Murray-Darling Basin Plan

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:48): I have a supplementary arising out of the honourable member's answer: since the honourable member has clarified that her top boss in the Liberal Party is the Prime Minister—

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: No, I said Steven Marshall.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: —is the Prime Minister. That's not what you said. Check the Hansard. Does that then mean—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! This is becoming too much.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! This is disgraceful behaviour and it will not be tolerated from anyone. The next person who interjects will be warned. The honourable minister.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: The Hansard will clearly reflect the Hon. Ms Lensink referring to the Prime Minister of Australia—

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Point of order: the minister's question should be asked without explanation. The minister should understand the standing orders, I would have thought, given that he has been here and he sees himself as the future leader and premier of the state, you would think he would at least understand.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Normally, we are pretty flexible in question time. We give everyone the opportunity of asking questions and answering them, but this has turned into a bit of a farce. Now, minister, ask your question, and without interjection.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: As I stated earlier, arising out of the member's answer, if she believes that the Prime Minister of Australia is her top boss, then in his absence, when the Deputy Prime Minister assumes that role, does that make the Deputy Prime Minister your boss then, too?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:50): I will use the defence that is sometimes used by the honourable Minister for the River Murray: don't put words in my mouth.

The Hon. P. Malinauskas: I'm not. Check the Hansard. You said the top boss is the Prime Minister.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister please contain himself and allow the honourable member to answer the question.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Don't put words in my mouth. The boss of Australia is the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, okay? Do we need to go through this again? He is the boss of the Coalition.

The Hon. P. Malinauskas: He's your top boss; he's not my boss.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: No, I never said that.

The PRESIDENT: No debate across the floor.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I think he trumps your role. He's a little bit more powerful than you.

The Hon. P. Malinauskas: But he's not my boss. I don't answer to him. I answer to the people of South Australia. You should do the same.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister please desist.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Goodness me, what an excitable young chap. He is obviously looking forward to moving down—he is living in Cheltenham—moving into—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Croydon—moving into the electorate of Croydon and seeing himself elevated and—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: My, hasn't he taken the mantle of becoming a minister, just taken like that, like a duck to water.

The Hon. P. Malinauskas interjecting:

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: As I said, I don't think I need to check the Hansard. If the Minister for Police is so concerned, I'm sure he can check the record. I am pretty sure that I said that my boss is a chap called Steven Marshall, who is the member for Dunstan, and it doesn't get much simpler than that. Perhaps the Minister for Police needs a civics lesson, too.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Brokenshire.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Brokenshire. What was that? I hope Hansard got that. The Hon. Mr Brokenshire has the floor.