LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Lucas. You'll be singing the praises of Mr Marshall for the next five minutes?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:36): Mr President, it has been interesting to see the response from the Labor government to the election of the member for Norwood as the new Liberal leader. We noticed soon afterwards in the press that Labor sources indicated they were about to unleash their so-called 'attack dogs' on the member for Norwood. Surprisingly, the attack dog described was, I suspect, minister Koutsantonis, because minister Koutsantonis has been the one used in television and on social media in terms of leading the attack on the member for Norwood.

I suspect if minister Koutsantonis is the attack dog it is more likely to be an attack poodle as opposed to an attack Rottweiler or an attack Doberman, because the attack poodle succeeded only in biting himself on his own little paw. Minister Koutsantonis led the charge on social media in describing the claim that the member for Norwood had been the first Liberal leader elected unopposed in more than 30 years as 'rubbish'. He led the charge that evening by saying that the Libs forgot about Rob Kerin. He then went on to say that he was fairly sure that Iain Evans was elected unopposed when Rob Kerin resigned, and so much for the first time in 30 years rubbish. So said the attack poodle.

Well the attack poodle got it absolutely wrong as—sadly for the Labor Party—he tends to do quite often. Not only does he get it wrong, but of course he does not pay up his gambling debts, Mr President—and you would be well familiar with that particular story. I do not think the member for Norwood, and certainly not the Liberal Party, is going to be concerned if the attack poodle for the Labor Party is what is going to be unleashed on the new Liberal leader and the Liberal Party. 'Bring it on,' is, I think, what the leader, and certainly the Liberal Party, would say.

I think the problem with the Labor Party is that its own reshuffle shows what a serious lack of talent exists within its own forces at the moment. The fact that the Premier, through ego or through having to, has had to become the part-time Treasurer as well is an indication that there was no talent in the Labor Party to take on the Treasury position. The fact that minister Rankine is evidently the third most senior minister in the House of Assembly, the fact that we still have ministers Gago and Hunter representing the party in this chamber, and the fact that the two new ministers, minister Bignell and minister Piccolo, had to fill the 13-minister cabinet is again an indication of a serious lack of talent.

Whatever one thought of Messrs Rann, Foley, Atkinson, Hill and Conlon, they were the engine room and did include a couple of attack dogs of a genuine size and fierceness on occasions amongst their number. Sadly for the Labor Party the talent has disappeared and the Labor Party is left with what it has.

There are serious divisions now emerging within the Labor Party as a result of the reshuffle. On 16 January, Daniel Wills in The Advertiser stated (obviously information from Labor sources) that:

Mr Bignell was overlooked in a 2011 reshuffle after concerns were raised in the vetting process.

Evidently about him. Mr Wills, the senior The Advertiser journalist, expanded on that in an interview on ABC radio on 15 January when asked about Leon Bignell and said:

Yeah he's certainly a chance but the issue with Leon is that he was the man most likely to come in when there was a reshuffle in October 2011 which is when Jay Weatherill became Premier and he was the man most likely until sort of the last minute...there was a bit of an issue...that arose during the vetting process and his candidacy was seen to be not viable, so one would wonder why...he would have been ruled out at that point but is now all of a sudden back in, but certainly it's possible...

Clearly, Labor sources, unhappy at the Bignell promotion, are leaking against Mr Bignell and providing information to journalists in relation to the reason as to why he was unsuitable to be a ministerial candidate in October 2011.

Time expired.