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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-05-05 Daily Xml
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STATE GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg) (12:23): I move:

That this house congratulates Premier Ted Baillieu, Premier Barry O'Farrell and their respective Liberal Coalition teams on their election to government.

It is with pleasure that I rise to move a motion that this house congratulate Premier Ted Baillieu and Premier Barry O'Farrell, and their respective Liberal Coalition teams, on their election to government. Australia now knows and has celebrated the victory of the Victorian team late last year and, more recently, that of the New South Wales team this year.

I have been acquainted with both Mr Baillieu and Mr O'Farrell for a number of years before we all came into parliament. They have made a fine contribution to their respective political parties and spearheaded the tsunami that is going across Australia of fallen Labor governments and now celebrated in Victoria and New South Wales.

Just this week, the Victorian government, led by Mr Baillieu, brought down their first budget. This is nearly a $50 billion budget in Victoria. In their widespread support for the budget in Victoria, the business community, led by the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive, Wayne Kayler-Thomson, indicated that they considered the budget to be responsible and safe. They certainly made comment that they would have liked to have had some more support for their area. But interestingly, a telling support of the important budget decisions that were made is that, notwithstanding decisions of the audit commission (which is similar to our Sustainable Budget Commission inquiry in South Australia), the Community and Public Sector Union Victoria Secretary, Karen Batt, who had called for an end to the audit commission, said of the budget:

(Mr) Baillieu has completely rejected (the commission) and clearly believes in Victoria being a society as much as an economy.

That is a very strong endorsement, I suggest, even by those leading the union movement, and indicates the support for the first budget brought down yesterday.

I was pleased to see that Mary Wooldridge—a colleague in the Victorian Parliament who had covered areas for humanitarian services and support, particularly in the housing, health and welfare areas, disability, ageing and the like, which is now shared with Wendy Lovell in the new government—and others in the government had brought down financial commitments in the budget to underpin the promises they made during the election. They are to be commended for that. It sets a stunning example and is a very important first step of a government to maintain those commitments.

I was interested to note a commitment by Peter Walsh, the new agriculture and fisheries minister, for extra funding in the budget for support of recreational fishing opportunities. So while they have some marine park arrangements in Victoria, they are actually putting money into the lifestyle and livelihood in respect of recreational fishing and coastal communities, rather than crushing it as in South Australia. They are providing an extra $16.2 million for improvements in fishing infrastructure such as artificial reefs, fish-cleaning tables, access to jetties and the like.

I also read that they are even proposing the development of stocking of trout cod, other perch and catch fish, and other fish in suitable waterways, installation of fish ladders to improve fish migration and production, opportunities to improve access tracks and upgrade existing boat-launching facilities for recreational fishing, an increase to the fishing patrols on weekends and public holidays, and the undertaking of research and implementation of other measures to protect spawning fish stocks near river mouths.

They are putting their money where their mouth is, supporting an important lifestyle activity and livelihood activity for people in their state relating to fishing and, indeed, looking to commit extra funding to their fishing intelligence reporting line. We have one in South Australia still; we have little else left in the department of fisheries, I have to say. It has pretty much been stripped from the line, but nevertheless the first budget of the Victorian government is one of which they can be very proud. We look forward to seeing their leadership in bringing that state back into a very secure financial position.

It is true that Labor governments all around the country openly brag that they maintain AAA credit ratings while they allow their states to fall into decay, their budgets to go into deficit and the debt to accumulate. These are unacceptable situations, but in South Australia we have seen demonstrated even this week again how the government is prepared to remove obligations in respect of infrastructure for hospitals off the budget bottom line, remove it from the eye of those who make assessments such as AAA credit ratings, and take those debts away so that they cannot be judged in the financial mismanagement that they are undertaking. Good luck to Ted Baillieu and his team for the work that they have already started.

I now turn to Mr O'Farrell in the New South Wales election. I have great delight in extending our congratulations to him. He has a massive job to undertake in dealing with the financial and impecunious circumstances of the state, particularly with the infrastructure fiascos that have gone on.

