South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:05): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question to the Assistant Minister to the Premier regarding the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: On Tuesday 3 July, the assistant minister told the chamber that when selecting and appointing SAMEAC members it was a broad consultation with multicultural community groups across the board in South Australia. Also on that day the assistant minister told the chamber:

We have a new government in town. We will do with a new direction, so there are areas of consultation done in accordance with the new government's direction.

Yesterday, the Assistant Minister to the Premier told the chamber:

Our consultation and appointment is the business for the new government.

My questions to the assistant minister are:

1. Did the assistant minister, Premier or any of their staff meet or correspond with the following organisations as a part of the consultation process to appoint Dr Nannapaneni: the Indian Australian Association of South Australia, also known as IAASA, which is the umbrella body for Indian organisations; the Sikh Association of Adelaide; the Sikh Society of South Australia; the Hindu Council of Adelaide; the Federation of Indian Communities of South Australia; the Prospect Sikh temple; the BAPS temple; the Adelaide Telangana Association; Vishva Hindu Parishad of Adelaide; or the Indian Professionals Australia?

2. In relation to the opposition trying to establish whether or not there was some transparency in these appointments, what exactly does the assistant minister mean when she uses the phrase, 'We have a new government in town.'

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Have we all finished having our private discussions? Are you all finished? It's your time in question time. The Hon. Ms Lee.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:07): I thank the honourable member for his continuous question and interest in the multicultural affairs of South Australia. I will jump straight in with a question about what do I mean when I say there is a new government in town. Well, on 17 March, when the Liberal Party won majority government and we are sitting on this side of the benches, it just means we have a new government in town. So what does a new government in town mean? The new government in town means we are a government and a party that is trying to unite the community, unlike the Labor side when they were in government, which tried to cultivate different groups. They would go to different community groups asking them to sign up to be members of the Labor Party, etc., etc.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.S. LEE: They would offer advantages if they are part of the Labor Party. In South Australia, however, under the new Liberal government we are trying to unite the community. That unity and diversity means that we sought positions and advice from various different sectors, in addition to the multicultural sector, to ask who are the best people we can bring to SAMEAC to serve South Australia. In my very early days in answering some of your questions I said that the community is not just about individuals.

The community is about different people from different spectrums, with different skill sets and different qualifications, wanting to contribute to South Australia. If honourable members have an issue about a certain appointee, and that appointee is a very high calibre person, a very distinguished business person as well as a dentist, and has a high standing in the community, if the honourable member or any other person in the community has an issue, do not use the privilege of this parliament to argue the case—say something out there. You have to be very careful in pinpointing somebody, with no evidence, and saying whether or not that person is qualified to do the job. The appointments of all the SAMEAC members have been accepted.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Supplementary, Mr President.

The PRESIDENT: Hon. Mr Wortley.