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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-05-13 Daily Xml
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Address in Reply

ADDRESS IN REPLY

Adjourned debate on motion for adoption (resumed on motion).

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (15:30): Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am just seeing my time put up on the board—25, thank you.

Mr Venning interjecting:

The Hon. R.B. SUCH: Is that deal or no deal?

The Hon. R.B. SUCH: I would like to raise quite a few issues arising out of what was in the Governor's speech and via the Address in Reply. I would like to see more autonomy in our state schools—DECS schools—and governing councils and principals having more authority to do things and run their schools. The private school sector still has to operate under certain guidelines in relation to the curriculum and so on, and the same rules could apply, obviously, to DECS schools, but at the moment there is too much centralised control out of Flinders Street.

Even though I used to be an active member of the AEU, I do not believe that the AEU should be involved to the extent that it is involved in matters such as the selection of staff and so on. I do not have a problem with all staff, if they wish, being involved through an elected rep. I know that the previous minister (Hon. Jane Lomax-Smith) had some concerns about the role of the AEU, and I think that that needs to be adjusted. That is no reflection on unions; I think that unions have an important role to play, but I do not believe that their role extends to matters including things such as the NAPLAN tests, and so on.

In regard to health, I was very pleased because recently I met with the Minister for Health. I have been advocating for a long time in situ health checks in the workplace and for the Public Service. I was pleased because he told me that, about a fortnight ago, his agency changed its approach and now supports in situ health checks, and would like to see those introduced for public servants. Many councils do it. Marion and Onkaparinga councils do it. I believe that the ANZ Bank does it, Flinders University and there are others, because it fits in with the theme of preventive health.

I commend the Rudd government for establishing the Preventive Health Agency, because if we are not careful we will get to a point where we will not have enough tax dollars to provide hospitals for people who need health care. The emphasis needs to switch more and more to preventive programs and awareness. The member for Mawson just spoke about healthy eating, and that is part of it. One of the programs in which I participate involves going out and giving talks about prostate cancer. I have had two letters in recent times from men who have said that it has saved their life, because they have taken action, and you cannot get better letters than that.

Whether it is for men or women there needs to be greater emphasis on preventive health. Sadly, not enough men take an interest in their health, and it is not just about prostate issues: many women still do not avail themselves of mammograms and avoid cervical screening and so on, and that is very unwise.

With respect to the matter of water, I have met with the new minister responsible for nearly everything, that is, the Minister for Water and the environment, and I am pleased with his commitment. One of the issues down south is that we do not have the luxury of the aquifer system that exists in the northern suburbs. People have said, 'Why don't the government and others do more in the south in terms of aquifer recharge?' Well, because we have a split aquifer arrangement in the south it is not quite as easy.

What I would like to see done—and there is an ideal opportunity at the Glenthorne Farm at O'Halloran Hill—is to create a significantly large wetland there for stormwater retention which would not only assist in things like the revegetation of Glenthorne, which is another important objective, but it would help to deal with the significant amount of waste water and street water that flows out to sea. I want to see more commitment to the use of stormwater, and the Glenthorne Farm at O'Halloran Hill is an ideal location.

As for public transport, I met with the Minister for Transport this week and I was pleased to hear that the government has made a commitment to help fund bus shelters. You cannot expect people to catch public transport, buses in particular, if they are standing out in the rain in winter and getting scorched in summer. Many years ago the state government did provide a contribution to bus shelters, then it was put onto local government, but I think it is unfair and unreasonable to expect local government to pick up the tab on all bus shelters. I understand that the government is negotiating with local government, but I am looking forward to bus shelters being provided so that people can wait for a bus in some comfort and not be drenched in winter before they hop on the bus.

Many councils including my local council, the City of Onkaparinga, have said that they have spent all their bus shelter money converting existing bus shelters to be disability friendly. I don't have a problem with that per se but they said because of that they did not have any money to do any other bus shelters. The irony is that someone with a disability cannot get to the bus shelter in the first place because the bus shelter has to be disability friendly but the footpath doesn't have to be.

This is another issue. I am certainly keen to see more provided for people with disabilities, but I just wonder whether we have actually got it right. I will give an example of one of my schools that has just had a Building Education Revolution (BER) project completed but it is not approved because the rails in the garden and the steps are not compatible for people who are blind. There are 49 children at that school—the smallest school in my electorate—there are no blind children, there are no blind people living in the area as far as we know, yet at great cost now those handrails and the steps will have to be redone in the remote possibility that one day someone who is blind may attend or visit that school.

What we are seeing more and more is a blanket approach to disability provision when there are crying needs for people with disabilities that need to be addressed and are not being addressed. If some of that money which is being channelled into areas like providing wheelchair friendly bus stops in places in the Hills where there is no-one living with a wheelchair and never likely to be, then I think we could do more for people with a disability. I accept that elderly people may need some special provision, but I think we have gone overboard in some areas, including the provision of facilities on even buses and trains.

On roads and signage, one issue that came to a head recently in my electorate was the intersection of Bishops Hill Road, which is a council road, and Kenihans Road, which is under DTEI. The federal government provided $150,000 to deal with that junction and the response of the local council, the City of Onkaparinga, was to block off southbound traffic except buses. The locals went bunta and within a week or so there were 4,000 signatures of people objecting to that.

I have written to the minister here but also through the federal member Amanda Rishworth and to the federal Minister for Transport asking whether they can provide a reasonable amount so that we can get a roundabout at that junction and likewise at the southern end where Bishops Hill Road meets Kenihans Road. That amount of $150,000 is not enough to deal with the northern end and there is no money provided for the southern end.

One of the key roads in my electorate is Happy Valley Drive. We currently have no lighting on that road. It is of particular concern, not just for female constituents but they are the ones who raise it most frequently, because that is as black as you can get, especially in winter time. There is no overhead lighting whatsoever on that road.

Talking to the minister for transport, I understand that now the Minister for Road Safety may be looking at that issue. $750,000 is not cheap, but it needs to happen. We need overhead lighting on Happy Valley Drive, which is one of the main arterial roads in the south. At the moment, as I said, there is no lighting whatsoever.

I touched on the question of law and order just before the lunch break. I want to see more emphasis on early intervention. Teachers can often tell you at an early stage those children who need special help. If they are not guided and mentored and so on, they are likely to go down a path of crime and other antisocial behaviour. I am very passionate about this.

I also want to see more action in relation to graffiti. The government announced in the election campaign money to help with the clean-off, but we need action in relation to dealing with the root cause rather than simply cleaning off. Cleaning off graffiti is not the total answer—it needs to be done, but it is not the total answer. The government has to get serious about this issue, which really concerns a lot of people out in the suburbs because every day, every week it is costing them a lot of money as individual citizens and as ratepayers.

In terms of bushfire prevention, we have fantastic CFS units through the Hills and valley area. Part of my electorate obviously is in that area. The CFS tells me that they do not get enough funds. In fact, one of the local CFS officers was recently suggesting an additional levy for people living in the Adelaide Hills. That idea went down like a lead balloon. What I think needs to happen is for the minister responsible for the Emergency Services Levy to make sure that the CFS units—Blackwood, Belair, Happy Valley; right through from Tea Tree Gully down to Woodcroft—are getting sufficient funding.

Some units have told me that they do not want more recruits, or cannot take recruits, because they cannot afford to put a uniform on them. If that is the case, I find that rather concerning. I trust that the minister responsible for the Emergency Services Levy will make sure that there is adequate funding for the CFS. As we know, it is a fantastic volunteer service. At the end of last year when my house almost caught fire—it was smouldering—the Blackwood CFS was there within seven minutes doing a fantastic job.

On the matter of open space, there is a lot of talk now about urban consolidation. I do not have a problem with the concept in general, but we have to be careful we do not take away open space and green areas where young people can throw a netball, hit a cricket ball, walk the dog or whatever. One issue that I have taken up with the minister for planning is that I do not believe we make enough use of our shopping centres in terms of potential places where people can live. I do not think the current planning laws allow it, in general, but there is no reason why shopping centres like Unley and others could not have people—not just single people—living in units above them. You would have to provide parking, of course, in many instances.

