Legislative Council Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Regional Bank Closures Regional Bank Closures The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK Legislative Council Regional Bank Closures The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (15:15): Supplementary: does the minister consider that part of her role is to represent consumers in country and regional SA? The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN Legislative Council Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister for Forest Industries Regional Bank Closures The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:15): I've had a lot of very positive feedback about my engagement in regional areas on very many and varied topics. The Hon. K.J. Maher Legislative Council Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Attorney-General Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector The Hon. K.J. Maher: Where have you been? The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN Legislative Council Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister for Forest Industries The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Where have I been? The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: No— The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN Legislative Council Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister for Forest Industries The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I have been almost everywhere, my colleague. Almost everywhere, Attorney, Mr President. Members interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order! No. The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN Legislative Council Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister for Forest Industries The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: It has been in stark contrast to the behaviour of the former government. I know that last week when I was in the outback, I was in Andamooka, Roxby Downs, William Creek, among others, and the feedback there—and I've got to say, those areas are not necessarily areas that one would think are particularly Labor leaning areas, yet the response from so many people I spoke to there was, 'We are so glad to see government ministers.' In fact, I was joined by the Hon. Kristy McBain, federal minister, as well as the Minister for Regional Roads and Local Government, the member for Stuart in the other place, and we were told that this is the first time that a federal minister had visited that area in more than a decade—the first time there had ever been a federal minister in a decade or more. I think that really is illustrative of the type of interest we have from those opposite despite their constant bleating about how they are in touch with the regions. They like to talk the talk, but they don't like to walk the walk, if walking means getting out of Adelaide. The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Minister, bring it back. The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN Legislative Council Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister for Forest Industries The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: When it comes down to the— Members interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order! Bring it back. The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN Legislative Council Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister for Forest Industries The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: When it comes down to the other times that we do hear about those opposite and their colleagues actually getting out to the regions, what do we hear? We hear that the Leader of the Opposition in the other place, he was just too good to eat the chicken in the Mount Gambier venue. He was too chicken to eat the chicken in the Mount Gambier venue. In fact, he got up and stormed out. How is this— The Hon. R.A. SIMMS Legislative Council The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: Point of order: this is completely irrelevant to the question that was asked about banks and quite frankly it's quite embarrassing for people living in regional communities. I asked a serious question about people's access to money and what we've got is a lot of irrelevant nonsense. The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Minister, I have been generous, giving you a broad range, but this needs to come to a conclusion. Finish your answer, and then we can move on, please. The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN Legislative Council Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister for Forest Industries The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Certainly, and if the supplementary question from the Hon. Ms Lensink was irrelevant nonsense, I guess that's not my fault.