Legislative Council Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2) 53 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Natural Resources Management Levy Natural Resources Management Levy The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS Legislative Council Natural Resources Management Levy The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (14:27): I have a supplementary question. Given the pressure applied to NRM board chairs and board members by the government on this levy issue, will the minister concede that this will negatively impact on the quality of people in local regions who will now think twice about putting themselves forward for NRM board nomination? The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change Natural Resources Management Levy The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:27): I hardly think so. The people who put themselves forward—and there has been no diminution in that in recent times, as I understand it—do so because they want to serve their local communities. That is why they want to do that: because they believe they have something to offer their local communities. Of course they want to do it because they want to be of service to their community instead of pulling communities down—as we see from the Liberal opposition over here whose only advantage in any of this is to actually destroy confidence in South Australia and to malign our abilities to compete with other states in terms of our clean and green agriculture from our clean and green environment. That is all they intend to do: create a sense of crisis, not support local communities and businesses. That is not the view of this government and we will continue— Members interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable minister, please take a seat. The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: We will continue to support— The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Will you please take a seat. The honourable Leader of the Opposition made a big deal to me the other day about the behaviour of people in this chamber but, by your very actions, you are doing exactly what you were complaining about. The minister is trying to answer a very important question. I can't hear him and I am sure there are some over on the government bench who can't hear him. The minister should be able to give his answer without any interjection. Minister. The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Thank you for your protection, I desperately need it. This government will continue to support motivated members of local communities who want to serve their communities through NRM boards, and we will give them every assistance we possibly can because we know they are the only ones working with state government who are standing up for their communities. The Liberal Party never will.