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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-05-05 Daily Xml
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ADELAIDE OVAL

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (14:11): Can the Premier outline to the—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. Foley interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the Minister for Police!

Mrs GERAGHTY: Can the Premier outline to the house the support still needed to ensure that the planned redevelopment of the Adelaide Oval goes ahead?

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) (14:11): That is a very good question. There is a lot more work to be done. It was heartening to see the forces of negativity standing aside to let the vast majority of SACA members have their say last Monday night and overwhelmingly support the planned Adelaide Oval redevelopment. More than 80 per cent of those 12,000 or more members who voted want this development to go ahead. They not only voted in favour of the future of cricket surviving and thriving at the Adelaide Oval, they voted in favour of revitalising this fantastic sporting asset and breathing new life into the heart of our city centre.

Everyone who understands the importance of transforming a vision into reality supported this redevelopment, people such as the former prime minister of Australia John Howard; the former foreign minister of Australia, Alexander Downer; the former defence minister and now chairman of SACA, Ian McLachlan; the former Liberal premier and now SANFL chairman, John Olsen; the former Liberal premier, Rob Kerin; Christopher Pyne; the former test cricketer, Greg Chappell; the former test cricketer Greg Blewett; the former test cricketer, Stuart MacGill—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —the former test cricketer, Wayne Phillips; the former cricketer, football umpire and commentator and South Australian legend, Ken (K.G.) Cunningham; the former Sturt football and cricket player, John Halbert; the former Port Adelaide captain, Warren Tredrea; the former Crows captain, Mark Ricciuto; the former Aussie Rules legend, Barrie Robran—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —the former Aussie Rules footballer, Bob Hammond; the chief executive of the MCG, Stephen Gough; the head of Business SA, Peter Vaughan; the former head curator of the Adelaide Oval, Les Burdett, who is now a consultant to SACA; and the current head curator, Damian Hough, who believes the standards of the all-important pitch will not be compromised—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —by having football played all season at the oval. Now, they do not want to hear this—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Norwood!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I note the comments of Liberal grandee and former foreign minister Alexander Downer last month calling on South Australians, writing in The Advertiser—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my left will behave!

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Minister for Transport!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The fact that they catcalled John Howard, they catcalled Mark Ricciuto, they catcalled Greg Chappell, they catcalled John Olsen, they catcalled Christopher Pyne, they catcalled Rob Kerin. I am going to tell you what Alexander Downer said, writing in that journal of record, The Advertiser. He said that if the Adelaide Oval project failed to proceed, and I quote:

It will be proof of the fear many of us have that Adelaide simply can't move forward. It is rigidly locked into the inertia of crippling conservatism. Nothing new should ever happen. Everything has to stay as it was.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Just wait for it. Alexander Downer goes on to say:

For me, the politics of this issue are over. At the last election, the Liberals offered a brand new facility while Labor promised to upgrade the Adelaide Oval. Whatever your preference—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: This is your Alexander Downer:

Whatever your preference, the election's over. Labor won and so the Adelaide Oval redevelopment it is.

He goes on to say:

This is a project which transcends politics. It is a project which lays down a challenge to South Australians. Do we want to move forward or do we want to fester in the inertia of petty disputes.

That is what Alexander Downer said.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The longest serving Liberal foreign minister in Australian history. The longest serving foreign minister, whose father and grandfather were premiers of this state. He has the guts and the substance to put this state before Liberal petty politics. So does John Olsen, so does Rob Kerin, so does Christopher Pyne.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: No. It seems that the only people we have heard from who are maintaining—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Davenport and the member for Norwood!

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —is the Leader of the Opposition and some of her front and backbenchers, but, of course, we know there are deep divisions within the Liberals on this. We know.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Finniss, member for Schubert, member for Kavel. You have had too much red cordial. Behave!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Sixteen Liberal leaders and deputy leaders while I have been the leader of the Labor Party. What does that tell you about their divisions? We know there are deep divisions within the Liberals on this.

Mr WILLIAMS: I rise on a point of order. I have been sitting here patiently waiting to hear the answer to the question about how the oval has been developed and I have not heard one mention of the sale of the forests.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.

Mr Williams: Tell us about the forests, Mike?

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for MacKillop—behave!

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I know. I can see a log when I see one; and I know a log when I see one. He is going to China, but he wouldn't go to Penola when they needed him. We know the member for Waite, who supports the redevelopment, for instance, has been gagged from saying anything positive and that is because he is aligned with the many enlightened Liberals, many of whom I have just named, who support it. I am now calling on the Leader of the Opposition to show us she can be magnanimous and do what Greg Howes has done and say, 'Okay, the majority of people have said yes, so let's move on.'