I am not here to reflect on the former Labor government in that state in respect of the changes in leaders and all of the things that rack that particular cabinet but, whatever the distraction was, whatever the reason for incompetence was, the reality is that a premier state of this nation which had started with its settlement—even having the responsibility for New Zealand—is now in a crushing situation, under a level of financial difficulty, exacerbated by recent weather events which, of course, have added to the nightmare in New South Wales.

First, I wish to acknowledge Jillian Skinner, who was the deputy leader of the opposition and is still the deputy leader of the Liberal Party in New South Wales. She is the new Minister for Health in the New South Wales parliament, which got underway this week. She had certainly been a great adviser to me when I was shadow minister for health, supporting the provision of information and guidance on how one acts in opposition. She is a sterling example to many. She along with Chris Hartcher, I think, were in the former Liberal government of John Fahey. Chris was then the minister for environment and I think he now enjoys the role of minister for energy. I am sure that both of them—being the only ones, I think, in the new government who were under the last Liberal government—will provide valuable advice to their new colleagues.

As to the new colleagues, I especially acknowledge and congratulate Gareth Ward, the new member for Kiama. Gareth is a young, energetic member whom I have met on occasion. He has been to South Australia during previous elections and has assisted with election campaigns. He was certainly always keen to saturate himself with an opportunity to broaden his experience in political campaigning. He was elected to the state parliament in New South Wales at the last election, with a massive 57.5 per cent two-party preferred vote. That is particularly encouraging given that he had won the seat with less than a 50 per cent primary vote, with a massive swing to him in second preferences. Gareth Ward, you are to be complimented, and we wish you well in your political career.

I also acknowledge here in our parliament the success of Leslie Williams, who won the Port Macquarie seat for the National Party. Leslie was formerly Leslie Uren. She is a first cousin born on Kangaroo Island, the daughter of my father's sister, Alison, and her husband, John. Alison herself has given to the community on Kangaroo Island in particular throughout her lifetime, dedicating herself to community service. She has made an outstanding contribution. It is not surprising that it would run in the family. Leslie has also committed a substantial part of her working life to organisations—in both paid and voluntary positions—in the Northern Territory and in New South Wales.

She comes to the state parliament in New South Wales with a quality which, I think, is very important when it comes to representation and leadership. She comes from a family of siblings with two sisters and a brother. Her brother, the youngest in the family, was born with a severe disability, and continues to reside with my aunt and uncle, Alison and John, who are full-time carers for Phillip.

It is not only an outstanding personal effort but it reflects a very growing problem in Australia where ageing people with severe disabilities are continuing to live in households where the carers are having to make serious decisions about how their child will be provided for in the future. Leslie grew up in this household; she understands the challenges; she understands the importance of responsibility in positions of leadership to provide for those who cannot provide for themselves. I have absolutely no doubt that she will make a sterling contribution to the parliament of New South Wales.

It was a tiny bit disappointing that she stood for the Nationals but it is absolutely explosively exciting that she whacked out an Independent within the federal seat of Mr Oakeshott. The Independent member in this instance, lined himself up as a mate of Oakeshott's as his slogan to win the seat, and it became a death knell during the last election.

So, congratulations to you, Leslie. You proudly follow with distinction, women of substance in your family: your mother, grandmother, great-grandmother—Granny Dayman to all of us, a powerful Port Adelaide supporter, born and bred in Port Adelaide, and if she were here today she would be very proud to see her great grand-daughter successfully sworn in to the parliament.

All those good wishes go to both Premier Ted Baillieu and Premier O'Farrell with their respective teams. They have a massive job to undertake to rebuild their states. We wish them well. We look forward in South Australia in 2014 to joining them, together with Western Australia, and we would hope by then, Queensland, so that we have a complete tidal wave across Australia to bring in a wave of Liberal blue.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Correctional Services) (12:37): This parliament considers many things. It considers things like the Mt Barker Development Amendment Plan, parliamentary allowances and talks about a series of bills, the voting age, euthanasia, but have we come down to congratulating our own political parties on their success?