This is not instead of transit-oriented development, but if you look around metropolitan Adelaide we have an enormous number of shopping facilities which are often single storey. It seems to me we could use that space above in a much more effective way by allowing people to live there. I think that would be a useful addition to urban consolidation.

I cannot talk about my traffic matter which comes up this coming week, but I can say some general things. I understand that 40 per cent of the work of the Magistrates Court is taken up with relatively minor traffic and parking matters. I have put to the Attorney that this is an incredible cost on the system. I think there is scope to have a division within the Magistrates Court specialising in traffic matters. You could actually use special justices, JPs who have had special training, who have an understanding of traffic matters, spatial distance and so on—people like the former member for Stuart, with another JP. They could be dealing with some of these questions about whether or not the parking sign was visible. Why take up the time of the court and the magistrate dealing with matters like that?

Some jurisdictions have special traffic courts, but the easiest approach would be to have within the magistrates court a section dealing with traffic and parking matters and take it away from where we are tying up highly qualified people—the magistrates—dealing with issues of whether or not someone was parked over a yellow line. I hope the Attorney will look at that.

I have also put to the Attorney my alternative to what some people refer to as an ICAC. I believe there is a way of doing that without having a formalised ICAC, by reforming the powers of the Auditor-General, making the Ombudsman the focal point for allegations where they can be filtered and, if necessary, the Ombudsman could refer it to an independent member of the bar, like a senior counsel.

As part of the package there also needs to be a reform—in my view, a drastic reform—of the Police Complaints Authority. You need a body to deal with minor complaints—such as where a police officer was rude—that are totally different from the higher level, integrity type issues. I do not believe that the Anti-Corruption Branch is able to do what it should do, and I do not believe in police investigating police; I think it needs to be separate.

If the Auditor-General can look at councils and their businesses—and I have had lengthy discussions with the former Auditor-General, Ken MacPherson—I think there is merit in revamping the powers of the Auditor-General. Not that the Auditor-General would do the day-to-day inspection, but he would contract out private auditors, as happens now, to operate in a format which had the approval of the Auditor-General.

I met the new managing director of The Advertiser at a Business SA luncheon earlier this year, Mr Ish Davies (he is a Welshman), and I mentioned to him that next year is South Australia's 175th birthday. He was quite excited about that and could see the potential of involving schoolchildren and so on.

I make a plea to the government; I have written to the Premier about it. I think we need more than a modest celebration. We have a lot to celebrate, and it should involve Aboriginal people, those who have migrated here and those who were born here. Let's celebrate: we have so many fantastic things to celebrate. We not only gave voting rights to women, but we also gave early voting rights to Aboriginal men back in 1854. I could stand corrected, but it was around that time. Aboriginal women got the right to vote at the same time as white women got the vote here in South Australia in 1894 but, sadly, that was all taken away at Federation, because the other states would not agree to it.

We pioneered the Torrens land title system and secret ballots, which became known as the Australian ballot. We have been pioneers in so many areas. We invented the photocopier here, and a lot of things people do not know about. We still have the original printing press from the first newspaper here in storage. We have so many things we could showcase as part of that celebration. To do that, we need a comprehensive social, political and economic history museum. I will not go into detail, because I will move a motion to be debated in the house but, as part of the 175th birthday, let's have some decent, fantastic celebrations. Let's create walkways and cycleways, have art projects and get schools involved. It has to be planned now, because it happens next year. That is one of my passions at the moment.

Moving on to other issues—and this is not quite the same thing as the ICAC alternative—I do not believe that currently in South Australia SAPOL is accountable to anyone. That is unsatisfactory, and we need a system in place where the police are accountable to someone. The commissioner fronts the estimates committees, but that is hardly adequate and is not the forum to provide an overall accountability framework for police. It is important that we have that. I believe we have a very fine police force in South Australia but that does not mean to say that we should not have some explicit accountability framework, and I would like to see that in place.

Regarding labelling, two weeks ago I met with Dr Neal Blewett who, apart from being the minister for health federally, was also my supervisor in honours, and I must say that I have the utmost respect for him because when I was a student some of the pro-Labor students tried it on to see if they could get special consideration, but he did not fall for that.

He is in charge of an inquiry into labelling on behalf of COAG, and it is an enormous task because he has to look at all the health implications. Our labelling laws are inadequate. In the US, if you buy a product, the label will tell you what percentage of water is in it. That is not the case here. If you buy a frozen chicken here, you will not be told how much water is in it. You are buying a lot of frozen water.

Our labelling says that it is vegetable oil, but it does not tell you what that oil is. It is usually palm oil which is not good for you and it is not good for the orangutan either because it means their habitat is further diminished. I believe that in a democracy people have an absolute right to know. I heard the member for Mawson talk about GM foods. I have a different view on that from him, but one thing on which we agree is that people have a right to know and, if they choose to eat something, it is very important that they know about it.

I have concerns with nanotechnology and microparticles. We are talking about things that are fairly small, even smaller than my brain—10-9. They are using nanoparticles in cosmetics and other things, and we do not know the long-term consequences of them. There are no standards, and the point I made to Neal Blewett was that you will find them being put into foods in the very near future.

I am a member of the Melanoma Research Foundation board. One of the skin specialists there, Dr Coventry, has reminded us time and again that whatever you put on your skin goes into your body and will go somewhere in your body. Likewise, if you are eating things, you need to know what is in them. We have a very inadequate labelling system.

Some people have been suggesting a stoplight system using red, amber, green. The manufacturers do not want a bar of that because you can imagine that if you put a red light on a product, the sales will not be all that good. I put an alternative suggestion to Neal Blewett, maybe a pie diagram that can show quickly sugar, salt and such things in a simple way.

We have problems with food labelling. I do not know whether people realise it but we are now importing more fruit and vegetables than we export and we are now importing 40 per cent of our fish. If you go into a fish and chip shop, you will not be told where that fish has come from because they do not have to tell you. If you go to Hungry Jack's, they will have a list somewhere under the counter but they do not have to tell you. If you buy a pie at Woolworths that is wrapped up, it will tell you that it is 25 per cent meat, but if you go into a pie shop they do not have to tell you.

There are a whole lot of areas where labelling in our state and in our nation is absolutely and totally inadequate. I am very pleased that COAG commissioned Neal Blewett and his team to look at this issue, because I think it is absolutely important that we give people the opportunity to know what they are eating and also to ensure that our farmers and primary producers are not unfairly discriminated against when people go shopping. If people want to choose a product, that is fine, but let them know where it is from so that they can make a choice and so that something is not thrust upon them without them knowing what they are buying or seeking to buy.

There are a lot of issues and a lot of others that I could focus on, but I conclude by saying that I am pleased to be back serving in this parliament. Someone asked me the other day, 'Are you surviving?' and I said, 'No; thriving.' We are in a privileged position and I do not think many South Australians really appreciate the value of our parliamentary system, imperfect as it is. I would like to see parliament reformed so that it is much more efficient and effective, so that we can provide the best lawmaking and decision-making for the people of South Australia. We often think about making laws in here; maybe it is time for us to 'unmake' some.

A couple of years ago the Premier said that we have too many committees in the community advising government. I think we may have reached the stage when we have too many laws controlling what we do. Recently, we have seen councils with bylaws that prohibit people selling a car, with a little sign on it, in front of their home. When you have reached that stage I think it is time to have a rethink.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I now call upon the member for Little Para. This is the member's first speech, and, accordingly, I would like to ask members on both sides to extend the traditional courtesies to the member; that is, of course, no interjections, no points of order, etc. The member for Little Para.

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (15:56): Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I would like to start by congratulating you on your election to this august post, and also my congratulations to the Speaker. Much has been made of the fact that she is the first woman to be elected to the speakership. Indeed, it is a milestone and one of which we should be proud, but I would also simply add that it is about time.

