Private Members' Statements

Private Members' Statements

The SPEAKER (16:48): As members will be aware, the sessional order agreed to by the house on Thursday 16 November 2023 concerning private members' statements has come into effect. The order provides that following the grievance debate on Tuesday and Wednesday up to four private members may make statements of 90 seconds. The chamber timer has been modified to provide a timer for each member's statement. The timer cannot accommodate a 90-second time period, although steps are now being taken to ensure that it can. For the present, the timer will be set for two minutes and the Clerk at the table will stop the timer after 90 seconds.

The sessional order states that no minister may contribute during this period. The call will alternate between opposition and government members as in the grievance debate, but the opposition front bench will not receive precedence. Statements by Independent members will be initiated on the same basis as grievance debates. I intend to allow a member to make multiple 90-second statements if no other member seeks the call.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (16:49): It gives me pleasure but also some sadness to rise today to make a brief statement on the life of one of my constituents, Ms Nan Witcomb, who passed away on Friday 17 November 2023. Nan was well known by many South Australians far longer than I have been around this state, but to me she was known as an exuberant, excitable, energetic, supportive, loving, caring and neighbourly resident of the suburb of Marino in the heart of my electorate of Black in the south coastal suburbs of Adelaide.

Nan would have been very well known by many people here and across the state for her contribution to media life in Australia. She was a popular radio talkback host through the 1970s and 1980s. Her show shared with Ken Dickin finished up in 1984. It was through this radio show that Nan Witcomb really became a significant household name.

Prior to her contribution to radio, she had a career as an air hostess and as a nurse, but she is perhaps best known also for her three-volume set of poems known as The Thoughts of Nanushka, which were published in the seventies, eighties and nineties. She was still writing poetry, which was published in The Advertiser just a couple of years ago. She was someone who was larger than life and filled with kindness. She was an identity within South Australia and someone who will be greatly missed. Vale, Nan Witcomb.

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (16:52): I will give a quick update on the Ardrossan Community Hospital. Members may be aware that recently the board decided that they could no longer continue to operate that community hospital as an ongoing concern and made the decision to close the accident and emergency services in the temporary sense.

I went to the AGM last week, on Tuesday 21 November, and had a meeting with the LHN the day following. I am happy to report that the board reported to those at the AGM positive interactions thus far with the LHN. They report a willingness from both sides to find an acceptable solution so that there is a level of health care provided in Ardrossan going forward.

The board are working with the LHN and will present to them a spectrum of options going forward about which might be most palatable for all parties, and I expect that will go to the minister in due course. I would like to thank the LHN, John Voumard, Roger Kirchner and the team for their willingness to engage with the board and congratulate the board on keeping that hospital running for as long as it has.

I was doing some research in the lead-up to the AGM and noted that in 2010, as part of the Transforming Health reform, there was the withdrawal of funds from a number of community hospitals around the state, and it appeared to me that Ardrossan was the last one standing out of them. So congratulations on that to Margaret Tomsen, the current chair, and Doug Barton, and also to Narita Stone and Georgina Drewery, who are currently running the administration, and Jodie Luke before that on a wonderful job. We hope to see a positive outcome in terms of the Ardrossan Community Hospital in the not too distant future.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley) (16:53): I rise today to talk a little bit about the Fogolar Furlan club in Felixstowe in my electorate. This weekend, the club celebrates 65 magnificent years. I want to take the opportunity to congratulate all the volunteers and staff who have made the Fogolar Furlan club the place that it is over this 65-year period. For generations now—literally generations—Fogolar Furlan has served our local community. To give an example, my parents had their wedding reception there in the eighties.

Mr Pederick: Hear, hear! Look what happened out of that!

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Look what happened out of that—you see the member for Hartley not that long after that event! I look at what the club is doing today. They are doing things for the next generation. My son, Leonardo, goes to the little Italian class on Saturday mornings at the Fogolar Furlan club.

This is a magnificent club. They have been able to showcase the very best of northern Italian cuisine and culture. We in South Australia are certainly richer for having the benefit of the experiences, the culture, the traditions, the language and the food here in South Australia. We are certainly enriched by clubs like the Fogolar Furlan club. What I would like to do is finish off by saying I would like to congratulate the Fogolar Furlan club on their 65^th anniversary. Auguri! All the very best for the next 65 ahead.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (16:55): Today, in my 90-second contribution, I would like to take this opportunity to give out a big thank you to the members of the Gawler RSL sub-branch Women's Auxiliary who, after 73 years of service serving defence personnel and veterans, have decided to wind up their committee. With an average age of over 80 years, with members ranging from 70 to over 100 years of age, the group were finding it increasingly difficult to do the things they have done traditionally to support the Gawler defence and veteran community.

The committee first met in late July 1950, with 30 members present, which elected Mrs R.G. Poole as president. Mrs Lyn Sibenaler is the current and last president of the committee. The auxiliary have done a fantastic job in raising funds over the years for a range of activities for projects to support those who have served our nation. In my view, they represent some of Gawler's unsung heroes. Through their activities, they have raised funds to support those people who return from service. At the service last week, the mayor, myself and a representative of the federal member were there.

Sitting extended beyond 18:00 on motion of Hon. S.E. Close.