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I think in comparing the mass migration to South Australia of Italian migrants to a party-political partisan victory in New South Wales and Victoria, quite frankly, the member for Bragg's priorities are a little askew. Wasting the parliament's time with patting ourselves on the back for a victory which she had nothing to do with is a bit rich. I also notice that she has another motion in the house congratulating the UK Conservative Party. So now she wants to congratulate foreign governments on their victories. Really! Is this what the parliament is about now, is it? This motion says more about the member for Bragg than it does about those two victories in New South Wales and Victoria.

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (12:38): I will take a pure political line and have a bob each way on this one. I would like to make a couple of points that were relevant in terms of the election of both of these people, Premier Ted Baillieu and Premier Barry O'Farrell, and it relates, as members know, to a hobbyhorse of mine. Premier Barry O'Farrell made a commitment (and he has carried it out) that, contrary to what the police in New South Wales want, that is, to bring in zero tolerance for speed cameras, he would not allow it to happen. That has been implemented, so I commend him on that.

I think that people have to understand that there is a difference between operational matters for police, like investigating a crime, and general policy approaches. The government here has said traditionally that that it is an operational matter and we cannot get involved.

That is not true when it comes to general policy matters relating to policing. It is a bit like the Minister for Health: he does not get involved in operations at Flinders Medical Centre, as far as I know, and neither should he, but he does have a major input into the policies administered in places like Flinders Medical Centre.

In relation to the government of Premier Ted Baillieu, they made a commitment prior to the election that they would, if elected, in the light of enormous public concern about the use of speed cameras in Victoria and the way they were being used (which, incidentally, is being challenged in the courts there by police officers), introduce the equivalent of an ombudsman to look at complaints and issues relating to speed cameras. That has been done and I commend them on that. The other thing they have done (and I have seen the evidence of it) is make a commitment to publicise the location of every mobile speed camera in Victoria.

I think there is a lesson in what has happened in New South Wales and Victoria for the major parties here, that is, there is an underlying concern—not about people endorsing, for example, speeding but people wanting a system that is fair and transparent. That is what happened in Victoria and New South Wales, and the coalitions in both Victoria and New South Wales should not underestimate the significance of that in delivering government.

Mr GOLDSWORTHY (Kavel) (12:42): I was somewhat astonished at the response of the Minister for Correctional Services in his contribution to the motion. It has been a hallmark of the way the Minister for Correctional Services has performed in this parliament to attack the person, to attack the man and not the issue, attack the man and not the ball. If he had anything constructive to say in relation to the motion—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I have a point of order, Madam Speaker.

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

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The member is imputing improper motives to me.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I will give the member the benefit of the doubt for the time being, but I will listen carefully to what he is saying from now on.

Mr GOLDSWORTHY: Thank you, Madam Speaker, but I just want to make the point that it has been a hallmark of the performance of the minister in this place that he pursues personal attacks and does not look to the issue that is before the parliament. However, having said that, I congratulate the member for Bragg for bringing this motion to the house to congratulate Premier Ted Baillieu and Premier Barry O'Farrell on their outstanding victories in their respective elections.

We witnessed some outstanding results, particularly in the New South Wales election, where some seats that had never been held by the Coalition since their formation were won by the Liberal-National Coalition. In particular, I refer to the polling that we witnessed in the electorate comprising Broken Hill. I understand from reports that not one booth had ever been won by the Coalition in the history of that electorate, and in the most recent election the Coalition won every booth, I think some on primary vote. That is a clear indication of the tide that swept the Labor government out of office and the Liberal-National Coalition into office. I note that—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

Mr GOLDSWORTHY: Tom, you can keep jabbering away there, mate; no-one pays any attention to you. You're irrelevant. You are irrelevant, mate.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: How's your preselection?

Mr GOLDSWORTHY: Yes, it's fantastic, fantastic.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr GOLDSWORTHY: I note this week that the newly-elected Victorian Liberal Coalition government brought down its first budget on Tuesday. It released some very important initiatives in its budget, particularly in relation to its support for emergency services. I have taken particular note concerning these matters, given the fact that I have the responsibility for emergency services on behalf of the opposition.

Significant moneys have been provided to further support the volunteers within the CFA (Country Fire Authority), the SES and other emergency services in Victoria, and I will just read from the transcript:

The coalition government has provided $67 million to fast-track CFA stations; $67 million in building 60 new and upgraded Country Fire Authority stations; and roll out 101 new firefighting vehicles within the next 12 months.