I want to also congratulate and welcome all the new members of this place and wish them the best of luck, and congratulate those members on our side who beat the tide and through sheer hard work and genuine commitment to their communities—and you know who you are—retained their marginal seats for the Labor Party.

I have been pleased and surprised by the collegiate atmosphere and the kindness and good advice that all members have shown both me and the other new members since we have been here. It is an honour to serve among you all. I am also humbled to have been elected to represent the people of Little Para, a place I love, to have been elected by my neighbours and my friends to this place.

I spent the first 10 years of my life living on council estates in the north of London, first in Barnet and then in Edgware. It was a rough place, and I am assured that it has become rougher; but it was home and I have only fond memories of growing up there. My parents taught me many lessons in life: the value of hard work, the need to look after those close to you and, most importantly, that love involves sacrifice.

My father was a driver on the London buses, and spent all of his spare time studying to be a cab driver, 'doing the knowledge' as they call it there, driving endlessly around London and memorising routes from one spot to another. One of my clearest childhood memories is of sitting on my parents' bed testing my dad on his knowledge, building his mental map of London. I did this because it was fun and I got to hang out with dad, but he did it for my mum, me and my sisters to make all of our lives better.

My mum, meanwhile, cared for us and gave me and my sisters a perfect and happy childhood, and we had no idea that there could be a better life; but there was. To my surprise my parents announced that we were going to somewhere called Australia, an exotic, faraway place which I imagined to be something like the deep south of America.

So I, like many members before me, am an immigrant, and there is a particular migrant experience in Elizabeth, where I ended up. British migration since the 1960s, as you know, has concentrated largely on the northern and north-eastern suburbs of our state, and it has contributed to its particular culture and outlook. It is working class and proud, it is hard working but relaxed in its outlook, and its politics are not abstract and ideological, but gritty and realistic.

My parents brought myself and my two young sisters to Adelaide and to Elizabeth from London in order to give us chances and life opportunities which would never have been available to us in the old country. I spent the next 10 years in Elizabeth Downs attending Elizabeth Downs Primary School and Fremont High School with a group of kids who largely shared my background and working-class British heritage. I am the first to admit that I was not a model student, but I got by, and with the help of some particularly good teachers and encouragement from my parents (again), I made it to university, unlike many of my peers.

Like my high school, the Salisbury campus of the University of South Australia no longer exists, but it was there that I met many of the people who I still call friends to this day. I shared lecture theatres, tutorials and a well-stocked bar with many people who have gone on to bigger and better things, people such as Tammy Jennings MLC, who is sure to cause all of us endless trouble from the other place for years to come, and, of course Nick Champion, the federal member for Wakefield, who is not only still a friend but also a source of good advice and a trusted colleague. I would not have had the opportunity to go to university had it not been for the decisions my parents took, and my life may have been very different as a result.

As much as my mum and dad gave to me, as much as they believed in me and encouraged me to find my own way, I do not think that even they would have dreamed that I would be standing in this place giving this speech. I want to thank them with all my heart for the sacrifices they made and their help and advice over the years, even when I barely deserved it. I hope that I can do them proud, and I will not forget where I came from.

My dad first worked at Bridgestone, a place which has, sadly, passed into memory recently, and then at Holden in Elizabeth, before getting work on the buses with the old STA. In fact, I have plenty of family connections with Holden, and it is a place which figures largely in my mental map of the northern suburbs. While I am in this place I will do whatever I can to ensure that Holden and the north remain a place which makes cars. Chances are they will look nothing like the cars of today, but Holden really is the heart and soul of the north, as important to its economy as the Central District Football Club is to its life and culture.

The vast majority of Holden workers live in the north and north-east, and I have met many more of them personally over the past 18 months of knocking on doors. My dad was always a union member, and I have been privileged to see firsthand, over the past 12 months or so, the commitment and hard work of the AMWU leadership and its membership in confronting the downturn caused by the global financial crisis. Of course, the northern suburbs area is not just a place which makes cars; it has, in fact, become the powerhouse of the South Australian economy under this government, and jobs for families in the north and north-east will always be my first priority.

About 10 years ago my fairly freewheeling twenties came to an end and my life went through several significant changes. I got married, had a child and joined the police, all in the space of about 12 months, and it is fair to say that my life changed quite dramatically. The police force is a very interesting organisation. On the one hand, it has almost 100 per cent union membership, something of which anyone on this side of the house would be proud, but it is also fair to say that in some ways it is an organisation made up of some very conservative individuals. A lot of people come to policing with a conservative mindset, and many of them react to policing by becoming increasingly conservative, but it had quite the opposite effect on me.

As I said, I grew up in Elizabeth Downs, and at the time I thought that I had a pretty fair idea of what disadvantage and social deprivation looked like. I must confess that I grew up with a bit of a chip on my shoulder about the more affluent suburbs and the portrayal of the working class in our media, but nothing I saw growing up could have prepared me for the disadvantage, the violence and just the deep, deep sadness that I saw in some of our communities.

I am not saying for a second that this is an entire community in crisis or that everybody in the north lives in terrible conditions—of course they do not—but policing exposes you to the worst of the worst, and it is deeply affecting. Sometimes we would go to homes with no back door, no front door and where parts of the floor and walls were in the fireplace and on the lawn, and we would go to jobs where young children were left to run wild and basically fend for themselves.

Really, that was the worst and saddest and most affecting part of the job: the kids who were, if not abused then hopelessly neglected, their mums trapped in violent, drunken relationships—and we are sometimes talking about whole streets across several generations. I used to come home sometimes and just hug my young son and think how lucky we were. I have since discovered that, at the time of the last ABS survey, some of these streets were right at the bottom end of the scale of social disadvantage, lower than places like Redfern and Sunshine and on a par with very remote outback communities.

I found that experiences like this made some coppers very conservative and, in some cases, intolerant. In my case, it drove me back to the Labor Party, which I had belonged to briefly in my early twenties. It drew me back because I believed then, as I believe now, that only Labor governments care enough about these communities to really set about changing things for the better.

I am pleased to say that, in the years since I left the police, the Rann government has been addressing these problems and continues to do so through good housing and education policies, through child protection and new domestic violence laws and through the work of the Social Inclusion Board, as well as through tough approaches to the incidence of crime in these areas, something which, frankly, we should never apologise for.

We need to have the confidence to protect as well as serve the most vulnerable in our community. We need to ensure that government resources are targeted to protect the kids caught in cycles of poverty and violence, and we need to continue with our projects of urban renewal in our most disadvantaged suburbs. Direct government intervention in the lives of families and individuals can be challenging for both the family and the community, but sometimes not intervening has far more serious consequences and, ultimately, we are all responsible.

Having said that, though, complex problems in our most disadvantaged communities are rarely solved by government alone simply coming in over the top and imposing solutions. Change often needs to be initiated from within communities and, to do that, you need to help build capacity. I really believe it is the role of a good MP in a working class electorate to try to facilitate that community capacity building. What I learned particularly from my friend and former employer Lea Stevens is that there are a good many people (teachers and principals, church leaders, community and service groups, health workers and even police officers) who have ideas, solutions and networks of their own. The trick for the local activist and local MP is to bring these groups together to work together and pool ideas and skills.

There is a primary school in the electorate of Little Para that demonstrates how this community capacity approach can really get results. Five or so years ago, it is fair to say that it was a fairly dysfunctional school and, by extension, a dysfunctional community. This particular school was to become the subject of a state parliamentary inquiry, which many here will be aware of. A couple of years ago, following the inquiry, the leadership group at the school changed and, slowly but surely, the culture changed. One of the first big—and, in retrospect, obvious—moves, was to put a fence around the learning areas (around the classrooms), a move long resisted by some of the old guard of the school community.

