Parliamentary Secretary

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:50): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the parliamentary secretary to the Premier regarding her role and responsibilities.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: As a proud member of a union and member of the Labor Party, why is the parliamentary secretary so miffed at her loading as a parliamentary secretary when it's actually higher than the minimum wage of Australian workers?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:51): I find it an extraordinary question because it wasn't at all a comment or a statement that I made yesterday. It's, as the honourable member opposite would say quite often in this chamber, verballing the member.

I am not at all upset. I am very much enjoying the role that I have. I enjoy the role that I have because, again it will not surprise you, I get to support the team that is now in government—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Interjections are out of order even if they are from your own team.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: —because that's what we do over on this side of the chamber. We support each other. I feel incredibly privileged and honoured to be in this chamber. Whether that is on the front bench, the backbench, it is an honour to be here, and I think we should all respect the privilege that it is to be in this chamber when there are other people out in the community who are struggling to find ways to pay their bills.

I feel very privileged and honoured to be here and I will fight for every South Australian so that they can have the dignity to have a roof over their head, to have access to the services that they need, not to have them privatised by governments that, when they come in, decide to find privilege and decide to privatise the very services that people in our community rely on. Privatising public transport is just shameful from those opposite. For you to stand over there and ask me a question about my loading is quite extraordinary when you were the government that decided to privatise a service that those in our community who do not have any other form of transport to get to work so very much need.