House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-10-29 Daily Xml

Contents

LAW AND ORDER ISSUES POSTCARD

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg) (14:28): Is the Premier aware that the Australian Labor Party has formally registered the name 'Isobel Redmond MP, Leader of the Opposition' with Australia Post as part of its reply paid customer account, and will the Premier now take responsibility for the Australian Labor Party's misleading and deceptive campaign—

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms CHAPMAN: —and order the ALP state secretary to remove the name of the Leader of the Opposition as one of Labor's registered reply paid campaign names with Australia Post?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:29): The Leader of the Opposition's predecessor lost his job because of dirty tricks and fake accusations, forged documents and a range of other things. Under this Leader of the Opposition, obviously—

Mr GRIFFITHS: Point of order, Mr Speaker: the question from the member for Bragg is quite specific in relation to the Australia Post card.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The house will come to order! The Premier is in the course of answering the question. I will hear what he has to say in his answer. The Premier.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I just say this: smearing people is no substitute for unity, no substitute for policies, no substitute for plans or vision. The Leader of the Opposition cannot smear her way into government and South Australians deserve better.

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker: my question is whether the Premier is aware of this occurring and what action he will take to deal with it.

The SPEAKER: There was also an allegation—

Ms CHAPMAN: Nothing to do with a dirty tricks campaign.

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Bragg will take her seat! In the question was also an allegation of deceptive and misleading conduct.

Mr Venning: Well, isn't it?

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Schubert!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left! When you insert debate into a question, it is reasonable for the minister to have a fair amount of latitude in responding. The Premier.

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker: can I just seek some clarification? It may be that I need to make this clearer in the question, but let me make it absolutely clear: the Leader of the Opposition is not a member of the Australian Labor Party.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms CHAPMAN: There is nothing misleading about that.

The SPEAKER: The member for Bragg will take her seat.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The people of South Australia deserve much better than this. The people of South Australia want a government and an opposition—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —that puts South Australians before petty politics. They do not want to see anyone smear their way into government. What they want is an opposition that is unified, rather than fighting amongst themselves. What they want is an opposition that has a shared vision for the future of this state, that fights for this state, rather than fight amongst themselves. So, I am not aware of the matter that—

Mr PEDERICK: Point of order, Mr Speaker: the Premier has strayed that far from the question it is ridiculous. It was very precise, very specific.

The SPEAKER: The member for Hammond will take his seat. The Premier has concluded his answer. I call the member for Light.