Not surprisingly, vandalism at the school dropped to almost zero, and the school grounds began to look like a place where children might want to spend time every day and a place where parents might feel safe leaving their kids. The windows stopped getting smashed every night and the walls were no longer covered in foul language every morning. Slowly, but surely, the school has begun to turn itself around and, when visiting it now, the difference is amazing. It is worth mentioning also the enormous change for the better in literacy and numeracy results at that school, which have taken them above the state average from a very low base, although I am aware this is not the only measure of a good school.

This turnaround, while driven by the school leadership, was greatly assisted as a result of a casual visit by Lea Stevens, the local MP. Lea and the principal got talking about the future direction of the school and a link was made with the Hope Central church based in Elizabeth South. Lea brought the school and church group together and a fundraising partnership was born which now, with the assistance of the member for Wakefield, regularly raises large amounts of money for various causes in the north and northeast. This group had a genuine desire to help that school community, and those ties are just as strong today. The difference they have made at the school is palpable. Through bold leadership and the local MP working to build local community networks, a once dysfunctional school has become a model for public schools in this area.

While in those instances the schools and community groups did the bulk of the organisation work and reaped the rewards, it is often the local MP, as a local community activist at the centre, who brings people together, and it is this approach that, more than anything, I want to bring to my work as a local member. As we all know, Lea Stevens is an exceptional person and I am sorry she could not be here today, although I did speak to her earlier. For me, personally, she has been a mentor, an inspiration and a good friend over many years. Campaigning over the last 18 months, I was deeply impressed and more than a little daunted by the genuine affection in which she is held within the community in the northern and north-eastern suburbs; and I still have the words 'big shoes to fill' ringing in my ears.

Lea introduced me to the communities in the eastern part of Little Para with which I was not so familiar—the tight-knit and thriving school communities, and the very active local service groups and community organisations—and, perhaps most importantly, I came to see the degree to which families encourage their kids through education, sports and recreation. I have had the good fortune to visit many sports groups in the northeast. Indeed, my first official engagement following the election was to pitch the first ball at the local baseball grand final. I have been surprised at the commitment of the many parents and volunteers who help to make these sporting clubs such a success.

In closing, I want to mention several people who have been good friends over the years and, in all cases, sources of good advice and support along the way. It is impossible, of course, to thank everyone who has played an important role in one's life, so I will try to limit it to a few. They are: my family, especially my sisters Lisa and Hayley, Kirsten Andrews, Brett Gale, Ian Hunter, Lisa Johnstone, Simon Lees, Zoe Bettison, Jason and Susie, Kirby and Kate, Simone, Billy, Paul and Sara, Carla Leversedge and Gavin Rudge. I thank Andrew Anson, my dedicated and selfless campaign director, who coordinated the whole effort; Chantelle Keeris who did a great deal of the leg work; and Jess Nitschke who, as well as being an invaluable help to my campaign and others, has been and remains a very good friend.

There are many people from within the union movement and the Labor Party, and particularly the Little Para sub-branch, who deserve my thanks, and I cannot thank them enough. I want particularly to thank Peter Malinauskas and the whole team at the SDA, Debbie Black of the Finance Sector Union and John Gee and John Camillo of the AMWU. I want to thank the Premier, Mike Rann, for his advice and his leadership; Lea and Mike Stevens (again); Senator Don Farrell and his wife Nimfa; and State Secretary Michael Brown.

Madam Speaker, I began today talking about my parents and the sacrifices they made to bring me here. If they had not made the decision to leave the council estates of London and settle in Elizabeth I am sure that I would never even have become a police officer let alone a member of this place. They taught me, among many other things, that family and close friends are the most important things in the world, and that the decisions those close to you make and the sacrifices they make for you can have an untold impact on your life.

So, I would finally like to thank Brigid Mahoney who has, over 20 years, given me invaluable advice and support and has made many sacrifices—personal and professional—to help bring me to this place, and my beautiful son James. Jimmy is the most important thing in the world to me; and of course he has his priorities right and cares more about soccer than politics. I hope that one day he is as proud of me as I am of my parents, and I hope that I am teaching him the same lessons and values they taught me, and I will try over the next four years to get that balance right. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The SPEAKER: Thanks to the honourable member and congratulations. Will members please resume their seat. The member for Light.

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (16:12): Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the motion to adopt the address by the Governor when he opened this session of parliament. I also wish to congratulate the Governor on the content and delivery of his address. What can I say, but: I am back, and—

Ms Bedford interjecting:

Mr PICCOLO: —exactly—to the pundits who had written me off, both on the other side of the chamber and in the media—

Ms Bedford interjecting:

Mr PICCOLO: Something like that. I wish to say how pleased I am to be here against the odds. First, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate, you, Madam Speaker, on your promotion to your new position, and I wish you well in that position. Secondly, I would like to congratulate the Deputy Speaker on her promotion to her position, and I wish her well also, as well as her growing family.

I would like to congratulate the new ministers: the members for Hartley, Enfield and Playford. I think I have got that right. I wish them very productive ministerial careers. I would also like to congratulate the new members of parliament, both on my side of the house and on the other side—

Ms Bedford interjecting:

Mr PICCOLO: —I will get to them in a second—of the house, and also those new members in the other place. I wish them successful parliamentary careers. I also congratulate those who have come back, like me, to continue to serve the people of South Australia. Equally, I also thank and extend my sympathies to those who did not make it back who served this parliament and their communities, in particular the former members for Morialta, Adelaide, Norwood and Mitchell. I did not always agree with the previous member for Mitchell, but he made a valuable contribution to the—

Ms Bedford: Colourful.

Mr PICCOLO: A colourful contribution, that's right. Certainly, I did not always agree but he gave it some thought, and I will miss the other three members who I had formed friendships with. I would not be here today if it was not for the people of Light who decided to elect me first in 2006 and re-elect me this time. I extend my thanks to the people of Light for trusting me once again to serve them and to represent them in this place. I hope I can do my best not to betray that trust.

While I stand here today, there are a number of people whose contributions I wish to acknowledge because, if not for their efforts, I would not be here. I seek the house's indulgence because I'm sure I will miss somebody and I will find out later, but I wish to mention some people who worked on my campaign. The reason I do that is because I want to indicate how much work a lot of people put in to get people like me elected to this place. Unlike the member for Waite—

Mr Venning: It's a full-time job.

Mr PICCOLO: It's a full-time job, that's correct. Unlike the member for Waite, who spoke about difficulties some of their candidates had in finding support, I had no such problem. I had broad support from the party to get myself re-elected here.

Mr Bignell interjecting:

Mr PICCOLO: And that's right; I'll get to those in a second. In terms of the people involved in my campaign, it was obviously my campaign team, sub-branch members, members of unions, ministers and the Premier, and I would like to extend my appreciation to the ministers and Premier who made their time available to visit my electorate and show their support. A number of people were prepared to go public and write testimonials for my re-election. The interesting thing is that some of those people who put their name forward to support me publicly were paid-up members of the Liberal Party and some had been Liberal Party supporters. They were quite prepared to do that and that was one of the reasons I think I won.

I would like to thank also members from the party office. There was a whole range of people and I would like to mention some now. Some of the people who helped me on this campaign were: Tamyra Strenc, Kim Thomas-Francis, Sam Davis, Tim House, Shannon Schedlich-Day, Matt Pinnegar and his partner, Megan, Janette Nicholls, Michael Harnett, James Piekert, Dale Amtsberg, Mark Smith, Carol Putland, the Hon. Gail Gago, Chris Holmes, Vince Puopolo, Simon Davey, Johnathan Granger, Lavinia Emmett Gray, Robert Fletcher, Paris Deane, Rhiannon Newman, Nefi Pnevmatikos, Michael Sims, and also Lesley and Jan from the ASU.

I would also like to mention a number of people who have given me a lot of support over the period of time with their valuable advice and assistance. It will become more evident later why their support has been important. I refer to people like Angela Gerace, Pat Gerace and Jared Bowen. Because public transport is such an important issue in the outer areas, their valuable support and assistance over the four years has been invaluable and I thank them for that.

