Nuclear Waste

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (14:38): I have a supplementary question based on the minister's answer regarding the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Norwood, Mr Marshall—

The Hon. P. Malinauskas: The member for Dunstan.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Does the minister agree that the former leader of the opposition for the Australian Labor Party and the former premier of the Australian Labor Party in government, the Hon. Mike Rann, would have done exactly the same thing as opposition leader Steven Marshall, and, in fact, is on the record as opposing any form of a repository?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:38): This gives us an opportunity to contemplate what Family First actually stand for on this issue. That is a good question. I don't know, but what I do know is that the government, the Labor Party, a genuine party of government, is open to a legitimate debate, a legitimate public consultation, but bipartisanship has been lost on this issue.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: Forget about the Leader of the Opposition, let's ask the members opposite who are in the party room what their position on this issue is.

The Hon. T.J. Stephens interjecting:

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: What is the Hon. Mr Stephens' position on this issue? He is—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Minister, sit down.

The Hon. T.J. Stephens interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Stephens, it would be good if you could try to contain yourself a little bit. The minister is answering a very important question and I imagine he thinks it a very important answer, so please, minister, on your feet and answer the question.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: Mr President—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: They are so arrogant over there. It just oozes out of them.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: Mr President, in order to be a party of government, the party has to be elected first. The question is, why have the Liberal opposition continually failed to be elected at previous elections? I assert—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! This is not a debate or a question about electoral boundaries. It is a question that has been directed to the minister on current issues. I would like the minister, without any interjecting across the chamber or from behind him, to be able to get up and give his answer.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I assert that a fundamental key to electoral success is having policy that you believe in. We know that the Liberal Party have completely relented to any idea of policy rigour because they no longer know what they stand for. I do not know what they stand for. They are sitting with the Greens. This is the Liberal Party, the conservative party, in an unholy alliance with the Greens. I stand—

The Hon. T.J. Stephens: Worst unemployment rate in Australia. You're a disgrace.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. T.J. Stephens: You have failed South Australians.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Stephens, allow the minister to answer the question without interjection. Minister.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I stand with a leader, with a Premier of the state who stands up for what he believes in, and he believes in having an open, consultative dialogue with the South Australian public on an important economic opportunity. It is unfortunate that the Liberal Party have abandoned their own ideals, their own supposed policy conviction, for the sake of political expediency. I do not think it will reflect upon them well in due course when South Australians look to which party is open to a consultative dialogue on important economic opportunities.