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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-02-08 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

NEW MINISTRY

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) (14:09): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: This morning His Excellency the Governor in Executive Council appointed a new deputy premier and two new ministers to the cabinet. As part of these appointments there has been an extensive reallocation of portfolios.

The SPEAKER: Order! There are people taking photos in the gallery. Cameras are not allowed in the gallery, only the media.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I thought I had a duty to the house to inform members opposite and, indeed, the parliament and the people of those changes. As part of these appointments, there has been an extensive reallocation of portfolios. This represents the biggest shake-up of cabinet since Labor came to office. Overall, 11 ministers have changed roles or taken up additional responsibilities. The cabinet is reinvigorated, renewed and stable. We have maintained the right balance of continuity and change, experience and—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Davenport will be quiet.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I was just thinking that, since I have been the leader of the Labor Party, there have been 16 leaders and deputy leaders of the Liberal Party. It is not pass the parcel; it is pass the grenade. From a cabinet of 15, we have five with the experience of having served since we came to office, combined with more recent ministers who are making their mark for the good of the state. The new ministry takes its place here today, and let me say that there is much more talent to draw from our caucus. The member for Enfield was appointed—it is very hard to hear oneself speak.

Mr Pisoni: We read it on Twitter. We saw it all on Twitter.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Unley will be quiet. We will have silence or we will leave the chamber.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The member for Enfield was appointed to the position of deputy premier. First elected in 2002, the member for Enfield has held the portfolios of attorney-general, justice and tourism since the 2010 election. As a minister, he has proven his willingness to engage with all sections of the community, particularly those directly affected by his portfolios. He will bring to the role of deputy premier a new and fresh approach, and I look forward to working with him on building South Australia, growing our employment, building infrastructure for the future and delivering better services, including health and education.

The Deputy Premier will continue as Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Minister for Tourism, as well as taking on urban development, planning and the City of Adelaide, and the new role of Minister for Food Marketing. The planning role is a key role in nurturing and managing growth in this state, particularly, of course, with the 30-year plan for metropolitan Adelaide and also with the establishment of an integrated design commission, while the new role of food marketing is about making the most of our regional food excellence and clean green image, and fits perfectly with his tourism role of marketing our state.

The member for Playford is the new Treasurer, while retaining employment, training and further education.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The new minister—

An honourable member: Where is he?

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The new minister, the Hon. Bernard Finnigan MLC, is now the government leader in the Legislative Council, as well as taking on the industrial relations, local government and gambling portfolios. The member for Newland joins cabinet as Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, and Minister for Road Safety, and with a wide brief as minister assisting me as Premier with South Australia's Strategic Plan.

The member for Port Adelaide will take on police, emergency services and motor sport, adding to his defence industries role, and will bring his years of experience assisting me on the Olympic Dam expansion project. Indeed, the Minister for Police and minister assisting me in the Olympic Dam negotiations—and motor sport—will join me with the new minister for Mineral Resources Development in terms of negotiating with BHP Billiton.

I want to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge the former deputy premier for his enormous contribution to the betterment of our state.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: As Treasurer, he secured the state's AAA credit rating, while delivering budgets that included the biggest infrastructure spend in the state's history and record commitments to health; a more than doubling of the health budget—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —a massive increase in police resources and other services. The member for Cheltenham, another experienced minister, adds science and information economy to his education duties, which I think is the perfect mix. It is about the link between science and education—of course, future-looking portfolios.

The Hon. Gail Gago now takes on the portfolios of regional development and public service management. I should say—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Some people are about to be warned.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The Hon. Gail Gago now takes on the portfolios of regional development and public sector management. I think it is the first time that I can recall in the state's history where the minister responsible for the public sector is not actually the Premier, so all of the necessary acts will be designated to the Hon. Gail Gago.

The member for West Torrens and Minister for Industry and Trade will also be the new Minister for Mineral Resources Development. The member for Napier takes on the additional portfolio of energy, and the member for Hartley adds Minister Assisting the Premier in Social Inclusion to her responsibilities, social inclusion being one of the—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —three driving tenets of the government. I also take the opportunity to thank the Hon. Paul Holloway, former leader of the government in another place, for his legendary contribution to the development of the state's mining sector and for his visionary reforms to the state's planning system and the development of the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide. The mining industry itself gave a politician the Legend of Mining jacket. It is like getting the green jersey or the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, or even better in the Tour Down Under. I also place on record—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my left will be quiet.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —my thanks to the member for Lee, a former minister for police, for his contribution and dedication to numerous significant and difficult portfolios over nine years as a minister, including transport, police, emergency services and other areas. He has presided over the biggest increase in police resources. He has tackled hard issues, including reform of WorkCover, and has reformed our workplace safety system. As minister for recreation, sport and racing—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —he has been a fierce advocate for sport at all levels from grassroots to the elite. I know, as a fellow athlete, I look forward to competing with him again.

In the coming days I will be recommending to the Governor—this is an announcement here today—the appointment of the member for Light as my parliamentary secretary, replacing the Hon. Bernard Finnigan MLC. The member for Light will join the member for Mawson as parliamentary secretaries. This will give the opportunity to rearrange responsibilities for the parliamentary secretaries to expand the range of experience. I intend to assign the member for Mawson to the Minister for Health and Minister for the Southern Suburbs. Arguably there are few in politics who could claim to know the South better than the minister and his new parliamentary secretary. Together they will make a formidable team.

The member for Light will be assigned to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. The member's strong interest in the government's extensive infrastructure program will be put to good use. In particular, I expect that the member for Light will play an active role in managing the rollout of our infrastructure investment in the North, including the electrification of the Adelaide to Gawler railway line about which he is a passionate advocate. I congratulate all these appointments, and I am sure all members of this house join me in doing so.

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