Majors Road Interchange

Ms THOMPSON (Davenport) (14:51): My question is for the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Can the minister inform the house of the progress of the Majors Road interchange and changing views on the project?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:51): Thank you to the member for Davenport. I have to say, it's very hard to find an opponent of this project—very hard. When you are spending $120 million on a—

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Mawson!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —key election commitment to open up vast parts of the southern suburbs to a corridor that has been closed to them for so long, I have got to say there is a lot of support. Friends of Glenthorne Farm weren't initially supportive, I was told by the Leader of the Opposition. Today they were at a press conference with us, talking about how much this is working. Riding for the Disabled are big supporters of what we are doing. The local community are supportive.

Just to give some background, this proposal will also increase the tree canopy along that corridor by 20 per cent; 40,000 tonnes of asphalt; 5,000 square metres of concrete; nearly 1,000 tonnes of steel—South Australian steel—and nearly 90,000 metric tonnes of earthworks. We are talking about a project that is going to fundamentally change the—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I've got to say, hearing the interjections from members opposite about climate change, trying to mock it because we are doing road infrastructure—they are doing it in a way to try to mock the fact that because we are building new infrastructure, somehow we are climate denialists. It is a ridiculous argument to make, a completely ridiculous argument to make. All the interjections from members opposite about climate change just show you that—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Now they want to change the subject.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Do you want to talk about climate change or don't you?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Do you want to talk about climate change or don't you?

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I understand that members opposite are upset about this project being so popular and successful because the only person left—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Even Heysen is getting fired up. He's even getting fired up! I think what has happened here is there is a bit of bruising that has occurred. They started reading the paper again and didn't like what they saw.

Anyway, I think once you realise that everyone in that local community, people around that local community, people who actively use facilities in and around the area, support this, there is one obstacle left—one. It is amazing—it is the local member. The local member is opposed to this project, and I think it is the worst form of base politics I have ever seen in my life.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: If you only followed my example. If you only all followed my example.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, that's true. It's true. Exposing the opposition is something I do enjoy, and exposing this hypocrisy—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —I have to say is beyond belief. When you speak to locals that their local MP actually opposes what we are doing on Majors Road, they almost don't believe it, because it's so ridiculous. They almost don't believe it, but after they have met him they do.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Chaffey is called to order.