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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-09-06 Daily Xml
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FIGHT FOR THE MURRAY

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:59): Thank you, Madam Speaker. I didn't think I was going to get to say anything in question time today.

The SPEAKER: You haven't shut up for most of it!

Mr WILLIAMS: My question is to the Premier.

The SPEAKER: There were times when you weren't going to have anything more to say; you nearly left.

Mr WILLIAMS: My question is to the Premier. Why has the Premier breached his own political advertising guidelines with his Fight For The Murray advertising campaign by using his own voice and image in taxpayer-funded advertisements? The government's advertising guidelines state:

Public funds should not be used for communications where the image or voice of a politician is included within the advertising.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (15:00): I note that this was a contention advanced by the Hon. Rob Lucas in the other place. I must thank him for that because it has led to a small surge in the hits on our website. It has actually been an advantage.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Of course, it doesn't, and I would invite anyone opposite to merely look at the website to see that this is not political advertising of any sort.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: It is actually advancing a proposition which was supported by a resolution of this house, on a bipartisan basis. It is not paid advertising in any sense, shape or form. It is on our website. I must say that, if they take objection to it, I have got some news for them—we'll be doing more of it. We will be using social media—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —to communicate to the people of South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —about issues of concern to them, advancing the interests of South Australians by promoting public policy debates. But I must say that, on this issue, how could there be any contention about this? I am advancing the very proposition that this house passed, on a bipartisan basis. I must say that something like 10,000 views of the site, a number of Facebook friends—it is all very congenial. If you go to the site there are probably 20 clips—

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Speaker. I take it from the Premier's answer that he has abandoned his own guidelines?

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order there. It is another question.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: No, you can't take from my answer that I do that. Can I say that there has been a—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: What wafts over every now and then is the member for Chaffey saying something about $2 million worth of advertising in the public relations campaign. Can I say about this that if we get one extra gigalitre of water in the Murray-Darling Basin plan it will have paid for itself, because they are currently on the market—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —for about $2 million.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: One extra gigalitre and we would have paid for the advertising campaign—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —and we are asking for a whole lot more than one gigalitre.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Ramsay.

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