MATTERS OF INTEREST

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

The Hon. S.G. WADE (15:22): I rise today to note and welcome the recent elevation of the member for Norwood, Steven Marshall MP, to Leader of the Opposition. His unanimous election as leader of our party heralds a new start for our party and for the state. Steven Marshall was born and bred in Adelaide. He attended Ethelton Primary School and Immanuel College before completing a Bachelor of Business from the South Australian Institute of Technology and an MBA from Durham University in the UK.

He sailed at the Largs Bay Sailing Club and went on to represent the state and maintains a passion for sailing. Labor minister Tom Koutsantonis tweeted, 'That's the SA Liberals for you, the haves and the have yachts.' That tweet says a lot about Labor. They are offended about the thought that somebody from Largs Bay would dare use a yacht. It is a typical Labor Party attitude that everyone should be cut down to the level of the playing field by bringing everyone down to their level of mediocrity.

Surprisingly, despite his usual good taste, he does remain a supporter of the Port Adelaide Football Club. Luckily, his instinct for business and community leadership is founded on much better judgement. Business was always in his blood. The family business—Marshall Furniture—was one of Adelaide's family business success stories.

Steven worked in various board and executive positions for a range of South Australian companies. He served as chairman of the Family Business Association of South Australia. Immediately prior to entering parliament, Steven was employed as the general manager of the textile division of iconic South Australian wool exporter Michell Pty Ltd.

The member for Norwood and now Leader of the Opposition has been active serving his community throughout his life. He was the founding chairman of Compost for Soils, a program started in South Australia that has subsequently been implemented nationally. In 2009, he was nominated as the SA Great South Australian of the Year (Environment Category) for his services to the environment sector, and that business acumen has now become an asset of the state.

You will hear the leader talk a lot about business and economic issues because he knows that to do great things in the community, we need a strong economy to support it. But he does not see economic success as a goal in itself. Let me quote his maiden speech. He said:

Naturally the people of Norwood will remain my priority. Nevertheless, I also feel strongly about representing those people and causes forgotten by this government. In particular, I plan to work hard to represent those with disabilities, those with mental illness, Indigenous Australians and those struggling with circumstances beyond their control.

He went on to say:

I strongly believe that a clever and hardworking government can achieve a strong and growing economy without losing sight of those less fortunate. This requires a government which looks beyond the populist policies. It requires leadership and vision.

Steven Marshall has worked hard to represent the people of Norwood since his election in March 2010. He was appointed a shadow minister in 2011. He was elected deputy leader in October 2012. He is not a career politician. He was never involved in student politics, never employed by a political party and has never been a staffer for a politician. The contrast with the front bench of this government could not be starker.

The fact that within five years a person can go from joining the party to leading it says a lot about the Liberal Party. The Labor Party has much to fear. Unlike Labor's narrow recruitment pool that rewards yes-men, the Liberal Party rewards merit. It is about ability, not time served. Mr Marshall's leadership skills have been widely recognised in the party. We all saw the photograph in The Advertiser on Saturday with former premiers John Olsen and Dan Brown. It was not merely symbolic of where the honourable member is destined, but of the unity and leadership that Mr Marshall has already brought to the party.

The Hon. Rob Lucas has described Steven as the most impressive new candidate since former premier John Olsen was elected in 1979. It is a privilege for our party that we can offer the state Steven Marshall as an alternative premier. I look forward to the year ahead under his leadership as our party lays down its vision and makes the case for why a Marshall Liberal government will make life better for South Australians.