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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2007-10-16 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

RODEOS

The Hon. G.M. GUNN (Stuart) (15:25): I am happy to—

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The Hon. G.M. GUNN: I could have been the member for Grey a number of years ago, if I had wanted. I chose to stay here because I knew that the Attorney-General would be pleased. I want to talk about a more important issue; that is, the fact that the real crunch of the drought conditions affecting many parts of South Australia has not come yet. The crunch will come in January, February and March next year. That is when the real effects of the drought on these small rural communities will be at their worst. This is at a time when governments should not be taking away services but should be ensuring that the services which are already there are maintained and enhanced. It is not a time to be taking away services from hospitals; it is not a time to be putting pressure on schools about school buses or other services; it is a time to go to those communities and give them confidence. Difficulties that they will have in maintaining their sporting facilities because of the lack of people will put added pressure on those small communities. There has been a great deal of talk about the difficulties on Eyre Peninsula, but that also applies in my constituency in the Upper North.

One of the things which has annoyed me more than anything over the past few months is that this government, for reasons best known to itself, wants to put added pressure on those small communities by making a vicious attack on the rodeos. These functions are run by volunteers to provide money for the Flying Doctor to maintain its services, and the government allows Sir Humphrey Appleby in the Department for Environment and those other anti-rural people to bring in stupid restrictions. I ask the Deputy Premier to explain to this house why the Calgary stampede (which attracts 1.2 million people) does not need a permit from the provincial government, the federal government or the local government and does not have to prepare any reports? Just tell me why in little South Australia we want to penalise these people?

The Hon. K.O. Foley: I have no idea.

The Hon. G.M. GUNN: It's a pretty good question.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: I like rodeos.

The Hon. G.M. GUNN: Why don't you do something about the stupidity in the Department for Environment and Heritage? Edmonton hosts another huge rodeo—no permits. They said to me that they would not put up with this nonsense. This is the biggest rodeo in the world: it goes for 10 days. They even have chuck racing. However, here in little South Australia, you have the department for environment wanting to put its nasty tentacles into traditional Australia. They want to interfere with a way of life. You have these left-wing agitators and those crazy advisers to the minister. The poor, helpless minister would not know a calf from a bandicoot, nevertheless, here we go. I am waiting for the Premier to tell us why we have to implement controls but the biggest rodeo in the world, the Calgary Stampede, which is attended by the Prime Minister of Canada, does not have any restrictions.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting with the board, and when I showed them what we are doing in South Australia, they just laughed and said, 'How foolish can you be?' A few days ago, the Premier said that we want to get rid of red tape. Here is a prime example of how he can get rid of some red tape. We have already been told that, this year, when people are carting their crops to the silos, the over zealous inspectors in the department for transport are waiting for them. I gave warning to this department about what will happen. The minister gave some undertakings, but it appears to me that they will not be put into effect. I have been told that they have not gazetted certain roads around South Australia on which to allow B-doubles and road trains to operate. We know what happened a few years ago when that fool in the department for transport in Ceduna nearly stopped the export of grain from Thevenard. The only reason he still has a job is that he is mates with some of the hierarchy. We know that. We know this character. I want to know why they have not lifted that red tape, but I also—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The honourable member's time has expired.

The Hon. G.M. GUNN: That is unfortunate; I just got started.

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