That is an outstanding initiative, I think, from the newly-elected Victorian government. Also, it will invest significant moneys—$5 million—in the 20011-12 year in the first stage of the retreat and resettlement policy of non-compulsory land acquisitions as part of the government's commitment to accept all the bushfire royal commission recommendations.

Furthermore, the Victorian Coalition government is providing unprecedented funding and more than $38 million to the Victorian State Emergency Services. It outlined its support for emergency services as part of the budget, including $9.3 million for the SES funding over the next four years, which will ease the pressure on hardworking volunteers to enable them to continue supporting their Victorian communities.

There are some really, I think, outstanding announcements just this week from the Victorian Liberal Coalition government in terms of its budget announcements supporting its emergency services volunteers. Can I contrast that to the way in which I believe this government has treated its emergency services volunteers—particularly the CFS volunteers—over a number of years. I know that the Country Fire Service Volunteers Association has made a submission to the government for this year's budget, which the house is about to hear next month (in June). The release of this year's budget—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order. Member for Kavel, sit down.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The motion is that this house congratulates premiers Baillieu and O'Farrell and their respective Liberal Coalition teams on their election to government. The hapless member for Kavel is now talking about CFS funding.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! We are not asking your opinion. The honourable member is certainly using this as an opportunity to comment on all sorts of issues, so I suggest that he gets back to the thrust of the motion.

Mr GOLDSWORTHY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will not delay the house anymore. I just want to commend the member for Bragg for bringing the motion to the house congratulating both the Victorian and the New South Wales Liberal coalitions on their election victories.

They have an enormous amount of work ahead of them to restore the economic and financial credentials of those two respective states. Certainly, we face that same challenge if we are successful in the 2014 election campaign. The Liberal Party here in South Australia will have an enormous job in rebuilding this state as a consequence of this Labor government's extremely poor management over all its responsibilities.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (12:49): I was not going to speak, but the member for Bragg inspired me to say a few words, and the reality is that I endorse the motion of the member for Bragg in congratulating Premier Ted Baillieu and Premier Barry O'Farrell on being elected to government. I would particularly like to pick up on the member for Bragg's comments about Mrs Leslie Williams being elected to the position of member for Port Macquarie. It is very, very relevant.

My view is that if the member for Bragg coaches the new member for Port Macquarie in New South Wales, the Labor Party will be taken to pieces over there as they are by the member for Bragg in South Australia; so I look forward to that with interest. She comes from extremely good stock, as the member for Bragg said. Her parents and the rest of her family are terrific people. John and Alison have done a sensational job in raising their family and particularly in looking after Philip, as they have for so long and as they will continue to do. So, Leslie's contribution in the New South Wales parliament will be one to watch.

The reason that both these governments have come to take their place leading their states is diabolical mess that both these states are in. We saw it earlier in Western Australia, where we congratulated the new premier over there some time ago, and now we have this taking place in Victoria, where Ted Baillieu put on a spectacular performance to become premier of that state and will be doing great things after he has cleaned up the almighty mess left by his predecessor.

What we have witnessed in New South Wales, with Barry O'Farrell coming to government in such a massive landslide election in both the lower house and the upper house, is a sign of what the population of that state has done with an absolutely toxic, septic Labor government. You only have to look across the other side of this chamber to see where they are going to end up here.

The reality is that people are not fools and they will not be taken for fools all the time. When they get the opportunity to chuck a government out they do. My view is that in 2014, when the South Australian community has the opportunity to vote, there is every chance that they will do that again. Mr O'Farrell, in particular: they had every sort of activity in the previous New South Wales Labor government that people just could not stand, all sorts of activities and scandals taking place, and it was just something to behold. What we are seeing in South Australia with the total chaos on the other side of the house, both here and in the other place, is indicative that when governments go bad, they go bad in a big way and the electors in the various states turn around and change that.

So we just have to wait now until 2014. Quite frankly, the member for Bragg has moved in an appropriate manner to put this motion up to the house. You have heard what people have had to say—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

Mr PENGILLY: If the minister wants to get up and make a contribution, let him go.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: I said it.