In the party office, I thank Paul Marcacetti, Kyam Maher and Matt Deane. Also I am proud to acknowledge the very practical and strong support I received from the union movement: Graham Lorrain and the members of the communication branch of the CEPU, Peter Malinauskas with the SDA, Katrine Hildyard and members of the ASU, and also the very generous practical support I received from the Liquor and Hospitality Miscellaneous Workers Union. I extend my thanks and gratitude to David Di Troia, David Gray, Boyd McCrae and Paul Martin from the union without whose support I would not be here today.

At the local level I would like mention amongst others Kym, Heather and Miranda Thoday, Carmel and Steven Rossier, some colleagues from interstate, Steven Pratt and Jinane Bouassi who came across to support us. Thanks also to my staff, Megan, Cassie and Cheyne; and some members of parliament from interstate, Don Nardella and Danielle Green, who have supported me over the four years and, more recently, during the election. I thank Nick Champion, the local federal member, and his staff who, after working eight hours or more in the office, often helped me on weekends and nights. That was Andrew Anson, Jess Nitschke, Wendy Gee and Rob Klose.

Whilst a lot of my own sub-branch members helped on election days, these other members either helped doorknock or stuff thousands of envelopes. I think there were actually tens of thousands of envelopes. I would like to pay tribute to Mary Coffey, Maurice O'Reilly, Patricia Fabian. I also had my nephew and nieces helping me out stuffing envelopes to make sure we got the message out. Thanks to my nephew and niece Domenic and Maria and my sisters Antonietta and Lisa. We also had people like Barry Neylon and his son putting up posters. I would also like to thank a local business person, Brad Skuse, who has been a great supporter. Brad is a franchisee and is looking forward to the franchise law reform which hopefully will hit this parliament some time this year.

Whilst these people have helped me, I am ultimately responsible for any errors or omissions in my campaigning. I do not wish to lay any blame on those people, so anything I did wrong in my campaign is mine to own. I thank the local media who gave me a reasonable run in the election campaign and who have been generally quite supportive and fair in my four years here.

Thank you to the Lucas family. The Lucas family are farmers at Reeves Plains and they staffed my Roseworthy booth, which is a country booth, all day for me. The Lucas family are quite unique in that they have never voted Labor in their life, and they are quite clear about that. I think his grandparents would probably be turning in their grave if they knew that their grandson actually voted Labor. However, on this occasion they were so annoyed with the behaviour of the Liberal Party that they were prepared to support me quite publicly. Not only did they support me, but they went out there and campaigned for me. So I would like to thank the Lucas family for being brave enough to do that.

I also thank the Virgara family of Angle Vale—a very successful migrant story—for their support.

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr PICCOLO: Good wines as well. Thanks to my campaign manager, Manuel Chrisan, who had a very difficult task. By day he had to work for one of the toughest ministers, minister Conlon, and by night and on weekends he had to work for me. He certainly got the pointy end of the pineapple. So I would like to thank Manuel for his endless hours and travelling to my electorate to support me. Manuel also used to work for me.

I also thank my two sons, Raffaele and Stefan, who have to put up with me when I go home in less than my best mood sometimes after a long day here or out there and who have been great supporters of mine. They certainly add purpose to this job.

My greatest thanks go to my late father and my mother. I cannot say enough about my parents, who made many sacrifices to migrate to this country. For those people who are not migrants, you really cannot understand the migrant experience. To leave your country, to leave your parents and brothers and sisters behind, to come to a country, in my case, where the language and culture is different is very difficult. My mother, who did not attend school at all, had no idea what Australia was like. She had no conception of the country. To come here and be successful enough to build a home, find work, raise children and send them to university is an enormous achievement. In their own way, migrants are pioneers of this country, and I am indebted—

Mr Pengilly: All our families were migrants.

Mr PICCOLO: You are quite right, but when we have discussions about pioneers we tend to limit our pioneering discussions to the 1850s or 1860s. I think there are pioneers in the 1950s and 1960s as well; they are just different pioneers. So I would like to acknowledge the contribution my parents have made to my success. I would also like to thank John Quirke and Nick Bolkus. They are very good at providing advice on strategy and their support has been invaluable to my re-election.

I would like to reflect on the priorities I set for myself as an MP between 2006 and 2010. Hopefully these things I have done contributed to my re-election in 2010. I unashamedly made public transport a campaign issue. It is no secret that it is an important issue for my community. I was prepared to campaign on it because we have a good record, a good story and some great commitments in this area. I was able to deliver the dial-a-ride to Gawler, which was extended. We now have the biggest investment in rail infrastructure in the history of this state. I am proud that this will benefit my community. Although the minister can take credit for it, I am proud we have achieved that.

The dial-a-ride will be extended to Angle Vale by 1 July, which I campaigned for with my new colleague. On 1 July next year buses will be operating in Gawler—not some mickey mouse service, but an integrated service which will be designed and implemented in conjunction with councils and the community. Public transport is a major issue which this government has delivered on. That is also very important in terms of infrastructure. This government has done a number of things in terms of public infrastructure, in conjunction with the federal government—obviously the Northern Expressway and a number of other road and road safety improvements.

I was also involved in improving the message about men's health, about which I spoke a little earlier today and which I will talk about a little further in a few weeks' time as we approach International Men's Health Week. It is an area which has been neglected for many decades and unfortunately has been bogged down in ideology, but its time has come. I confess that when I first raised it in my inaugural speech four years ago, a few of my colleagues questioned why I did. It was obviously an unpopular political issue at the time, but in the intervening four years we have been able to discuss it openly. We now understand the context of why men's health is important because men are fathers, brothers and sons. In that context, physically and mentally healthy men have healthy families around them, which is important. So I was prepared to do that.

I also campaigned, for just over three years now, for the reform of franchise law, which is also an issue which will have its day very shortly. I see my colleague across there who sat on the committee when we had that inquiry. It is one of those issues which this house and this parliament has to act on. I have had discussions with the minister and I am confident that, in the life of this parliament, we will have some state-based franchise law reform; not to compete with, but to complement national laws.

Clearly the existing laws do not provide enough protection to the mum and dad investors in franchises. Every week I get an email or a letter from a franchisee around the country about the way they have been treated so badly. In this country you can invest up to $500,000 in a franchise yet you have less protection than if you invested $20 on the sharemarket. The sharemarket for some reason is regulated—quite appropriately because people invest their livelihoods—but it is no different to a franchise. The time has come for us to reform franchises.

During my four years I also campaigned for farmers' rights. For some reason our colleagues on the other side decided to abandon this area. They opposed the inquiry because they thought it was too trivial, was not important or did not exist. The message from the farmers was that they got it wrong. The fact that the farmers in my electorate were prepared to back me above the Liberal Party is testament to that.

Other issues of which you would be aware are the growth issues facing my community, and by that I mean the electorate is planning for high growth. Playford council, Gawler and Light are three key areas which are going to undergo some major growth.

Gawler East, one of the first areas, has thrown up quite a few challenges, and I think the issues that residents have raised about infrastructure, particularly around traffic and traffic management, are relevant and need to be addressed. I will continue to work with them to deliver a good outcome.

This morning the member for Finniss made some comments about local government. Both he and I have a background in local government. He indicated that he realised when he came here—and he can correct me if I am wrong—how relatively unimportant local government is, or words to that effect. What I would say is that local government is probably the most important sphere of government, because it is a sphere of government which impacts on people's lives day to day more than any other sphere, whether it is here or there. Most members here would get complaints about local government; in fact, probably most of the complaints you get are about local government. That indicates how important—

Mr PENGILLY: I rise on a point of order. I heard what the member had to say, and I believe that I have been misrepresented. I never in any way, shape or form this morning in my speech if you care to source it, indicated that local government was not required or words to the effect that the member used. I would ask him to withdraw that comment.

Members interjecting:

Mr PICCOLO: Yes; he can make a personal explanation, Madam Speaker.

