Country Cabinet

The Hon. R.B. MARTIN (15:11): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister please update the council about the recent country cabinet in Naracoorte?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Attorney-General, Government Whip, Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Ms Girolamo, order!

The Hon. E.S. Bourke interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: And now the Hon. Ms Bourke is chiming in. Enough! Order!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Attorney! Enough! Minister, please, your answer.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:12): Thank you, Mr President.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: You should get out to the regions.

The PRESIDENT: Attorney, stop fishing.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: And stop biting.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I thank the member for his question and I am delighted to update the chamber about country cabinet. It's not surprising that those opposite want to do everything they can to stop us talking about country cabinet, because it's something that they totally rejected when they were in government and continue to reject in terms of their support for the fact that they are so popular in our regional areas.

In contrast, members on this side of the council understand and appreciate the importance of country cabinet to regional communities and that, of course, is why we hold them on a regular basis across the state. It is in stark contrast to the approach the previous Marshall Liberal government took to country cabinet, because they refused to take cabinet out to the regions and, presumably, expected regional communities to make their way to North Terrace—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —to engage with the state government. They couldn't be bothered.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Minister, sit down. The minister will be heard in silence. Minister, continue.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The former Liberal government couldn't be bothered to go out to the regions as a cabinet, to take their chief executives, to actually and actively listen to regional communities on a regular basis so that they could engage and get feedback into their policies. Clearly, they did so poorly with that—

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: Point of order.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —that they were kicked out after four years.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Simms has a point of order.

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: On relevance, can the minister just answer the question?

The PRESIDENT: Minister, we would like to get through some more questions today, so if you could get on with it.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: It is about country cabinet.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Last week, the state government held country cabinet in the electorate of MacKillop with its hardworking and popular local member, Nick McBride—Independent local member, I might add. I am pleased to advise that many regional residents—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Attorney-General!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —along with regional sporting groups and community clubs were engaged.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Attorney-General!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: On Wednesday of last week, I joined the member for MacKillop, along with the Naracoorte council CEO, Trevor Smart, and Mayor Patrick Ross, at the Naracoorte Regional Livestock Exchange. On Thursday morning, I joined the Premier and Minister for Emergency Services, along with the member for MacKillop—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —the member for Mount Gambier and Telstra's Regional General Manager in South Australia, Michael Patterson, in Millicent to announce the state government's contribution to the proposed Limestone Coast Regional Connectivity Project. We were delighted to also have there representatives of local government—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Attorney! Stop fishing.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —and also of industry, who of course are also contributing to that project.

The Hon. H.M. Girolamo: She has already done this speech.

The PRESIDENT: And stop biting.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I spoke at length during question time yesterday about the benefits of that announcement for the Limestone Coast.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I then had the opportunity to join the member for MacKillop and the Minister for Emergency Services at the Naracoorte Aerodrome.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: He's a good member, the member for MacKillop.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Very hardworking, the member for MacKillop.

The PRESIDENT: Responding to interjections is out of order, minister.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: We announced that two firefighting aircraft will service the Limestone Coast as part of a broader investment into aerial firefighting capacity. An additional fixed-wing aircraft and a Black Hawk helicopter will be stationed in the area and provide a significant boost to water bombing capacity in the region. The announcement will, of course, offer greater protection for landowners and the forest industry alike from fires during the bushfire season.

Later in Naracoorte, I once again joined the member for MacKillop and the Minister for Trade and Investment at a wine round table hosted by the Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council. I thank the president of the council, Helen Strickland, for hosting us and allowing members of the council the opportunity to ask questions of government about some of the opportunities and challenges facing the wine industry.

In the evening the whole state cabinet, led by the Premier, hosted a country cabinet meeting, or forum, at the Naracoorte High School, where residents from across the Limestone Coast region attended to ask government ministers a long and varied list of questions relating to their local community. Something that became clear when I spoke to members of the local community at the forum, and beforehand and after, was that they are sick and tired of being taken for granted as a traditionally safe Liberal seat, and they certainly appreciated the opportunity—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —to raise questions directly with members of cabinet. They also appreciated the fact that we have our chief executives of departments also in the room at these forums, which means that sometimes questions or issues can be resolved immediately or very soon after because of that involvement and that interest from the highest levels of government.

On Friday, I had the opportunity to join other members of cabinet to meet with mayors and CEOs of a number of councils within the electorate of MacKillop, which provided them with an opportunity to address additional matters relevant to their respective local councils. Then we were on to Bordertown, and I was able to participate in the announcement of a huge housing boost in the local area.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The state government has partnered with Tatiara District Council on stage 1 of the development by investing $2.7 million to construct five key worker homes and contribute to civil works which will play a significant role in developing up to 60 new homes on the 5.8-hectare site, and hopefully will play some role in addressing the regional housing crisis in Bordertown.

As I think I mentioned earlier today in question time, Bordertown has a near zero rental vacancy which, if not addressed, will hurt the region's economic growth and its ability to attract and retain the workforce required for essential services in the region. Members on this side know that regions matter, and I'm pleased the Malinauskas Labor government continues to work with regional communities to deliver better outcomes.

I want to reflect on some of the comments that we had at both the forum and also at some of the other events in relation to country cabinet.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Minister, I'm keeping an eye on the clock, and I think you have gone well past the time allowed for a Dorothy Dixer, so wind it up, please, so I can go to the next question.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I am sorry that those opposite are not keen to hear about country cabinet and its engagement with regional communities.

The PRESIDENT: I will sit you down. Conclude.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I would have thought that regional communities were important. Certainly, on this side, we think they are.