Mr PENGILLY: Yes, but it wasn't much, was it? Let's face it. I genuinely believe that the member for Bragg acted in the best interests of South Australians when she moved this motion to support the new governments in Victoria and New South Wales, because I believe that in a few short years you will have the government in New South Wales and the government in Victoria—and possibly Queensland if there's an election and a change there—all up making good motions about supporting the election of a Liberal government in South Australia.

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (12:54): I was not going to speak, but I think I have been inspired by the mover and indeed the members on this side. It really gives one great heart to realise that governments and states can turn these states around and make decisive decisions like this. In relation to Premier Ted Baillieu and Premier Barry O'Farrell returning Liberal governments to both Victoria and New South Wales, it is certainly welcome on this side of the house, but I think we should also at the same time consider how well Western Australia is doing under Premier Barnett. We are seeing a resurgence right across Australia of people waking up and saying, 'Hang on, we want to return to economic sensibility, economic success.'

We know that Victoria, particularly, thrived under the last Liberal government, the Kennett government. A lot of tough decisions were made back then; one I remember was the family tax he put on to get Victoria out of debt. Most people in Victoria accepted it, and Victoria got out of its debt malaise very quickly under Kennett's direction. They made a lot of good decisions and the state was really thriving. We were all amazed when he lost that election subsequently, and I think most Victorians do regret and rue the day they did that. It is similar in New South Wales.

Regional Australia does poorly under Labor whether it is state or federal, and when you have federal and state Labor you have double trouble because they seem to somehow affect the productive sector of the community, particularly when they target the rural sector. When you start targeting the productive sector, you then start to target the economic status of your state. All of a sudden people are working out that things start to crumble.

In New South Wales, we saw the transport sector completely fall over because of very poor management, and we are seeing it here in South Australia. We are seeing it right now with the hospital. I am sure that if we had a poll, the people of South Australia would not go with that option now that it has been flagged that the cost is going to be what it is and how much it will cost us over, say, the next 50 years. If you held a referendum, I think South Australians would say resoundingly, 'No, we will go back to the other option of refurbishing the Royal Adelaide right where it is.'

Queensland is in trouble. Whoever would have thought that Queensland would be in serious trouble with the resources they have? Tasmania is in trouble. South Australia—well, I do not think the word 'trouble' is a strong enough word because of the polls. Hearing the government in this place yesterday, you would think that there was nothing wrong, but there are certainly very serious structural problems within our government in South Australia and, if that is not enough, the factional problems that are in there with it makes it twice as bad, particularly when you hear members criticising each other publicly—no names! That is unheard of, but it may be justified. Yes, I think it is, but we cannot wait for three more years to see what is going to happen.

It is sad to know because there are some good members on the other side—not many, but there are some—and they are going to pay a price. What has happened is not their fault because some of them have not been here very long, but to leave the parliament after one term or even two terms is not justice, but you pay the price for a cabinet that has not governed very well. I have been lucky to represent a seat where, ever since being elected in 1990, I have been here with a reasonably strong majority, but I do feel for those in marginal seats. There is still time for these backbench members and previous ministers on the back bench—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order!

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I have a great a deal of affection and admiration for the member for Schubert, unlike others. He is now talking about South Australian election results. The motion clearly concerns congratulating premiers Baillieu and O'Farrell.

The SPEAKER: Yes; he certainly has digressed from the motion. I will uphold that.

Mr VENNING: Madam Speaker, so would I, actually. I agree. I cannot contain myself, but it is serious. We are seeing a change right across Australia. We all know that the pendulum swings, but it is unwise to be all one way and then all the other. It is not smart to do that. I think it is good to have a mix of both.

I am a strong believer in the two-party system—everybody knows that—I really am. If we are not in government, I believe the Labor Party should be, and if you want consistent government that is what you should do. We certainly are seeing a change, and again I congratulate the member for Bragg for bringing this to the house today. I do wish both premiers Baillieu and O'Farrell all the best in the task they have in front of them. It would be fairly daunting to take on the debt they have with an economic climate that is very difficult indeed.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mrs Geraghty.


[Sitting suspended from 13:00 to 14:00]


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