Question Time

Questions on Notice

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Leader of the Government in this place on transparency and accountability.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: By the parliament's own reconciliation, the opposition and crossbench have not received answers to 25 outstanding questions on notice. Some of these questions are outstanding from 8 February—almost three months ago. The Legislative Council's standing orders—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: He thinks it's funny.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Hunter, the Hon. Ms Girolamo!

The Hon. H.M. Girolamo interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Girolamo!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Girolamo and the Hon. Ms Henderson! Leader of the Opposition, finish your question, please.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: As I was saying, some of these questions are outstanding from 8 February—almost three months ago. The Legislative Council's standing orders are clear that questions to the government must be answered within 30 days of asking. My question to the leader is: why is his government not adhering to our council's standing orders, and why are they choosing to not be transparent or accountable to the South Australian public by not answering questions within the stipulated 30 days?

The PRESIDENT: I call the Attorney-General.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:24): I thank the honourable member for her question. If there are specific questions that the honourable member would like to have followed up, I am happy to do that, but what I wish to do—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —is place on record—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Point of order, Mr President.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: There is definitely a health and safety issue here. I happen to sit across the aisle from the three over there on the opposition benches and very often, through the screaming and the screeching, I can't hear myself.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: I haven't finished. I would like to request that you and the Clerk get together and work out a way that we can measure the decibels that come from that side to here.

The PRESIDENT: Sit down, the Hon. Mr Wortley. That is not a point of order.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: It's a health and safety issue.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! That is not a point of order. Attorney-General, provide your answer.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: As I was saying, one thing I would like to do is place on the record my thanks to the many, many dedicated hardworking members of the public sector who spend many, many hours diligently working to find answers—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —some that take many hours and hours of dedicated research to answer opposition questions.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Just yesterday, I tabled—I can't remember the exact number—15 to 20 answers to questions. I will not partake in denigrating hardworking public sector employees who are trying to do their job diligently.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I ought to but I don't think I will delve into the many, many months of delays that former Liberal ministers had in answering questions because that wasn't the subject of the question so I shan't go there.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I will give you the call for your supplementary when everyone calms down.

The Hon. R.P. Wortley interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: If you have a problem you can go out.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Girolamo, you are testing my patience.