Members interjecting:

Mr PICCOLO: I don't want to hear it again. I heard it this morning; I don't want to hear it again.

The SPEAKER: I am not sure that I would have taken it that he was casting aspersions on you, but I think perhaps afterwards if you want to make a personal explanation that might be the way to handle it. I would ask the member not to digress from what he is saying.

Mr PICCOLO: In terms of local government, I spent quite a few of my first few years around the issue of local government accountability. Also, I belong to the Economic and Finance Committee, which is an interest that I understand the member for Enfield also has in terms of accountability. I think that that work needs to continue.

In my first four years, I got involved in promoting the Playford Alive project, which is probably the biggest investment in the northern suburbs in many generations where this government will, over a period of 10 to 15 years, invest a billion dollars to support that community and the things that will flow from a community.

I spent quite a few of my first few years involved in a lot of consumer rights and citizen rights issues, which I will continue to do in this current term.

Mr Goldsworthy interjecting:

Mr PICCOLO: That's what you said last time!

Mr Goldsworthy: We'll get you next time.

Mr PICCOLO: You will have to wait and see. At least I won my seat the first time and the second time; it was not a hand-me-down, member for Kavel.

Mr Pengilly: John Olsen didn't hand him his seat.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr PICCOLO: It's a safe Liberal seat. I actually won a seat from your party, and I won it again even though you are so—

An honourable member: Mean.

Mr PICCOLO: I put that aside. I made an observation that if the Liberals could not bump me off at this election they would never win government. Well, I was proven right. We are here. I am back here, and the government is back here.

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr PICCOLO: You have four years to plan ahead; you are quite right. In terms of the agenda ahead, I would like to indicate the things I would like to do in the next four years to support my community. First of all I would like to continue with my program of community engagement. One of the things I can be very proud of was the extensive community engagement program I had with my community. I think that is one of the reasons why I was awarded with re-election, and I will continue that. In fact, I have already started my program, and I have met with some communities already.

The second thing I would like to continue with in this period and see to finalisation is the reform of franchise laws in this state. Also, I would like to continue to work for consumer rights for farmers. I am working closely with the South Australian Farmers Federation to deliver good outcomes for farmers because, apart from being important in terms of agricultural products, they are small business, and in some ways small businesses are no different from an ordinary consumer when they are dealing with big companies. Small businesses are often as powerless to deal with a big company as is an ordinary consumer with a manufacturer. So, I am quite happy and proud to be working with farmers to improve their rights.

One thing that the member for Finniss said that I agree with is that in this state there has to be some structural reform of local government. While there are some good examples, they are ad hoc and isolated. The time has come to have a relook at the structure of local government in this state. As I said, through my work as a local MP, clearly some things are not quite right, and that needs to be looked at. I foreshadow that in the next four years I will, hopefully, get involved in some work looking at local government.

Many of the complaints that I get as an MP also deal with administrative decisions made by government agencies, both state and local. Often, when people make accusations of inappropriate or corrupt behaviour it is due either to a decision that is not communicated properly or because there is no means of having decisions reviewed. One of the things that I would like to get involved in during this term of government is looking at the process of having administrative decisions of government, both state and local, reviewed more independently than they are at the moment.

The other thing I will obviously be involved in is making sure that the government delivers on the promises it made at election time for my electorate. There are two major promises: one is in relation to the delivery of public transport services to Gawler and Hewett, the Peachey Belt in Munno Para West, which I will ensure will happen; and, secondly, the extension of Dial-a-Ride to Angle Vale, amongst other places.

I hope to put more effort into improving road safety. I note that the minister today outlined the government's bold agenda for road safety. For whatever reason, and the member for Schubert would support me, our region has unfortunately witnessed the deaths of many young people. There are measures that we need to look at to make sure that we keep the road toll as low as possible.

One thing that I had to deal with in my first term that I will have to deal with in my second term is managing growth in the area. The objective is to ensure that, first, I can manage that growth happens in a way that does not have a negative impact on existing communities, and, secondly, that the infrastructure keeps up with community expectations. I will be working with the relevant ministers, councils and residents to make sure that happens.

One of the issues that I wish to address is the imbalance of power between telecommunications companies and residents. While I appreciate that the laws dealing with telecommunication companies have to be reasonable in the sense that we all like that technology they deliver, often a high price has to be paid by some local communities. I do not think the balance in the development plan for telecommunication towers for the state is quite right at the moment. I still see examples—and I have seen one recently in my own electorate—where Telstra still, quite arrogantly—that might be the right word—

Mr Pengilly: Aggressively.

Mr PICCOLO: Aggressively. I accept that; it is a good term. Telstra still tends to say that they will do this because they can even though there are residents who are prepared to work with them to find reasonable locations for their towers. I have the example in my community of Hillier, where residents were quite prepared to work. They found a suitable alternative site. It was not a case of NIMBY, but rather of this location rather than that location. Telstra basically said that they had spent enough money, that they did not have to, that they would not, and that they could put it where they want to. I think that imbalance of power has to be addressed.

The new member for Little Para mentioned community capacity, and that is one thing that I would like to do more work on in my next term. Supporting communities to support themselves is extremely important. I can do work with not only churches but also other community groups to support my community to build capacity for them to stand up and be heard.

I stand here today as a very proud member of the Labor Party. I am very proud of my colleagues on this side of the house who have been elected here, and I look forward to working with them, and, hopefully, having a good working relationship with those members on the other side over the next four years to deliver to South Australia. With those comments, I support the address of the Governor.


[Sitting extended beyond 17:00 on motion of Hon. J.J. Snelling]


The SPEAKER: I call the member for Flinders, one of my neighbours, a new member, and I would ask that in the usual tradition his speech be heard in silence.

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (16:40): Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is with great pride that I take my seat in this house as the newly elected member for Flinders. Before I begin my remarks, I congratulate you, Madam Speaker, on gaining the high office of Speaker. I note that, given that Flinders and Giles share a long common boundary, we are, in fact, next door neighbours. I also extend my congratulations to the member for Bright on her elevation to the role of Deputy Speaker.

I would like to thank His Excellency the Governor for opening this the 52nd Parliament of South Australia, and for his speech delivered on this occasion. I support the motion to adopt the Address in Reply.

I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the previous member for Flinders, Mrs Liz Penfold, for serving the electorate with conviction, passion and enthusiasm for the past 16 years. Her contribution to this house, her dedication to the electorate and to her constituents, is to be congratulated and admired. Liz was held in high regard throughout the electorate and I have been reminded often that I have big shoes to fill. This is a challenge that I am looking forward to undertaking.

I would like to thank the previous member for Stuart, the recently retired Graham Gunn, for his encouragement and support of me along the way. Unfortunately, I will have to learn the ropes from opposition, but I look forward to taking the debate up to the government over the next four years.

I also wish to congratulate all new members, here and in the other place, and those members who have been re-elected. I look forward to working with you all in a constructive and courteous manner. I have enjoyed listening to those maiden speeches already delivered. It is said that a cross-section of members of parliament represents a cross-section of the broader community. That is, undoubtedly, a good and necessary thing. I sincerely thank those members who have chosen to stay in the house today to listen to my address.

I pay tribute to our tenacious leader, Isobel Redmond. In fact, Isobel chose Flinders as the first regional electorate to visit on becoming leader. I am sure other country members on this side appreciate her fantastic efforts in getting around to the regions and connecting with the people, and she certainly struck a chord with constituents.

I would also like to thank all the Liberal Party branches and members in Flinders for the enormous help prior to and during the election campaign. Without them it is impossible to undertake the huge logistical exercise of running a campaign and organising polling day itself.

To the electors of Flinders, I sincerely thank you for entrusting me with the important responsibility of being your representative in this parliament. May I also thank the state secretariat of the Liberal Party and campaign headquarters, particularly the campaign director, Julian Sheezel, and his team at headquarters. An election campaign is a stressful and very busy time, as all of you would know. So, I commend the Liberal Party as a whole on a very professional campaign.

