Hon. F. Pangallo

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:47): I want to say something that I never thought I would need to in this place. I must condemn the spiteful and slanderous personal attacks on me by the Premier and his faceless bully mates at SA Labor, which he controls.

After being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer I endured three months of gruelling radiation treatment. I never once took leave from my busy parliamentary schedule. I did not take a holiday in 2024. Instead, my family and I made a promise that when our neurodiverse son completed his double degree, with honours, at Flinders University—something a teacher once told him he would never achieve—we would celebrate with a family holiday in his grandparents' homeland. He achieved that with high distinctions. He was dux of Mercedes College in 2017. He was recognised for his outstanding dedication by the university. We are so proud of him. We were told he would never amount to anything in his life. For any parent, that is a terrible slur. Fortunately, my wonderful wife did not accept it and we guided him on the successful path he finds himself on today. Yet his life could have been so different.

At the same time, his brother was married in Greece. It was a double celebration and the first real opportunity for me to heed medical advice: recover, recharge and prepare for the challenges ahead. My holiday lasted six weeks, not two months as Labor falsely claimed. I continued to work remotely with my office and constituents every week, and I attended an international parliamentary conference at my expense. Other South Australian MPs of Greek descent were there as well, and I expect they will declare who covered their costs. Yet Premier Malinauskas chose to mock my age and upon my return his faceless Labor bullies smeared me online as lazy and complacent, holidaying at taxpayers' expense, all while knowing my circumstances and as I continue to recover.

I can count on one hand the number of sitting days I have missed since 2018. So is Labor flagging that public servants, and I am one, should not be paid if they take a holiday? Who moderates their reckless language online? I have a thick hide and you can attack me all you like on my record as a parliamentarian and a critic, but do not peddle lies with personal spite. I am not and never have been a bludger my entire working life.

The vile and baseless Tom Koutsantonis-led attack on Sam Telfer, who required urgent dental surgery yesterday, is another example of this arrogant government that has lost touch with the real issues like cost of living, housing affordability, ramping, the algal bloom, skyrocketing power bills and a massive $50 billion debt. It is Labor at its lowest, deliberately cruel, personal and slanderous.

The Premier took his family overseas during the algal bloom crisis. I would never criticise him for taking precious time with his young family at taxpayers' expense, but he should extend that same fairness to others instead of mocking me and my recovery. He knows he can get away with it because of his carefully crafted good guy image, leaving others to fire the dirty shots. South Australians deserve better and deserve to know the truth. SA Labor's offensive tweet flies in the face of the Premier's crusade to address bullying on social media by banning young people from using these platforms. Adults do it too, Premier, and your political party is the master of these dark arts.

'Can you trust a Habib?' Remember that nasty racist one? Shouldn't political parties set the bar and behave responsibly online too? South Australians expect better. I will always work hard for the people I represent and I will continue to give everything I can, despite personal battles. To the Premier I say this: 'shame on you'. Attack my ideas, challenge my policies, criticise my record, but do not fan lies, do not make it personal and do not demean rivals recovering from a life-changing illness or those needing urgent medical treatment. If politics for you is only about power and ego, then enjoy it while it lasts because South Australians will eventually see through it.