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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-04-09 Daily Xml
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LABOR PARTY FUNDRAISING

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen) (14:31): My question is to the Premier. Is the SA Progressive Business Incorporated cocktail party, to be hosted by the Newport Quays consortium on 24 April 2008, the same sort of cocktail party the consortium organised for the Minister for Infrastructure on 31 January 2006 and for the Deputy Premier in August 2005? On 22 November 2007, the Leader of the Opposition asked the Minister for Infrastructure whether he and the Treasurer had been to a Labor Party fundraising function hosted by Newport Quays. The minister told the house:

Have I been to a function hosted by Newport Quays? Yes, I have. I think it would be peculiar if I did not go.

New fundraising events appear on the calendar of events for the ALP fundraising vehicle SA Progressive Business Incorporated, including autumn twilight cocktails at Newport Quays with the Premier, Deputy Premier and the Minister for Infrastructure at a cost of $500 a ticket.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (14:33): I actually knew that this was the next question because members opposite are so completely transparent. Mr Speaker, the implication that is sought to be made is that we are—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Yes, I am. I have to say, Marty, that I am much cleverer than you—there is absolutely no doubt about that.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Now, here it is. Now we know why he would not answer the previous question. Here is the implication: that we gave them the land for free so that they would run a fundraiser for us. Here it is. We gave them the land for free because they ran a fundraiser for us. Can I say that I am not sure that we would get away with that. I am not at all confident that the Auditor-General would see that as a good deal.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Yes. He says that we are doing very well. He cannot get them off their bums! Have a look. There is one camera and they are not interested. The truth is that the business community does often run fundraisers—not for me. I correct the member for Heysen when she suggests that a fundraiser was run for me and one for Kevin. As I understand it, the funds go to the Labor Party.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: Unfortunately, I didn't see any of it in my electorate.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Yes. I can assure the honourable member that the electorate of Port Adelaide is not high in our priority of seats when the Labor Party goes out to fund them, as the Deputy Premier holds it by a more than a comfortable margin. But it is not unusual for businesses to go to functions in support of political parties. It was just last week—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. Foley: Hang on, he just said, 'When they're bidding for contracts.'

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Well, I will come back to that point. Let me make it absolutely clear, for those in the opposition, that this consortium was selected under a process that they commenced—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: 'And it smells,' they say. They are quite happy to throw this sort of stuff around, but I just wonder how someone like Roger Cook, the Chairman of Urban Construct, who has been appointed by them, feels about being accused of things like that, because it is an absolute disgrace to drag someone's name and a company through the mud, with absolutely—let me make it clear: people do run fundraisers, and I do know that Brendan Nelson was here just last week at a thousand dollar a plate lunch. It is true that in their current straitened circumstances he managed to get barely a cricket team along. I understand there were about 12. If it were not for some tried and true supporters it might have been very embarrassing.

It is also true that the Liberal opposition—and we have this said to us on a daily basis now—is absolutely on the nose with the business community about their weasely, walking both sides of the street approach to the WorkCover legislation. They are so mortified—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Well, you're going to find out, sunshine.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: So, what I would say to you is that it is not—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. Foley: They don't get it, do they?

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: They don't get it. I occasionally do go—as do the Premier and Deputy Premier—to functions organised by Progressive Business, and will continue to do so. The suggestion that there is something colourable in going to one by Newport Quays is a completely dishonest slur on us and a completely dishonest slur on a company that was chosen by their process.

Can I say that it may be that Newport Quays never runs a fundraiser for the Liberal opposition, but would you be surprised? I mean, would you be surprised? This is the second occasion that they have dragged the name of the company through the mud, for no good reason. Can I just say that the opposition sometime between now and 2010 will have to be a little more honest with people. It is not going to get to government by completely—

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Oh, an ICAC would sort it. He wanted an ICAC the other day because 'the police had made mistakes'—that's why you need an ICAC. It is the Independent Commission Against Corruption; not the independent commission against making mistakes. That would be called ICAMM. They have nothing. They have nothing but slurs. They have nothing in their kitbag. It is the second question this week about a six year old legal deal that they did, and a slur on innocent people. If you think you are going to get into government on that—well, one thing I do hope for is, please let us keep Martin Hamilton-Smith until 2010. Please let us keep him. I pray for you every night, Marty. I pray that you will stay there, because we want you in 2010, because you should suffer the humiliation that you are going to drag something that was once a half decent party towards. I look forward to the humiliation you impose on your sorry people, and I have pity on those people on your side who have some credibility and some intelligence, because you are pathetic.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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