I will now, just briefly, outline some of the history of the electorate of Flinders, as I believe that it is important to remind people in this place about the diverse and beautiful parts of this great state, and particularly country South Australia. Flinders was originally a district for the Legislative Council of 1851 to 1856. It was one of the original 17 state electorates created in 1856 and effective at the first elections held for a bicameral parliament in South Australia in 1857. It is the only district to have survived in name to the present day. The current electoral boundaries encompass a large portion of the Eyre Peninsula, all of the West Coast of South Australia out to the Western Australian border, and surrounds an area of approximately 58,000 square kilometres, with a coastline in excess of 2,500 kilometres. Flinders today consists of nine local government areas and one outback area. Major service centres include: Port Lincoln, Ceduna, Streaky Bay, Elliston, Wudinna, Lock, Cleve, Cowell, Tumby Bay, Cummins and, of course, the mighty metropolis of Edillilie.

Our local economy is based on primary production—dryland mixed farming, fishing, aquaculture and the relatively new industry of fish ranching, plus small areas of viticulture and speciality crops—that generates well in excess of $1 billion worth of production annually. Our agricultural land managers and those in the fishing industry are to be congratulated for their efforts in making their production systems truly sustainable. They are ably assisted in this by the Marine Science Centre at Port Lincoln and the Minnipa agricultural research centre. The Minnipa research centre was, in fact, managed for many years by Bob Holloway, brother of minister Holloway who sits in the other place.

This question of sustainability has allowed Eyre Peninsula to produce a third of South Australia's annual grain harvest, most of which is exported to markets around the world. We also produce two thirds of the state's seafood harvest and run about 6 per cent of the state's livestock, all of which provides valuable export income for this state. Our producers will continue this sustainable production, and even increase it, through the adoption of new and exciting technologies. Local, national and international tourists find the spectacular scenery and relaxed lifestyle provides a wonderful holiday destination. The promotion and marketing of regional tourism must be improved, and Flinders is certainly one of the jewels in the crown in terms of attracting intrastate, interstate and overseas tourists.

Seventy five per cent of Australia's gypsum is mined at Purnong and exported through Thevenard. This, along with salt, grain, and, more recently, mineral sands has made Thevenard one of the busiest ports in the state. Ninety per cent of the world's supply of black jade is mined at Cowell. Certainly, the Eyre Peninsula offers significant mining potential, particularly iron ore, with most recent estimates putting the reserves of ore at between five billion and 10 billion tonnes. Our challenge will be to capitalise on these reserves whilst at the same time being mindful of the rights of existing land uses and existing landowners, both rural and urban. This government has for eight years talked the talk when it comes to a so-called mining boom and the associated jobs and benefits to the community, and it must now deliver. Exporting iron ore from the Eyre Peninsula has the potential to significantly broaden the base of our regional economy.

The first European to sight what was to become the West Coast of South Australia was the Dutchman, Peter Nuyts, in 1627. Nuyts accidentally bumped into the southern coast of Terra Australis, and his voyage is recalled through the name of Nuyts Archipelago off the coast of Ceduna. The electorate, of course, is named after Captain Matthew Flinders who, in 1802, with remarkable accuracy, surveyed the coastline of South Australia, naming many of the islands, inlets and landmarks after place names in his home county of Lincolnshire, England.

The township of Port Lincoln was established in 1839, just the third European settlement in South Australia, and inland exploration of the area was first undertaken by Edward John Eyre in 1840-41. The peninsula that he traversed now bears his name. Whalers, pastoralists, fishermen, farmers and surveyors soon followed. I often think that those surveyors who marked out this state for settlement are the unsung heroes. Venturing into the wilderness with a handful of axemen, pack horses and a chain measure, they pegged out roads, farms and townships. It was a truly remarkable feat that is often overlooked in history.

Settlement in the early days was confined to the coastal regions until, in an undertaking of extraordinary vision and courage, the government of the day built a railway line extending from Port Lincoln north to Cummins where it was to branch, with one line heading north and west to Purnong and the other heading northeast, to terminate at the delightfully named Buckleboo. These lines opened up vast wheat lands as well as much opportunity to the eager settlers. A spur line was also laid from Yeelanna to Mount Hope, and it was along this line, next to the siding at Yeltukka, that I grew up on our family farm.

After a couple of good seasons my parents built a new home on the farm a mile or so from where my grandparents lived. With the philosophy that one should never buy something when it can be made, they set about, with the aid of wooden moulds and a concrete mixer, to make the bricks for our house.

Also, 240 volt electricity arrived in the mid-sixties, and I can remember erecting our own phone line. In those days, two longs and a short constituted a phone number. We have certainly come a long way. My childhood was spent with all the freedom and space of country life. My recollection is that half a dozen rabbit traps, a 22, a couple of the old man's Styve's and a 28 inch Super Elliott with a sprung saddle made for a productive weekend.

Ms Bedford interjecting:

Mr TRELOAR: Well, we are not allowed to. Sport was also an important part of life, and it still is for that matter. I played my first game of Aussie Rules at eight years of age for the Cummins Rambler Football Club. I played my last game for the same club at age 42. It was a long but not particularly illustrious career. In fact, I was well into my 30s before coming to the realisation—with some surprise I might add—that I was never going to play AFL football. I guess it is unlikely that one would be picked up in the draft from the back pocket in the Rambler B grade. But I was thrilled and honoured with life membership of Ramblers, the club for which my children also now play.

My primary schooling was completed at the local area school. Then, after a stint at boarding school in Adelaide, which, incidentally, I enjoyed every moment of—

Mr Venning: Prince Alfred.

Mr TRELOAR: —Prince Alfred; thank you, Ivan, another old scholar—I joined the family business of farming. My life's work thus far has been in agriculture, both as a producer and as an industry advocate. I have enjoyed immensely both the challenges and rewards of growing wheat, barley, canola and sheep, and helping build a family business based on primary production. In many ways it is the most fundamental yet most fulfilling vocation of all.

Having a strong sense of community service instilled in me by my parents, I have always been involved in our local community, and I firmly believe that communities cannot and do not function well without the support of those who live in that community, whether it is the local football team, service club, school or hospital, our involvement is paramount. To belong is such an important part of our sense of worth.

I became a founding member of the Edillilie Landcare Group, sat on the Lower Eyre Soil Conservation Board, and I am currently a member of the Cummins-Wanilla Catchment Management Group. This involvement ultimately led to membership of the inaugural Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board. Central to this is my belief that it is our natural environment that sustains us. It sustains our economy, it sustains our businesses and it sustains our communities. One of the dilemmas we face in our modern world is that many people are so far removed from the fundamentals of life that it is difficult to make sound economic judgments. Decisions that will preserve and grow our productive capacity need always to consider the environmental outcomes.

In 2002 I was fortunate to be awarded a Nuffield scholarship. This is a worldwide scholarship scheme that has been operating (initially in commonwealth countries but expanded later) for over 60 years. The Nuffield Farming Scholars Association provides the opportunity for young farmers (which I was then) to travel overseas and study a topic of choice that will enhance not only their own business but also be of benefit to agriculture generally.

For many participants (me included) the scholarship gives an opportunity to view our industry in a much broader sense. It was during this sabbatical that I became interested in, first, agripolitics and ultimately politics more generally. A long time member of the South Australian Farmers Federation, I was subsequently elected to the SAFF Grains Council. The role of this body is to lobby government (both state and federal) on behalf of primary producers. So for me began the slippery slope into politics.

My belief in small government, in the rights and power of the individual and that people are not beholden to the state but should in fact control their own destiny has led me to stand in this house as a Liberal member. It is the Liberal Party that puts faith in and empowers people. It is the Liberal Party that understands the value of communities and how they function.

