Parliamentary Information

Ms SAVVAS (Newland) (14:24): My question is to the Leader of Government Business. Can the minister update the house on the importance of providing accurate information to the parliament and the consequences of not verifying research?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:24): I am glad that the member has asked me this question, because it gives me an opportunity to put some things on the public record. We are all in a unique position in this house. We are accountable to the public. We rely on accurate, transparent and truthful evidence, and any attempt to provide inaccurate information not only undermines the integrity of the process but risks damaging the parliament itself.

Mr Pangallo and the Leader of the Opposition have claimed that it was all an administrative error—a typo in a URL. Maybe. But it wasn't that. After initially blaming an administrative error and then blaming staff, he has now admitted to using an AI application to compile a list of non-existent academic documents and phoney links that he apparently submitted to parliament without checking.

Well, the experts within SARDI and other government agencies checked. They conducted extensive searches. It wasn't a witch-hunt. Mr Pangallo invited it. He said his claims weren't conspiracy theories. He provided sources and implored government agencies to review them as part of their research into the algal bloom. On 26 August, during the Budget and Finance Committee, Mr Pangallo said, and I quote:

I have decided to give you [Professor Doroudi] the references so you can see that I am not just plucking it out of midair as a conspiracy theory.

Professor Doroudi then says in reply, in Budget and Finance, and I quote:

On balance, if you provide what you have and the committee has we will provide you back…our scientific response.

What did the government searches uncover? Non-existent sources despite thorough investigations, and no such papers matching the titles, authors or dates could be located online from recognised academic databases. Incorrect citations and invalid web links. The URLs provided in the submission either did not function or linked to an unrelated article, and no alternative source pathways could be identified. Misattributed authorship: while there are research papers that have similar titles, they are not authored by the individuals named in the document that was provided.

For example, the M.L. Richlen reference provided by Mr Pangallo is problematic for a number of reasons. First, the cited article doesn't appear in volume 9, issue 5 of Harmful Algae like Mr Pangallo claimed. Second, M.L. Richlen, a research specialist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, has provided written confirmation that she did not author any such paper. If M.L. Richlen herself has confirmed she did not write the paper, it raises serious concerns as to why and on what basis this reference is provided to a parliamentary committee.

Regarding the role of government in public administration, if the Liberals can make an administrative error like this, what are they capable of if put in charge of our schools, our hospitals and our transport system?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Florey! The member for Newland! The Saint Ignatius' College students are still here, watching you as a local MP.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: If you use AI to create fake documents—if I did that, I wouldn't be asked to resign; the Premier would sack me. He wouldn't give me the option.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Well, that's the thing. At least I turn up to work. I don't go shopping, and there is a difference.