House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-06-22 Daily Xml

Contents

TREASURER'S REMARKS

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (15:23): My question is to the Premier. If a minister can knowingly mislead the public during the whole of an election campaign and not be sacked, what is the value of the government's ministerial code of conduct?

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) (15:24): I think we have made very clear that it was the Deputy Premier himself who went out publicly to identify that he had misled the house about 20 days—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I think it was 2 June, or around that time—about 20 days before parliament sat. As long as I have been in this parliament—which is longer than anyone else in this chamber—the rule has been that you actually have to advise the house at the earliest opportunity.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the Deputy Leader!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Not only did the Deputy Premier advise the house at the earliest opportunity, but he advised the people of South Australia nearly three weeks before parliament resumed to let them know that he had made a mistake. It all comes down to intent.