Government should never make a simple task difficult nor stifle initiative through regulation and red tape. I put to you, Madam Speaker, that the role of government is to provide the framework within which our businesses, our communities and we, as individuals, can thrive and prosper. Provide the framework—nothing more, nothing less. It's quite simple. It is clear that Labor has failed in this task over two terms. I genuinely hope that Labor's promise to reconnect with the people extends to country South Australians and is not simply more empty rhetoric which unfortunately has been the hallmark of this government over the past eight years.

During the recent campaign I was able to focus very much on local issues, and I intend to highlight and pursue these same issues during my time in this parliament. Water security is without a doubt the number one issue in South Australia and in Flinders. To give the house an understanding of our situation I will attempt to give a potted history of the water reticulation scheme on Eyre Peninsula.

Very little permanent water exists in the area and, indeed, it was because of this that Port Lincoln was passed over in favour of Adelaide as the preferred site for the state's capital. I guess if history had taken a different course, the member for Adelaide and I could well have swapped seats. Water was actually transported by train in the early days to provide the settlers with their requirements, meagre though the rations were.

During the 1920s a reservoir was built on the Tod River. Water was pumped to the top of an adjacent hill and from there it gravitated all the way to Ceduna—a distance of some 400 kilometres. At that time it was the longest gravity fed reticulation scheme in the world. It was, in fact, another fine example of vision and courage shown by the government of the day.

By the 1960s it became obvious that this supply needed to be supplemented to keep pace with the increasing demands of population and industry. A number of underground basins or lenses, as they are sometimes known, in the coastal limestone aquifers were tapped into. Increasing salinity levels in the Tod Reservoir meant that by the late 1990s the underground basins were supplying virtually all of our requirements.

Following concerns about the sustainability of the basins, it once again became necessary to augment that supply. In 2005 a further extension of the Morgan-Whyalla pipeline was built from Iron Knob through to Kimba, thus connecting for the first time what had been an autonomous scheme to the Murray River and supplying about 1.5 gigalitres annually.

SA Water has shortlisted a number of sites for the establishment of a desalinisation plant on the West Coast, and I urge the government to consider this without delay. Resurrecting the Tod Reservoir from its current dormant state would also greatly assist in the long-term water security of the peninsula. In the meantime our water situation remains precarious at best.

It is absolutely essential that country health services be maintained. In light of the proposed federal health takeover, this state government must ensure that country hospitals and country health services are not worse off. The management of country health has been one of the failings of this government. Labor has stopped listening to rural and regional communities when it comes to administration of their hospitals. The abolition of country health boards must surely go down as one of this government's biggest mistakes.

This also is the case with educational opportunities for country students. Just because a family or individual lives somewhere beyond Gepps Cross or the tollgate does not mean they do not have an equal right to those essential services that are ultimately the responsibility of a state government. It is imperative that this government understands and acknowledges the ownership that we, the people of this state, have of our schools and hospitals. Invariably, it has been the local communities themselves that identify the need for health services and education. Right across rural, regional and remote Australia these essential primary services are valued and supported by communities in a way not seen in metropolitan Adelaide. I put to the government that should it ignore country health and education, it will do so at its peril.

Investment into infrastructure projects has also been sadly lacking in recent times. If we are to maximise our potential in those areas of the economy that are truly productive then infrastructure requirements must be met. There are fish factories in Port Lincoln that are within sight of the wind farm at Cathedral Rocks yet are unable to increase their freezer capacity because they cannot source the power supply necessary to do so. It is an absurd situation.

This year, five ships a fortnight need to be docked and loaded at Thevenard just to satisfy the export needs of the existing industries. This is with just one confined berthing space and a fishing industry to accommodate as well. Serious mining ventures are being hamstrung by the lack of infrastructure, not to mention the new super tax which has the potential to derail mining development on the Eyre Peninsula before it has even begun. Ultimately it will hurt this state.

I will now go to Aboriginal affairs. The electorate of Flinders is home to a number of Indigenous communities which have contributed to the rich history and culture of the regions, particularly in the traditional Aboriginal lands, as well as in Port Lincoln and Ceduna. Aboriginal affairs policy directly affects many people in Flinders, so I do commend the work of the many members in this place who have had a positive impact on developing policies that improves the lives of Indigenous people across the state. However, there is still much to be done. Access to health services, education and increased life expectancy are all areas that can be improved. It is my hope that the spirit of bipartisanship on Aboriginal affairs policy will continue over the life of this government, for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in Flinders and indeed across South Australia.

I will briefly turn to the issue of road infrastructure and road maintenance. Neglecting our roads compromises road safety and adds to the cost of doing business in regional South Australia. This government has not significantly improved ageing road infrastructure in regional SA, nor has it invested enough in road maintenance in regional SA. I acknowledge that road infrastructure must be addressed by all three tiers of government in order to see significant improvements in this area.

I have spent time talking about all those things that need addressing in Flinders, but it is paramount also that we look at the positives. As I mentioned earlier, Flinders is a wonderful part of this state: rich in resources, productive and with a spectacular landscape. It is my belief that as a region we have huge potential and a wonderful future. The reason I say this is because our greatest asset is our people: industrious, resilient, involved and warm. It is the people that make our community great.

My intention during my time in this parliament will be to ensure that the regions of this state are recognised for the contribution that we make to the state's economy. Eighty per cent of South Australia's export income is produced from the regions. Many seem to have forgotten that or are simply oblivious to the fact. In many respects metropolitan Adelaide has become a vortex that has sucked funding and centralised services, to the detriment of those in rural and regional South Australia.

The people in the country and in the regions who drive our export economy are fully aware that the population of Adelaide commands the lion's share of the state's wealth and resources. However, what we want and what we deserve is simply a fair go. That means a government that delivers on essential services and returns a fair share of the state's resources to the regions. The Liberal Party in this respect is streets ahead of Labor when it comes to standing up for rural and regional South Australia. My aim is to return to that vision and courage in government that I referred to earlier.

Finally, as all have done in the past, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to a number of people in particular for their guidance and assistance over a long time. First, I thank my parents, Brian and Wendy, for the brilliant example they have provided me with throughout my life. There is no doubt that their hard work and commitment to family have given me many wonderful opportunities. I will be forever grateful.

I would like to thank my two brothers, Michael and John, and their respective families for the support they have given me and the friendship we have enjoyed. We have worked and played together for a very long time. Somebody had to get those Stuyvies!

To my mother-in-law, Dawn, who provided a hot meal, a bed in Lincoln when I needed it and loads of support—thank you. I acknowledge a much more recent supporter in my life, Jacqui Merchant, who joined me for the campaign in the lead-up to the recent election. Jacqui is here today, and I thank you for your help during that time. Your experience and sound guidance proved invaluable, and I look forward to continuing to work with you.

I also make mention of Simon Halliwell, who is here today, and Aimee Pedler, both of whom were invaluable through the campaign and who, I am very pleased to say, have agreed to continue working with me on a more formal basis.

To my colleagues on this side of the house, many of whom made the trek to Flinders during the campaign, your support was invaluable. I also thank all those friends who have supported and assisted me in any way in my efforts to become a member of parliament. They are too numerous to mention, but I express my gratitude to them all.

I thank my wife, Annette, who is in the gallery today, and our children, the eldest of whom is Thomas, who is also here along with his friend Daniel Juke, and I also acknowledge Mike Wake up in the gallery. Good to see you, Mike!

An honourable member: Rural youth!

Mr TRELOAR: Rural youth! We go back a long way, Mike.

There being a disturbance in the Strangers' Gallery:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr TRELOAR: It's a small world, Madam Speaker. To my wife, Annette, and our children Thomas, Madeleine, Henry and Max—the biggest thank you of all. Their support, encouragement and patience has been a great inspiration to me and, whatever comes to pass in this place or in any other part of my life, I will always cherish my family as my most significant achievement.

Finally, I give my undertaking to the people of Flinders that I will serve and represent them to the best of my ability without fear or favour in this esteemed house in the Parliament of South Australia.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The SPEAKER: Congratulations to the member for Flinders. I am sure that we will work as well as we can from opposite sides of the house. Congratulations to you and well done.

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