Major Events Attraction Committee

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:09): My question is to the Minister for Tourism. Can the minister update the house on the Major Events Attraction Committee: whether there will be a new chair of the committee and whether the new chair will now report to the minister as the tourism minister?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (15:09): I will take that because the Major Events Attraction Committee sat within DPC, and it was newly established after the state election. Let's just be clear about a couple of things. There have been some recent developments following remarks that I have made publicly post the ministerial reshuffle, and the elevation of the member for Mawson to the Speakership.

The member for Mawson was appointed to the Chair, to the role of Chairperson of MEAC post the election simply because the Minister for Tourism, along with her other portfolios, has a pretty substantial policy agenda, which she is actively implementing, and the member for Mawson volunteered his services, which I was very grateful for, to Chair the MEAC exercise and get the ball rolling in that regard.

One of the elements of the member for Mawson being elevated to the Speakership is the government, as we said we would do publicly, would seek advice through the Department of the Premier and Cabinet on how, if it was possible, to maintain the member for Mawson in that position despite being elevated to Speaker and, as people would be aware, in the dying days of the former government the Constitution Act—I think it was the Constitution Act—was amended that necessitated the Speaker to be independent in nature.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Remember that day?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: Yes, we remember that night when the opposition, with 19 votes, was able to lead substantial legislative reform in this place, and able to amend the Constitution Act. As a consequence of that, those changes we now have as a—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier has the call.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: That necessitated the member for Mawson having to resign the position as the Chair of MEAC, which is regrettable in many respects I would say to those opposite but, nonetheless, that is the situation on the basis of the advice that we have received, and now we will pursue the way we will address the role of MEAC into the future having received that advice.