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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-05-07 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

PREMIER'S COMMENTS

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (15:11): Today I rise to warn the house of what is impending over the next two years as we move towards the next election, because yesterday the Premier showed his hand. We are going to see a very dirty, grubby, negative campaign, and I will explain why. Yesterday, the Premier was asked a Dorothy Dixer in response to Mike Smithson's article in the Sunday Mail about his trip to the north. As the Premier rose to his feet, some in the opposition expressed a similar attitude to what Mike Smithson did, that is, 'Ho hum, here goes the Premier again with some TV cameras to try to get a bit of publicity. No new announcements, nothing new, just riding on the back of other people's efforts.'

The Premier immediately put a large folder on his desk, flipped through it and came to a particular folio, and started to talk about where members of the opposition have travelled. Obviously, the Premier has had someone in his office—someone being paid at the taxpayers' expense—going through members' travel reports and making notes so that he can run his dirty campaign. I say to the Premier: we will play the same game. We will read every travel report of every member of this government—and we will go back a few years, too. If the Premier wants to get down in the gutter and play those sort of games, I am just issuing a warning.

Why would the Premier play this game? Because last election, all around Adelaide, we saw the posters: 'Rann gets results'. The reality is that chickens come home to roost. We are now seeing that Rann has failed to get results. There have been very few results. Where is the last refuge of the scoundrel? It is in the dirty tricks campaign, and that is where this government will go over the next two years. They will do everything they can to play the man because they do not have the results. This government does not have a record of which it can be proud. It does not have a record on which it can stand.

I was amazed at the Premier's ministerial statement yesterday when he tabled the Mullighan report. Fifteen years ago, this Premier was the minister for aboriginal affairs in a previous Labor government. For this Premier to make out that, in the past six years of his administration, he has done everything that he can is a nonsense. For him to make out that he was totally unaware of any of these goings on is a nonsense.

As a former shadow minister for Aboriginal affairs, I know that I have stood in this place and on numerous occasions raised issues in relation to the APY lands—and this government has been in denial. It is an outrage that members opposite stand in this place and shed crocodile tears. Having visited the lands, I can attest to the disgraceful turn of events that has happened up there for many years.

The Treasurer today accused the opposition of playing politics with this issue. It is shameful. I said publicly on ABC Radio on the Bevan and Abraham show a couple of years ago that if I leave this place and conditions have not improved on the lands, I will feel that it is my personal failure. I think every member of this house should share that because it is a disgrace. Any member who has not been there should go up there.

It is outrageous for the government to play politics with the issue and to do what it has done in last two days. It points to the fact that Rann does not get results—and I am pleased you have come back, Treasurer. In 2004 we had statements from the Premier and the Treasurer about what would happen on the lands, and not a hell of a lot has happened, to be honest.

We can go right across the portfolio areas—and I have a big list here—but I will get through only one or two of them. I am a former shadow minister for industrial relations. Since 2003—five years ago—the opposition has been asking questions about WorkCover, pointing out the problems, and this government has been in denial for five years. The Deputy Premier today had the temerity to say that we are holding up the bill and we will cost business a liability of up to $1.5 billion.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: They do not get results—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacKillop's time has expired.

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