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Is she big enough? Is the Leader of the Opposition big enough to do the right thing by our state? Is she big enough to put our state before petty partisan issues? Is she big enough to fill the shoes of John Olsen? Is she big enough to fill the shoes of Rob Kerin? Is she big enough to fill the shoes—

Mr PENGILLY: I rise on a point of order: standing order no 98. The Premier is clearly debating and hasn't even attempted to answer the question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier can answer the question as he chooses. It was a very open-ended question.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Okay, so will she now show—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: You keep interjecting and I'll keep going. Will she show true leadership and now swing her support behind this redevelopment that so many people so obviously want? Is the Leader of the Opposition prepared to put South Australians' interests before the interests of the Liberal Party? Will she support our legislation—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —to ensure this project goes ahead? Because that is the next step. Before the winter recess, the Minister for Infrastructure will introduce into this parliament legislation to make this project happen. Where will you stand? Will you stand with John Howard? Will you stand with John Olsen? Will you stand with Alexander Downer? Will you stand with cricket and footy and the 80 per cent who voted for it, or will you continue to knock and white-ant this project? If not, will she tell us what she would do as the supposed alternative premier? Where is her plan B? Where would she site a plan B? And, more importantly, how would she pay for a plan B?

The leader cannot tell us that because she does not have a plan B. They were so cocky they believed that the yes vote would only get about 71 per cent. It was a woeful campaign for the no vote but you thought you'd get a minority that would stop it and you could say, 'Don't blame us, blame SACA.' Now you are wriggling on a stick, the lot of you.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I presume that the media have asked you: where will you stand?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! There is a point of order.

Mr PISONI: Point of order: the Premier must address the Speaker, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I will uphold that point of order.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Madam Speaker, with respect, it is time for the leader to tell us her plans, her vision but, most importantly, her decision on whether she will support our enabling legislation to enable the Adelaide Oval redevelopment to go ahead.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Where do you stand? Are you going to support the legislation or aren't you? It is time for them to put up or shut up. In doing so, let me remind the leader of what this development is all about.

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Hammond!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: You have to sort out your divisions. Go and sit down with John Howard, John Olsen and the rest of them, because before the winter break we will introduce the legislation into this parliament and you will be required to vote one way or the other. You cannot continue to play games. This is too important for our state for you to knock.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: This development is not some kind of mirage in our city. It is a development whose time has come.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Let us remind the leader what the development is all about. According to the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies, having cricket and football played at Adelaide Oval year round would add more than $100 million in additional economic benefit to the city each year—$100 million a year of economic activity. It is about tourism and jobs.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The better and more centrally located facilities will attract more interstate visitors to Adelaide and enhance our ability as a state to attract major sporting and cultural events. This will become part of the works that will bring together the developments currently planned and underway in the northwest of the city, including the $394 million Adelaide Convention Centre and Riverbank precinct entertainment strip; the $200 million SA Health and Medical Research Institute; the new Royal Adelaide Hospital; the Torrens River footbridge that will unite the city—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Unley be quiet.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —by joining the Festival Centre convention precinct with Adelaide Oval; and, of course, just along the way we will have the Bowden development. Having worked hard to get our economy moving again, it is our intention to keep the momentum going with projects like this that deliver long-term jobs and economic benefits. We need an opposition in this state, and an opposition leader who understands the need to give bipartisan support to developments that matter most in this state. It is not—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Yes, just like we did. Have a look at our figures of support on critical issues like Olympic Dam—the fact that we factored it in. It is not about—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Sometimes, just sometimes—

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Davenport!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Look at him.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Swear words—you know, prepared to use this childish behaviour. Oh, but, you have heard their interjections; are they fit for office?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr PISONI: Point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order, member for Unley.

Mr PISONI: I believe that the Premier must address the Speaker.

The SPEAKER: I think he is. He is a little bit cross-eyed. Premier.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Okay—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: It's the noise that is making him cross-eyed.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —final message to the opposition: do not turn your backs on the majority of South Australians. Put our state before your pettiness. It is time to make up your mind.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for MacKillop, you are on your second warning. You will get one more and you are out. I hope that, in that last question, you were able to vent all your spleen for the day and we might have an orderly question time from now on, because I am going to start warning people and naming people if you do not behave. The Leader of the Opposition.

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