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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-11-10 Daily Xml
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ITALIAN LANGUAGE TEACHERS CONFERENCE

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:09): My question is again to the Minister for Education. Why did South Australian taxpayers bear the full cost of interstate teachers to attend an Italian language teachers' conference held in Adelaide from 11 to 15 July this year? What was this cost? Did taxpayers fund expenses for the keynote speaker, Professor Patrizia Guida from a university in Puglia?

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Education.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. Hill interjecting:

Mr WILLIAMS: Madam Speaker, I have a point of order. The minister is claiming that I am making a racist attack on somebody. You are outrageous and I demand an apology.

The SPEAKER: Order! Which minister?

Mr WILLIAMS: The Minister for Health.

The SPEAKER: I didn't hear the comment, but I hope you didn't make that comment, Minister for Health.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Somebody else can still go out. The Minister for Education.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development) (15:10): One of the—

Mr WILLIAMS: I have a point of order, Madam Speaker. I have sought an apology and a withdrawal from the Minister for Health for accusing me of being racist.

The SPEAKER: Minister for Health, what was your wording?

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I said this is a racist attack, Madam Speaker, and that's what I believe it is.

The SPEAKER: I don't think that's an accusation. It is a comment rather than an attack. The Minister for Education.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: Madam Speaker, might I point out to you that I am deeply offended that the minister would accuse me of being a racist for asking a question in the public interest and have that accusation stand on Hansard. I ask him to withdraw and apologise.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I think you just withdrew the remark, did you?

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Madam Speaker, I said I withdrew my remark.

The SPEAKER: Thank you.

Mr Marshall: You are a disgrace!

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Norwood! The minister.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: One of the—

The SPEAKER: Point of order, member for Bragg.

Ms CHAPMAN: The minister has not apologised. He has withdrawn the remark. An apology was sought by the member, and I ask that you to direct him to apologise or throw him out.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I have consulted with—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Bragg! He doesn't need to apologise. He has withdrawn the remark. The Minister for Education. There is a point of order.

Mr PENGILLY: I have a point of order. Number one—

Ms CHAPMAN: Don't bother. She's not worth it. Excuse me, I'm leaving!

The SPEAKER: Order! Sit down, both of you. This has degenerated into something which is absolutely ridiculous. The minister withdrew his remark. He does not apologise if he has withdrawn the remark. Member for Finniss, what was your point of order?

Mr PENGILLY: I just wanted to raise point 125. I counted the minister call the member for MacKillop a racist on four occasions. If that doesn't warrant an apology, I don't know what does.

The SPEAKER: I am not upholding that because I didn't hear the minister once. Treasurer, did you have a point of order?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Only that the member for Bragg made comments reflecting on the chair, and I would like to ask her to withdraw but she has done a runner. Who was it who did it many years ago? Jennifer Cashmore! I think there are leadership tensions over that side.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I also thought I heard that remark. I wasn't sure. However, I will give her the benefit of the doubt today, but you do not reflect on the chair. Minister for Education, would you answer this question and then we can all go?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I will. Madam Speaker, one of the proudest boasts this state has is its commitment to multiculturalism. The central tenet of that is the way in which we promote languages other than English within our schooling system.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, leader!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: We are regarded as the centre of excellence in relation to non-English speaking language training and professionalism in this state. We have been asked at a national level to design the shape paper for the new national curriculum. We have a leading school of languages within the University of Adelaide.

I am sure that there are exercises in professional development that are undertaken on a routine basis within our department. I am unaware of the precise circumstances of this, but I will bring back an answer to the house.

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