Mount Gambier and District Saleyards

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (15:25): Supplementary: will the minister sign the petition, given it is supported by both local councils and the Mount Gambier combined agents?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:26): I thank the honourable member for his supplementary question. I haven't seen the petition as yet. It hasn't been provided to me, in the same way that an invitation was not provided to me. My question before signing the petition would be: is it a sincere attempt to obtain funding for a worthy project that the South Australian Malinauskas government—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —has supported, or is it full of, perhaps, political diatribe—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —rather than a sincere desire—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —to gain an outcome?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: What we see from those opposite—and I can see that the Hon. Ben Hood is following in the Tony Pasin mould—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The member for Barker.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —is lots and lots of noise. Let's create some noise, let's get some photo opportunities, but let's not actually try to advocate for an outcome. It was the Labor opposition that committed to this project—$2.7 million. It was the state Labor government that quarantined that funding—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —while we were awaiting the outcomes of the federal grant program decisions. It is the state government—the Malinauskas state government—that has been a strong supporter of this project. We have been a strong supporter, from back when we were in opposition.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: And yet what do we get from those opposite? A lot of noise, but no sincere desire to actually achieve an outcome. I would be delighted to have a look at this petition. Certainly, I support the concept of the saleyards getting funding, which is why the state government provided that commitment of $2.7 million.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The federal funding I would hope would be forthcoming in a future round—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order from both sides! Come on!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —of their grant programs. They are competitive programs.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Girolamo!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: They are competitive programs.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Martin!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The fact that they have got through stage 1 of that—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I wish I could kick you all out!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —shows that merit was seen in this project. It is clear, because it got through stage 1—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —that the project does have merit. I would hope that the—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I cannot—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: And don't you start, because you have been as bad as everybody else.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —Grant district council will show that they are intending to make a change, remembering that it was $2.7 million—$2.7 million—that the state Labor opposition, now state Labor government, offered to this project, and yet we had nothing—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —until after that occurred.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: We have those opposite complaining that I have run down the clock. How many times was I interrupted? How many times was I interrupted? I am happy to still have more to say.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: Fourteen times.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Fourteen times, apparently, I was interrupted. I am surprised it wasn't more. However, I look forward to—

The PRESIDENT: Sit down, minister.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —meeting with the Grant district council, and I would hope that those opposite would actually go about—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —this in a bipartisan way instead of their petty politics.

The PRESIDENT: Sit down.