 and 127 do certainly apply.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: At no time has the member for Flinders offered a solution and, worse, he has not even asked me for one. He has called for an investigation, not a solution. That is, until last night.

Members interjecting:

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

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: My office informed the member for Flinders last night at around 7.30pm about my intention to introduce the bill today, gave him advice about the critical elements of the bill, and agreed on a time this morning to brief him in detail about the bill. Lo and behold—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier is called to order! Minister.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta and the Premier will cease their exchange. The minister has the call.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: Lo and behold, the member for Flinders posted on social media later in the evening, while regaling his followers with his daily activities, and I quote—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for West Torrens is on a final warning. Member for Chaffey! The member for Chaffey, you will come to order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta, please take a seat. I will deal with the member for Chaffey. You will leave the chamber under 137A. Your exchange continued. I didn't have the presence of mind to see who the exchange was with, but had I they would be leaving, too, until the end of question time.

The member for Chaffey having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 98 and 127.

The SPEAKER: There is some merit in the point of order that is raised with me. There are barely seconds remaining in the answer. I will bring the minister to the question at hand.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: Thank you, Mr Speaker. He said, 'I called on the minister to act immediately to get this sorted so that communities can have certainty.' I am an avid reader of the Hansard, and my advisers inform me of media activity regarding my portfolio. I keep an eye on my correspondence and I have assured the house that there was no media that evening. I cannot recall the member for Flinders ever calling me directly to act immediately on this matter. A focus—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, please be seated. Your time has expired. The Premier is called to order. The member for Hurtle Vale is warned. The member for Colton has the call.