TOURISM, ACCESS TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (14:40): By way of supplementary question, will the minister explain to the council why food production was not included as a strategic priority in the first phase of the India engagement plan announced by the Premier in the House of Assembly yesterday?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (14:40): Food is one of the key seven planks of this government's strategic priority. There are seven key priority planks that Premier Jay Weatherill has outlined, and premium food and wines from a clean environment is one of those planks. These strategic priorities underpin the government's priority efforts for the forthcoming years. A ministerial task force has been set up for each of these priorities, including the food and wine priority. They have been chaired by the Premier to date, and underneath that ministerial task force sit chief executive groups that assist to put together plans in relation to those key priorities.

An enormous amount of cross-government work is being directed to premium food, so it is outrageous to suggest that it is not a key part of our strategic plan. We hear the opposition time and again come into this place and they have no plans of their own, no policies, no idea, no vision and no discipline, as we have seen recently—no discipline at all. They are too busy fighting amongst themselves. Their leadership team is split and there will obviously be another challenge coming up, no doubt. We have a deputy leader who we know does not support his leader, did not vote for her—did not vote for his own leader but for someone else—and was on another ticket altogether. This is the sort of team we have. The opposition are not fit for opposition—

The Hon. T.J. Stephens: We haven't got any paedophiles in our group. Hey, Gail, how many paedophiles have you got over there?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: They are not fit for opposition, let alone government.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: On a point of order, that was one of the most unparliamentary comments I have heard in the time I have been here. That is an appalling comment.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Stephens, the minister has raised a point of order on your objectionable unparliamentary language. I ask you to withdraw.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: I'll withdraw.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: That was one of the most ungracious withdrawals I have ever seen. What a churlish person he is.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: He does not even have the grace to apologise for such an unparliamentary comment. Well, he wouldn't apologise; he doesn't have the backbone to do that, the backbone, courage or dignity to apologise to me. But that's alright.

The Hon. S.G. Wade interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wade, just be quiet.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: As I was saying, the opposition is not fit for opposition, let alone government.