O'LOUGHLIN, MR D.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (14:37): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State/Local Government Relations a question about the status of the current Local Government Association president and state Labor candidate for Adelaide, mayor David O'Loughlin.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: On 4 October this year, mayor David O'Loughlin sent a letter to all member councils of the LGA advising of his preselection by the Australian Labor Party to be its candidate for the state electoral district of Adelaide. There had been some obvious community concern about the compatibility of his two roles, a fact mayor O'Loughlin recognised in his letter when he stated:

...it is only natural there will be some concerns voiced about whether an endorsed political candidate for the ALP will be able to fight for Local Government issues with the incumbent Labor Government or negotiate the best election promises with the Liberal Opposition in the lead up to the State Election, particularly as the election draws closer.

Mayor O'Loughlin then went on to state—and I remind the council that this was on 4 October—that he intended, on 21 November, to seek a leave of absence from the LGA board until 15 April to contest the state election. The board meeting will be more than six weeks after mayor O'Loughlin's preselection as an ALP candidate. My questions to the minister are:

1. Will the minister explain how over the period since mayor O'Loughlin's preselection as an ALP candidate, the LGA could maintain its absolute political independence and effectively represent the interests of local government to both government and opposition?

2. Given that it will be more than six weeks from mayor O'Loughlin's ALP endorsement to the day on which he may be granted leave by the LGA state executive, has the minister at any stage raised potential conflicts of interest or issues relating to his political impartiality with mayor O'Loughlin?

3. Given that mayor O'Loughlin has continued to fully exercise his duties and responsibilities in his role as LGA president, will the government continue to consult with the LGA through mayor O'Loughlin as its president until he leaves office, given that political impartiality and transparency cannot be assured?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:40): I thank the honourable member for his important questions. In fact, I have already indicated in this place that due to machinery-of-government changes, my responsibilities for local government pertain to regional development issues, and those matters to do with codes of conduct and conflict and other matters to do with the Local Government Act, which I am no longer responsible for, rest with the Attorney-General. The member is quite at liberty to take those matters up with the Attorney-General.

There are a couple of things I would like to say in relation to this, even though it is outside of my purview, while I am on my feet. I have to say what a remarkable candidate David O'Loughlin is. He is an excellent candidate and, in terms of my working with him in my role as state/local government minister, particularly when I had broader responsibilities when he first became president—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I want to hear this.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —I have to say he was wonderful to deal with, very professional, a very smart man and a very strategic thinker. I always welcome my dealings with him.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: He has done a great job. In relation to encouraging members of the public to take up political activity, including running for political seats, I encourage any member of the public to think about that, to contemplate that and encourage them to run, to put themselves forward for preselection and run for politics, irrespective of what party that might be. I think that is an incredibly important thing that we do that underpins the integrity of our very democracy. Just because a person is in public office does not, and should not ever, preclude them for running—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: I wonder what you would have said if he was a Liberal?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: There are plenty of Liberals in public office who have run for parliament, so that is just a nonsense. There would be no-one in this chamber who would say that just because you hold a public office you cannot run for politics. That is antidemocratic.

I have only read this in the paper, but I understand that David O'Loughlin has indeed mapped out the length of his stay in office and when he is going to stand down from that. He has made that publicly available, and if the honourable member believes that he is in breach of anything then put in a complaint to the Ombudsman. I very much doubt that. I know that David O'Loughlin, as I said, conducts himself in a very professional way. He is a man of extremely high integrity, but if the honourable member has an issue, why doesn't he do something about it?